Combining New Look 6511 and McCalls 8197

Detour: While waiting for the white, summery fabrics to get washed and dried, this make combines the sleeves and skirt from McCalls 8197 with the bodice from New Look 6511, and adds pockets, to make a full coverage dress from a sedate sateen. Hopefully, cooler weather is not too far off. 🥺

The McCalls pattern is cute, but it requires an invisible zipper in the back. Something with a single button in the back is easier to put on. Using the simpler bodice also avoids the zipper, the bodice lining, and the low-cut neck. It also lowers the empire waist and thereby lengthens the dress. The fabric came from Fabric Mart, 3 1/2 yards of cute brown/black print Sateen; cost: $15.75; 58" wide; 20 oz. It is like a lawn, so quite light.

The armhole of the size 16 in the McCalls (the smallest size in the pattern block I have) is similar enough to the armhole of the size 14 in the New Look. The sleeves fit well enough. Both patterns specify sateen, thus this soft and light fabric worked just fine. Per the instructions for the McCalls, the neck is bias bound. That too worked well because the sateen is heavy enough to not need a lining. The pocket piece is from McCalls 8192, a pattern that has fitting issues with the princess seams. The bodice of the New Look pattern is a much better fit, especially since its armhole darts really work well for me. The skirt is the longest option in the McCalls pattern, combined with the ruffle for the shortest version. Even with all this extra coverage, there is still over 1/2 yard of this sateen left.

I really like it. I should look for more sateen.