Kalle Shirtdresses

Hi guys! Today I want to share my Kalle Shirtdress journey. In case you're not familiar with it, Kalle is a pattern from Closet Case Patterns. It has pattern pieces and instructions to make a cropped shirt, a tunic, or a dress. There is also an add-on you can buy separately to add long sleeves. I haven't used that variation yet. 

For my first version, I copied the designer, Heather Lou, and made a white linen dress. I graded out too far at the hips and I just felt kind of frumpy in this:

I loved it on Heather. I wanted to love it on me. I tried to love it! But I just didn't reach for it when getting dressed. It was too loose to be this short on the sides (a little breeze might blow it up indecently!) It was a little too sheer on its own as a dress, so it needed a slip or leggings or pants underneath. I kept seeing it in my closet and wishing I had a white linen shirt instead.

 

So I turned my dress into a shirt! I cut it shorter but kept the original shape with the longer hem in the back. Now this shirt is so appealing and easy to wear, I think it will see a lot of use this summer. 

 My second Kalle is made of cotton ikat fabric, and I love it! I didn't grade it out, so the fit suits my taste much better. I used the popover placket variation, instead of having buttons all the way down.

 I reduced the length of the back hem, but kept the curves of it all the way around. I added a couple inches to the overall length since I'm #sewingtall at 5'10". 

You can tell from some of these photos how sassy I felt wearing this one! This fabric is great because it's lightweight and breathable, but it's opaque and doesn't cling much, so I don't need a slip. When it's colder, I can wear leggings underneath without it sticking to them. In the summer, I just want to wear as few layers as possible, not adding slips, camisoles, etc... 

I added in-seam pockets, but I actually made them a little too low. Next time, I will try this one on to figure out where to put the pockets for maximum usage and comfort. #alwayslearning

I made my third Kalle as part of the #sewmystyle18 challenge. Kalle was the March pattern this year. For this version, I used a red chambray. I made the tunic version, with a popover placket. 

This one feels like such a great basic for me. I think I will wear it a ton! It's so easy and loose-fitting but not sloppy. It should keep me cool this spring and summer.  

I'm getting kind of fast at making these, so there may be a few more in my future. I definitely want to make one with long sleeves, but I probably won't get excited about long sleeves until fall. Spring is just getting going and I currently want to sew for summertime!

Have you made any Kalles? Do you usually try different variations of a pattern, or stick to one view? Do you use patterns multiple times or try them once and then move on to something else? Kalle is proving to be a TNT for me!