Closet Core Patterns, Kalle Shirt

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. 

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Location: Charter Square
Currently listening to: Take Me Out, Franz Ferdinand

Closet Core Patterns - Kalle Shirt

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