Bumblebee Shirtwaist Dress

I have been a busy bee (I had to get in just one bee pun, so best I do it at the start)! This shirtwaist pattern is from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing, but the fabric is the real focal point of this dress. It is a lovely bumblee-printed rayon from Hart's Fabric. In addition to being a feast for the eyes, it was a real bear to sew, but we'll get into that in a bit.

I made this pattern for the first time early last year (it's actually the dress that started this blog!), and the best part about it, hands down, is the shirring at the back. It feels like you're wearing sweat pants, when really you're wearing a fancy frock. Plus, it gives the back of the dress a really great shape. 

I made a few small alterations to suit the fabric. First, I omitted the pockets. They're a great feature, but this fabric is so light and drapey that I didn't want to risk weighing it down with all the miscellany I inevitably stuff in my pockets. The second change I made was to do piping at the sleeves instead of the cuff in the original pattern. I tried the cuff, but it was getting lost with all those bees! The piping is much better, I think.

Now, let's talk about this fabric. This is one of the most drapey (drapiest?) fabrics I have ever sewn. In hindsight, it probably was not a great choice as it doesn't really have enough substance for the pleats at the waist or gathers at the sleeve cap, but I love it still.

I took a few precautions because of its drapiness, primarily putting a ribbon in the waist and at the shoulder seams to give it a little bit of extra stability. I didn't stay stitch my armholes, though, and that was a mistake. They stretched out considerably while sewing, causing a bit of a droopy shoulder that try as I might, I couldn't seem to resolve without making something else worse. I  barely had any gathers at the sleeve cap because I had miles of armhole to fill and barely enough sleeve to fill it. I also should have interfaced both sides of the collar to give it a little extra oomph. Here's a peeksie at the insides. 

This fabric was so loosey goosey it could barely sit still long enough to be turned into a dress. It just wouldn't cooperate! Now that a bit of time has passed for me to overcome our quarrels, I can tell it will be a favorite it my wardrobe, despite its imperfections. It's just so comfortable yet feminine. And the print is so wonderfully cheery and fun!