Have you ever plannned the perfect project - lush fabric, ideal pattern, only to end up kicking yourself at the end when you realised you'd chosen the wrong weight interacing or irritatingly fiddly buttons? Do you ever just wish someone would do that part for you, pick it all out, pack it all up and send it to you in the post?
Well that's where Minerva kits come in handy! Minerva kits take the hassle out of compiling your supplies and make sure you have everygthing you need, including pattern, fabric, interfacing, notions and needles, to make your project exactly as it is on the packet. Online fabric buying can be hard- it can be tricky to know if you've picked the right weight fabric for your pattern - how many times have you ordered a beautiful print online only to find it's not
quite got the qualities you invisaged when it arrived? With someone at the other end of the internet compling all the stash you need you can trust that your fabrics and pattern are perfectly compatible and ready to get sewing when they arrive.
For my version of the Closet Core Kalle shirt I opted for the 'popover' placket as I haven't done this style of placket before and construction looked exciting!! It comes together like some kind of mystic origami! The instructions are really clear though and providing you clearly mark the stitching lines and match them up accurately the assemblage isn't too daunting.
The lobster fabric is soo well behaved when doing the fiddly bits of sewing like the placket. There is enough stretch in it to be able to manipulate it to where you want it, and equally enough stability to stop it from slipping and sliding out of place. Thr fabric has a thickness to it which you could describe as not all that disimilar to er, well- tea towel - don't be put off however! I think there is something really pleasing about this, particularly in this print, reminiscent of the souvenir tea towels you'd buy at the seaside on holiday.
Picking a size for the blouse- I chose a 3 as this tallied up nicely with my bust size. I'd read on multiple reviews including the Closet Core Kalle sew-along, that there is so much ease in the bottom half of the shirt, that unless there is a difference of more than a couple of sizes there is no need to grade out at the waist and hips. With the inclusion of the boxpleat in the centreback I totally agree. This creates sooo much extra room in the bottom half of the pattern that I would consider taking it out completely next time. I have such a small lower back that there really does seem to be a surplus of fabric in that area.
Aside from this I was really pleased with the fit of the shirt. The sleeve bands create a neat finish to the perfect length sleeves. The chunkiness of the bands give a kind of sailor-vibe which again compliment the seasidey print of the fabric.
While we're at it - the thread and the buttons included in the kit are a soft, off-white colour - subconsciously conjuring beachy memories of sand and shells.
The kit includes enough fabric to make any of the versions of Kalle. This means there is ample fabric to make your own bias binding! The binding is used to finish the super-curvy hem line. I'll admit I've never bias bound a hem before! I really enjoyed how easy it was to manipulate the binding to get a really neat finish. There's loads of opportunity to mix up the length of the hem. The view I chose uses this hi-low cut but if it's not for you it's really easy to alter to suit your style.
Once again Minerva have proved they are at the top of their game with these kits. I really enjoyed using a kit to build my Kalle shirt. I think beginners will enjoy the ease of having everything you need provided, sometimes just that extra bit of assurance you are 'using the right stuff' can give you the confidence boost you need to get going on a project. More experienced stitchers can swap out any parts of the kit they already have and use their own should they want to. Thanks Minerva for letting me get involved!
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Location: More Hall Resevoir, Oughtibridge
Currenlty Listening to: Exes and Ohs, Elle King
