The Kalle Shirt has become one of thise iconic patterns like the Ogden Cami, like the Linden Sweatshirt, like the Bakerlou Blouse, that pop up and you instantly go YES. I think it's been such a hit because it can be made to suit literally anyone for literally any occasion. There is so much room for personalisation with this pattern. The length, the placket, the hem, the back pleat - start teaming those variations with different fabrics and you've got endless options.
This is my second Kalle, my first was in quite a heavy fabric, so I was excited to use a lightweight viscose to see how differently it would hang. With this warmer weather we've been having recently I wanted a short sleeve shirt that was appropriate for work, but in a fun fabric that had a bit of individuality to it.
That's where this gorgeous new tiger print from Minerva comes in. This is part of their lush new, exclusive range of viscose challis fabrics that have just hit their website. The range is worth a browse, there's summer vibes a plenty with leafy, tropical style prints, jazzy styles in neutral tones, and if like me you're a fan of creatures making an appearence, there's plenty of wildcats prowling their range too. I love these felines as they are so subtle and understated, yet undeniably feirce. In the list of stellar qualities my bestie put in my 30th birthday card Feirce made an appearance, and although I don't think I've been feeling it recently, I'm hoping this shirt will inspire me to be a bit more kickass!
The fabric itself has a lovely drape to it, feels comfy against the skin and didn't ladder when sewing or cutting my button holes. Overall just lovely to handle! I would just recommend being careful when interfacing as I did notice a bit of shrinkage when applying heat to fuse.
There are some really lovely tones across the whole range of new Minerva fabrics - I can imagine pairing some of these together to build a little capsule wardrobe.
I made a tiny change to the pattern from last time, and that was to make the back shorter and do away with the curvy biasbound hem. I really enjoyed sewing it on the last one but I'm a tuck-it-in kinda girl so that extra length in the back was just a waste of time. I altered the hem so it was still slightly curved and still slightly longer at the back, but all in all much less dramatic and easier to both tuck in and sew! I did a simple double turned hem which also meant I didn't have to cut through a load of fabric to make some bias binding.
Button choice, I went for classic gold to match my glasses and bring out some of the yellowy/oranges from the tigers. These were like 30p each from the market or something. I still super hate doing button holes but I have found they have been much improved since using a fray stop in them as soon as I've cut them and I invested in a new quick unpicker! About time! With that and new blades on my overlocker I was slicing my way into absolute sewing heaven this weekend.
Cutting out is always my least favourite part, but once that was done it took maybe a day's casual work with lots of breaks for snacks and dancing and posting on Instagram, for the shirt to be completed. There's no darts so fitting is simple! The placket is maybe the hardest bit, but it's also the first bit so you get that done while your attention is still fresh! My advice is just make sure you transfer the pattern marking really well and follow the instructions. Take your time and you'll earn yourself a beautiful placket!
This was such a great project to help get my sewing mojo back. I have been a bit all over the place of late, trying to figure out what I want, how to do it and who I want to do it with. Learning new things has been exciting and a good distraction to get me out of the house but I have missed sewing so much. Next up I really do want to make something sporty so I can feel feirce as f*ck next time I'm at the badminton courts, Or the Netball courts, or the Boxing ring, or the driving range or the swimming baths. Like I said, it's been a busy time, but god it's good to be back.
x
Location: Charter Square
Currently listening to: Take Me Out, Franz Ferdinand