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

Simplicity 1370, Suede Mini Skirt

10 different outfits for the 10 different house viewings I attended before I finally fell in love with the house that became mine. 

It started simple, wear a different me-made shirt for each viewing to ascertain which shirt was indeed my ‘lucky’ shirt, and once that became clear, said lucky shirt would accompany me on all tasks and trips that required me to have a little extra swish and a little extra clip in my heels.

After about viewing number 7 I realised I was going to have to bring out the big guns. In the process of finding my lucky shirt and my dream home, what I actually seemed to discover was a load of unlucky shirts; some damp bathrooms, some spooky neighbours, some suspect rendering and a spider with legs longer than mine. I needed more than just a lucky shirt, so that’s when the suede skirt came into action.

I’d bought the suede on a gloriously sunny day of freedom, on a solo trip to Matlock. It must have been the hottest day of the year – fond memories of honeycomb flavoured ice cream, suncream and sunglasses- the tan line across my midriff from my crop top that day still faintly shows now, despite the autumn leaves turning to mush on the ground. I took a deep breath that day and felt summer fill my body.

What didn’t scream summer to me though was the burgundy suede I found at the Identity Store leather sale. Imagining the sweat dripping down the small of my back where my leather waistband would meet my skin made me feel a bit anxious, so it was no surprise I waited a month or so before unrolling the suede on the studio floor and having a look just how mini the mini skirt would have to be.

The pattern I used (Simplicity 1370) was a safe bet really. I had used it to make my skort so I could already anticipate the depth of the waistband and where exactly I was going to have to take the pattern in. I did make a toile as I had no intention of slicing through my Matlock booty without a tester. I found the zip could do with being about 1 inch longer to accommodate my er... booty, but when it came to it the shop didn’t have a burgundy invisible zipper in the length I needed so I opted for the length the pattern suggested, and vowed to cut down on the honeycomb ice cream.

I thought I was going to have to use a different fabric for the waistband lining but with some clever manoeuvring of my pattern pieces I just about managed to get the skirt to fit my fabric. I found a perfect match lining fabric at Hillsborough with a slight iridescence to it. There are no instructions in the pattern for adding a lining, but I did it in the simplest way possible – cutting the same skirt piece, making the darts into pleats or little ‘tucks’ at the raw edge to allow for a bit more wiggle room, attaching to the waistband facing and then it came to the zipper, turning wrongside out then stitching close to the zip teeth with a zip foot attachment.

As the suede was so thick, I did not add any stitch in the ditch around the waistband and the lining just seems to sit sweetly where it needs to. I thought the bulk was going to cause a few problems at the intersecting seams by the zipper.. It didn’t seem so happy the first few runs and I thought for longer than a moment that I was either going to a) break the zipper or b) toss it in the ‘never to be looked at again’ pile. It did seem to ease up though, so fingers crossed no zippy breakages are on the horizon for me.

The main issue sewing with suede is darts. I like to use a layer of pattern paper or tissue paper between the fabric and foot to allow the machine to glide more smoothly over the surface and not drag. It can be really hard to see your stitching line when you have another layer blocking your makings… just as I reach the dart point it ALWAYS seems to drag and stretch just a little! So frustrating! But it has spurred me on to make this skirt again in a woven to get those dart points perfected haha.

Instead of hemming I did a long straight stitch around the bottom as a kind of finish/stay stitch just to neaten things up a bit.

On completion of the skirt I teamed it with this McCalls 7472 Raglan shirt and went to buy a house. Happy dais.

X

Location: Loxley Valley
Currently listening to: Misery Loves Company, Mystic Braves

McCalls M8001, Shirt

I made this shirt using an Abakhan fabric that I liked but wasn't head over heels with. Perfect for testing this pattern and making a wearable toile.

A quick Google search suggested this pattern was quite oversized and cutting an XS would be ample big enuough. The nature of the all-in-one kimono-style sleeves means the shirt is quite loose in the bust area (my smallest proportioned area), so XS seemed like a good idea to me.

The shirt features a bottom band and sleeve bands - I would love to use a stripey fabric next time and mix and match which piees I cut on the grain and the crossgrain. There is also an option to add pockets with pocket flaps so loads more options to play around with the direction of fabric.

Two yokes are cut and sandwich the ack and front inside the seam allowances. Unlike other shirts I have made with yokes, the yoke-facing is not interfaced - I guess as the shirt is so loose fit it doesn't need this extra stability across the shoulders as there is minimal strain, also you don't really need any extra thickness in the kimono sleeves that could create bulk in the arm creases and look a bit odd!!

