McCall's 6078 meets McCall's 6069

McCall's 6069, now out of print (but why so soon?), is a great dress pattern, but the low back cowl isn't something I'm comfortable wearing at work.  So, to replicate the style but with a fitted back, I took another favorite pattern, McCall's 6078, and combined view B with the skirt from 6069.  I compared the bodice of 6069 with 6078 and traced 6078, cutting off quite a bit of length but still giving the new bodice an inch more in length than 6069.  This was a pretty easy project, and I think the result is work-appropriate.

 

Here are some of the things I did:

• I underlined the skirt with tricot for modesty and to give the skirt a little more body
• I hemmed the skirt with the coverstitch (1.25" hem)
• Instead of making a narrow 5/8" hem on the armscyes and the back neck, I bound them by using 1.25" strips.  I sewed the edge of the strips to the right side of the back neck and the armscyes in a 5/8" seam, trimmed the seam allowances, pressed the binding to the wrong side, and coverstitched them (1" hem)
• All seams were sewn and serged
• I followed the 6069 instructions for the self-casing at the waist, but I finished the edge with the serger rather than leaving it raw--ditto the edge of the cowl facing
• I will probably wear this with a gold chain belt, but I also made the tie belt from 6069; it is wrapped twice around the waist in these photos 
• I didn't add the side seam pockets

I'll definitely make this combo again--and I'm sure I have plenty of fabric in my stash :) so no need to go shopping (darn it).  I might also make a dress with this same skirt but use the Jalie scarf top as the bodice.

This sunny yellow fabric is an ITY jersey from Fashion Fabrics Club that I bought about a year ago; it has a pretty substantial hand for an ITY, and is almost too heavy since I underlined the skirt.

Up next?  I'm pre-treating a knit for another McCall's 5974, but I might work on a Vogue shirtdress in a stretch woven first.
Hope all is well in your world and that you have happy sewing!  
~ Peggy