Holly's new dress

I'm trying to alter the pattern I have for this dress:

to make it look more like this dress:

I think the first is Simplicity 6451. The second is a dress my mother-in-law made and may be from a very old (pattern speaking-wise) pattern. The first is a princess seam dress - front and back. The pattern has a view with a collar and a belt/sash (the one in the picture has neither of those things). The second dress is princess seamed only in the front and the back bodice. The back skirt has two 3 inch pleats to gather its fullness and a buttoned "tie"/belt. The second one is roomier (less fitted) and has puffier sleeves. I wouldn't call it a major pattern alteration, but I did cut the back pattern pieces to make separate bodice and skirt pieces, I changed the front from a center seam to buttons with a scalloped edge you can't see in the picture, and I tried to change the sleeve puffiness.

The top dress is in velveteen. The bottom dress is a quilter's cotton, so loved it's almost sheer now. I'm going to make the new one in a lavender cotton I want to call poplin. I also have some other non-cotton flowered fabric I plan to use if the first one works but I can't remember exactly what it is.

Holly would like the dress to be finished yesterday. I've moved my sewing table upstairs so I can't help but see the parts and feel guilty. I prefer working under creative inspiration, but guilt works eventually, too. Plus after I see if it works for Holly's dress I'm making one for Julia, too.

As for the sock, I'm working on the foot part. It seemed to go faster last time. I can't wait to be finished. I'm sure I'll need these warm wool socks in Tucson in June! I think my next project will be a cardigan knitted in a lace pattern of some sort. Or maybe I should get to work on the quilt I've been thinking of starting, and there is that box of pictures to scrapbook...