And the Dress Died

Remember all those things I learned yesterday?  Well, I finished the dress this morning (quickly sewed on the straps after pinning them on Amelia).  I learned a few more things last night though!

1. Really think through your ideas before you start cutting!
2. It is IMPOSSIBLE to attach lining to a shirred dress AFTER it has been shirred.

I figured out a work-around with my lining screw up, it wasn't pretty on the inside but it worked, but the 45 min. dress took over 4 hours because I didn't attach the lining before I shirred.  Lesson learned.  

Anyway, back to what this post is really about!

Here is the dress in all its glory:

It really is quite cute if I do say so myself.  Perfect colors for her.  Shortly after this pic, Amelia goes running by me and I realize there is a lot of fluttering going on at the back.  I stop her and look at the back seem and she has completely ripped it right up to the top.  It's all frayed and there was no saving it, not without making it way too small.  In disgust I grabbed all the scraps and the dress and threw them in the trash!

I'm trying to find out where I went wrong.  I really think this light gauzy fabric needs the edges done up with a serger (which I don't own), but I'm trying to find out how else I could have reinforced the seam without one.

Anyone have a clue?