Cough cough.  And cough again.  Still coughing, but feeling much better (with the help of a little paracetamol and ibuprofen every now and then).  So it is finally time to show you New Look 6097!

This is a much more fitted silhouette than I usually wear – look, there is even a belt! Around what passes for my waist! – but I really like it. Probably because it is a stretch fabric; something polyester with a bit of lycra from Spotlight. More than one person told me that the print reminded them of Aboriginal dot paintings.

The pattern has a short sleeved and a collarless version, but obviously I chose to make the dress with the elbow-length sleeves and a collar. The turned up cuffs are secured with stitching in the seamline ditch on one side, and with a vintage button from stash on the other. I was so pleased when the buttons matched perfectly!

I didn’t pay as much attention as I should have when I cut it out, and my dress wraps the opposite way to the picture. I figure that it doesn’t really matter. This pattern went together beautifully. All the pieces matched as they should, even though I’d cut it out as size 14 width wise but size 12 through the shoulders and armholes and length. The front binding snugs everything in nicely, and the collar sits well. After reading some reviews of the dress, I made sure that I stabilised the pockets well before stitching, both on the skirt and the pocket pieces. It was worth it – the pockets haven’t stretched out at all.

Another slight change that I made was with the waist elastic. This dress isn’t really a wrap dress – it’s a wrap bodice stitched to a skirt, so there are no issues with it flying open or similar. The instructions have you make a casing within the bodice/skirt seam to insert elastic to snug the dress in. After stitching the bodice and skirt together I pressed the seam allowance up and sewed a casing on the bodice side, and inserted the elastic through that. It just keeps the dress nicely in place, and is hidden by the belt during wear.

I could have cut the belt shorter – it wraps around twice in this very stretchy fabric! The buckle is a vintage one that was also floating around in my stash.

I recommend this pattern – the collar sits well, the neckline is a nice depth without needing anything under it to make the cleavage work-appropriate, the elbow length sleeves are comfortable to wear and hide the “fadoobidas” under my upper arms, the pockets are just perfectly placed, the print disguises most lumps and bumps, and the just above knee skirt length seems to work quite well with it (although it does expose my moon-tan once again).

It might even be worth giving the short sleeved, collarless version a try!