Hi internet friends!
oday's post is about one of my favorite MeMadeMay makes, the Kalle shirt /shirtdress from ClosetCase patterns.
it's this image again but it's one of my favorites!
When I first saw this pattern I was a bit hesitant....I'm still learning about how to fit things properly and one of my biggest fitting concerns is fabric pooling at my lower back, so with such a loose fitting and flowing pattern I was worried that I would just end up with tons of extra fabric around my rear end which probably wouldn't be that flattering......
However! Knowing Heather and her amazing-ness I was willing to bet that things would workout and after seeing a few Kalle-ies show up on the interwebs I was sold and I had to try one for myself.
Such a windy day!
The first one I made was the pop-over tunic length version in a light weight viscose with an interesting stripe/bird pattern. I did my customary short person adjustment (taking in about 2 inches at the waistline) and dug in! While it did turn out awesome the high/low hem was simply too long on the back for me, it honestly looked like I was wearing an old school nightshirt/gown thingy (the blue and white stripes didn't help with that...) So I carefully unpicked the hem facing and used the pattern as a template to shorten shape the hem. In the end I took another 3.5" off of the bottom of the top.
I love the way this shirt turned out, it has a causal look while not being simplistic. It's super flattering with both jeans and leggings, and it is just so comfortable to wear to work :D (Side note: I developed a little 'shirt tail flip' action while wearing this shirt...because the back hem covers my bum I found it got really wrinkled if you didn't flip it out when you sat down, kinda makes you feel like a world class pianist flipping out your coat tails before sitting down to play....or maybe I've just watched too many bugs bunny cartoons as a kid where he played a pianist or conductor....)
A little wrinkly but that just means it's been lived in :)
Since I love getting the most out patterns I went ahead and made a second Kalle shirt, again with the pop over variation in a solid forest green tencel twill from BlackBird fabrics. This fabric is a bit of a heavier weight than what I used for my first Kalle shirt but it still has really nice drape and I was interested in seeing what the pattern would look like in a more structured fabric. I am also trying to incorporate more solids into my wardrobe and I'm having a thing with green at the moment :P
This second Kalle came together super quick and I'm really happy with the result! Overall I like the striped version a smidgen more than the solid one but that's mostly due to the hot weather we've been having here, the striped one is just a little bit lighter. (really hot for Vancouver I mean...I have a backlog of knitting projects to share with you guys but they will all have to wait until the weather cools down somewhat) Speaking of the hot weather this top also looks pretty awesome with shorts (see the pic on the left!)
I now have two really awesome work and life appropriate shirts that both came together really quickly so I did what I always do....and made another one!
If you've been lurking my Instagram you'll know that I've had a cropped top version of the Kalle in the works. Well....here she is!
The hat made the photo! and new sunglasses :D
The cropped top version is a little outside of my comfort zone....but it's so stylish that I had to try it.....and guys......I LOVE IT! I love the shape and again, like the other two, it's just so comfortable to wear, more so than I thought a cropped top would be! I wore it to work all day and didn't obsess over the fact I was wearing a cropped top (I only tugged on the front once or twice to straighten it) and I got so many complements :D
#WorkIt
I made this version in a lovely linen chambray from BlackBird Fabrics to give the top both structure and to make it summer appropriate ;) You'll notice that I am wearing a tank top underneath and that's because I'm a smidgen shy about my tum tums...I kept the same torso shortening adjustment as on my two other Kalle tunics but I think I may lengthen the front of the cropped version by about 1/2" in future iterations because I think I would then feel more comfortable wearing it sans tank top (although I would still wear the tank top when wearing it to work...). I should probably get on making some mid or high waisted jeans to go with this top ;)...and so the sewing list grows!
I find that little bit of short hair that won't stay in my bun hilarious!
I'm sure there will be many more Kalle shirts in my future! I'm actually really proud of myself for adding more solids to my wardrobe, two for two here for June and July! I've got many more summer sewing plans in the works so stay tuned!