Mock Wrap Knit Dress - New Look 6301

It has been a while since I shared a finished garment here, but this dress feels like the right project to mark my return to regular sewing and blogging. Today’s post is a review of New Look 6301, a knit dress pattern that also helped me cross the halfway point in the #whole30fabric challenge.  I have not purchased any fabric since August 1, 2024, and every finished project brings me closer to clearing fabric in my stash.  This dress was made using a ponte de roma fabric purchased in 2019 from an Etsy Seller, Fabrics Universe.

New Look 6301 is a mock wrap knit dress pattern with multiple views that make it easy to customize. For this project, I chose View D, a sleeveless design with a pleated, slim-fit skirt. The skirt back includes darts, which is one reason I bought the pattern, as they are often excluded from knit dress designs. For sizing, I cut a size 12 for the upper bodice and graded to a 14 at the waist, which gave me a comfortable fit through the torso without feeling restrictive. I also shortened the hem by 5 inches, which is not a standard adjustment for me. Typically, my dresses fall just below the knee, but this change brought the length closer to what I wanted, as I plan to pair this with knee-high boots in the future. The ponte was a great match for this pattern. It provided enough structure to support the pleated skirt while still being comfortable and easy to wear, and it sewed up beautifully.

That said, this project confirmed what I already suspected about my personal style: I am still not a pleated-skirt person. I chose View D intentionally as a bit of a style experiment, wondering if my taste had changed over time. After wearing the finished dress, I can confidently say—it hasn’t. While I like the dress overall, I don’t see myself making it again with a fitted skirt because of the pleat. If I return to New Look 6301 in the future, it will definitely be with the flare skirt option or with modifications that better align with my preferences.

Even so, the process itself was a satisfying one, mainly because it allowed me to pull from my existing fabric stash rather than buying something new. Working through older fabrics on the shelf like this ponte de roma, has been both rewarding and motivating. It’s a reminder that I already have beautiful material on hand, and sometimes, they just need the right pattern and moment.