I've been wanting to move my blog away from Blogspot for a while but could never be bothered to actually do it. This week was the tipping point though, and I've now fully migrated over to https://patsypoomakes.wordpress.com/ . The blogspot address will remain here but all new posts will only appear at https://patsypoomakes.wordpress.com/ . There are lots of reasons for the move but my biggest one is how hard Blogger has made it for people to subscribe to receive new posts via email. It's such a basic requirement but apparently, they think it's too much to offer. I'm basing this purely on how I myself prefer to consume this stuff. I can't be arsed with feed readers anymore and emails are easy and convenient. When I receive one, if I fancy reading it, I will click through to it and, if not, I'll just delete it. Another reason is the spat between Google (owners of Blogger) and Instagram/Facebook/Meta. I don't even know if this is still the case anymore
It's taken a while but I have finally arrived at the Kalle shirtdress party. And let me tell you, I'm having a great time! This pattern has been on my radar for a while but all I kept saying to myself was "Do I really need another shirtdress pattern?" Ultimately, the answer was "Yes. Yes, I do."
The fabric came first, as it's usually the case for me. I saw this post by Philippa from Fabricate and I immediately bought the fabric. When she found out I hadn't yet made a Kalle, she threatened to ban me from the shop. What was I supposed to do?! 😆 I copied her dress exactly and I know some people might think that's a bit naff but she said it was fine, we don't really hang in the same circles and, twinning is winning, so... 🤷♀️
In case you're wondering, the fabric can be found here. It's currently sold out but it looks like she'll be getting some more in soon. I *highly* recommend it. It's 100% viscose and it's the softest viscose I've ever sewn with. Even softer than Atelier Brunette! Shhhhh! It almost feels like it was sandwashed or something. The lips are foil but they didn't fade in the wash and no bits came off while sewing either. Pressing it is straight forward, too. Although I always use a press cloth.
This was a buddy sew last weekend with my best bitch, Mel from @stitch_make_bake, on Instagram. We often sew "together but not" on weekends but sometimes we like to buddy sew the same pattern simultaneously because #buddysewingkeepsmegoing. We started on Sunday and she finished before me as she usually does but we sewed the bulk of our dresses at the same time.
I made a size 4 and changed nothing. I really like how it hangs and moves. That high-low hem is my weakness, too. I love it so much. It's a super floaty dress and it'll be perfect for warmer weather. But I like that I'll be able to layer it in the winter, too. I mean, that's why shirtdresses are my favourite. They can be worn year-round and to any occasion.
I covered my own buttons for this. I didn't want any distractions, just the fabric and the pattern. However, I'm going to add an extra button at the bottom. I don't follow the pattern markings for buttons and I obviously need an extra one with this spacing.
The finish on this one is flawless. All my seams are "frenched" or enclosed. But it was still a very speedy project.
I can't comment on the instructions very much as I mostly glanced at them. However, Mel found a mistake on the understitching bit for the bias hem. If you follow that, your understitching will be showing on the right side, which isn't ideal.
I'm already planning my next one and I'm so glad I've joined the Kalle bandwagon. I can see what the fuss was about now.Have you made a Kalle?