Hibiscus Mock Wrap Dress

Proof (as if I needed it) that good fabrics give good results. I got this stretch cotton sateen at Fabricana in Vancouver this summer and knew that it would become a mock wrap dress. I aim to only buy stretch fabrics for apparel in future. But I still have a lot of wovens in my stash. It is quite lightweight, but doesn't drape. I love the hibiscus print and the navy on white is an unusual pairing for a summer print. The pattern only needs 1.5m, of which I have substantial scraps left, making it a very economical dress.

The pattern is New Look 6123, in which I managed to look past the comically woeful styling on the pattern cover and spot some amazing style lines inside. Pattern review also has some great versions, and I can see it becoming a great shift dress, if I can get past my beloved New Look 6968. I went for the bodice from version A/B and the skirt from B/D, without the sleeves and the flounce. There are some great sleeve options that come with this dress, but this was for summer, and I can't imagine that I'll ever wear a flounce. But never say never. I made quite a few pattern alterations for fit, most of them quite familiar to me now:

Short Waist: 1 inch
Sway Back: 1.5 cm
Reduce shoulder seams: 1.5cm
Side seams, seam allowance, 1cm @ waist area
Bias binding neckline, 5mm seam allowance.
Lowered length by 1 inch. Haven't moved vent down.
Waist seam 1cm @ front
Back Seam, 1cm at waist
Peg side seams by 1 inch

I also used bias binding instead of the facing. I left the full seam allowance in place, so it gives an extra 1cm around the neckline (5mm for bias binding, instead of 15mm for facing). In truth, it is a bit high, but I prefer to keep everything inside. For the bias biding on the armholes, I did trim 10mm off to keep them to 15mm seam allowance.

Construction was very simple, and pretty quick. I was surprised by how much pleating and gathering there was through the wrap sections. The pattern has you pleat and then gather over the top of the pleats. In a stretch cotton it was fine, but a heavier woven might end up with a lot of bulk.

I sized down to a 10 and would make a 12 in a woven. It is pretty snug through the hips and my waist is always much larger than the rest of me, but I am really pleased with the look and the fit.
Costs:
 Fabric: Fabricana, 14.39
 Lining/binding: reclaimed sheet, 0.00
 Interfacing: not used
 Pattern: Minerva Crafts, 3.99
 Zip: Mood, 0.60
 Thread: existing, 0.00
Total: 18.98