The fabric was also very waxy and stiff, so my other concern was choosing the right pattern that would go with that kind of texture.
The colours are actually a lot deeper than my camera shows - it is really lovely.
Finally I just winged it and made this. A basic bodice pattern was used, and the skirt was barely 1 1/2 times the width of the top, hence pleats instead of gathers. It turned out really well, especially with the pleats at the front (you can barely see them) which just lies flat without any fuss.
I did a small "V" in the neck line as I did not know how else to not make it so "boring". The "V" was not as sharp as I wanted, but it was still OK. I probably should have used interfacing to make it stand up a little more. Ah well, next time....