The shirt is a really fun relaxed fit - with some bright fruity fabric I can imagine this being a total-beach hit! Collar, band and front band were all standard to assemble, the button band is quite wide so I chose these flat, round and failt simple buttons - I thought the pear effect would help to compliment the white in the fabric print. 

The shirt doesn't feel like a groundbreaking accomplishment, I think the pattern is a great stash-buster abd a nice 'quick-win' pattern in between bigger projects. The result is wearable for casual weekends and the pattern a good example of how to change up a traditional shirt pattern.

I am in a total shirt-making spree right now! I have such a stash of short friendly fabric and patterns to work through! What's your recommended shirt pattern? Do you have a go-to? Do you like flounce and frill or do you like to keep it simple?

x

Location: Nr Hecla Works, Sheffield
Currently listening to: Two-Timing Touch and Broken Bones, The Hives

McCalls M7472, Dog Shirt

I'm a firm believer that every woman entering their 30s needs a statement shirt. I shirt that says SELL YOUR HOUSE TO ME, a shirt that says I STAND OUT FROM THE OTHER CANDIDATES IN THIS JOB INTERVIEW, a shirt that will distract you from the very faint lines appearing on my face, a shirt that says I'm mature enough to be uneffected by your opinioin on the print, and confident enough to pull it off in public (pull off the print I mean, not the actual shirt... ah ha). A shirt that is as unique and memorable as I am. The dog shirt is my statement shirt. The I feel like I'm turning heads in the street shirt, the my mom doesn't like it but I think she secretly does shirt. And I LOVE it.

The fabric is another beautiful find from Minerva. I'm going to get a bit soppy here, but since joining their ambassador team I have had the chance to get my paws (groan) on some absolutely fabulous material, and beyond that have really felt like my makes and my blogs and my photos have really been valued by a company that I am totally smitten with. 

This fabric is a cotton poplin that I must admit, if you're not so comfortable wearing the print, would also suit a duvet and pillowcase combo. There are a number of different pooches featured on this print, Dalmation? Chihuahua? Alsatian? Husky? Bull dog? Spaniel? We got it! Oh and yeah, they are all wearing jewellery as well okay? Cause why not?? I feel like the gold of their accessories and the green and purple of their gems really takes this to the next level. Monochrome, I'd have liked it. Monochrome with pops of glammy colour? Love it! 

With a bold print, abstract in areas and strikingly graphic in others, it was so so important to get the pattern placement right. I played around for ages to make sure I'd got my favourite hounds where I wanted them, and that there wasn't too much dog-repeat across the body and sleeves etc. I wanted to capture some of the random abstraction but not lose the dogs in seams or under the collar. I opted for the most official looking dog - a pointy eared pincher I think??? to feature most prominently on the centre back, with a doofy greyhound similar to mine peering in from the side seams. The bulldog/alsatian combo on the front was thoughouly planned - hoping they would compliment each other but not come across as some kind of weird dog bra.

I also wanted to subtley use the gold of the dog jewellery in the cuffs. To do this I had to cut them on the crossgrain to get as much gold across them as possible, but they are well stabalised with interfacing so I'm pretty certian this posed no detriment. For the collar, again I wanted to capture a bit of colour on the points to help the structure POP and add a bit more of an obvious, deliberate shape amongst the dog abstraction. 

I was careful not to get any random, obvious bits of dog facial features in the button band, I wanted the placket to act as kind of border to the chaos of the print!

I chose to use the McCalls 7472 pattern again, as I thought the length and the raglan sleeves provided more opportunity for dog-coverage. The wackiness of the print also teamed nicely with the art-school kinda vibes that the pattern boasts. I knew I wanted to find some buttons that were big and gold and OTT to compliment the dog-jewellery. I was over the moon when I dicovered these buttons on the habberdashery market stall in Sheffield. Not only are they gold and blingy as planned, the two colours they had on sale matched the purple and green of the fabric perfectly! It was a sign!! Not wanting to miss out on the colour co opporutnity, I chose to use 2 purple buttons for the sleeves and green down the front. 

I'm so pleased with how this turned out! A shirt like no other! I thought the fabric would be a bit of a nightmare in terms of creasing but so far I havent caught sight of myself in shop windows and though DAMN this needed ironing agian. In and ideal world, I would have liked the fabric to have a little bit more weight to save the sleeves getting a bit billowy but what it lacks in weight it definitely makes up for in bucket loads of character. 

Here's to my 'I'm old enough to dress myself' shirt, hopefully these prosperous pooches will bring me all the luck I need to finally buy my house, and then who knows... take on the world?

x

Location: Sheffield Council Stray Kennels

Currently listening to: You Owe Me Some Kinda Love, Chris Isaak