McCalls 7351 Shirtdress

Oh my.  The lengths I went to for these photos!  First of all, it is pretty much always 100 degrees around here until October, so I sit inside, camera-at-the-ready, waiting for a big cloud to block the sun for a bit.  Then, I run out and get set up in front of my favorite Mandevilla bush because - hello, giant, gorgeous pink flowers!

 But wait!  What happened to my giant cloud?  Oh well, press on.

The cloud returned... and then entered the biggest, most-territorial bumblebee I have ever seen.  No joke, this guy decided the bush was his, and he was doing patrols around it so that every time I set the timer for a photo, there he was waiting to scare me off.  I'm not allergic to stings or anything, and I don't even know if this guy could sting, but he was definitely intimidating!  Ok, enough about the bee.  Photographic evidence of that fiasco will come at the end.  First, the dress!

This is McCalls 7351, a popular shirtdress pattern from spring.  I made view D, with the circle skirt and which is used for the sample white dress on the envelope.  This is a fantastic pattern.  It definitely looks best worn with a skinny belt.  I also used this pattern to create my Liberty blouse.

The fabric is this cotton voile from Mood Fabrics.  It says it is "vintage inspired," but it also reads Liberty of London inspired to me.  I was pleased that this voile is substantial enough that it does not need a lining or slip.  The buttons are from JoAnn.  I can't find them online, but I think they were made from a nut shell or something like that.  I like the way they contrast with the flowers.

Ok, on to the funny ones.

Here is my personal favorite of the lot:  Hey, check out my circle skirt!  Oh wait, there is a disturbing-looking bumble bee over there.

Nope, I am not even going over there this time.

Even the dog sees it!

 However, despite multiple attempts, I could not get a photo of the actual bee.