Geodesic Sweatshirt

Hi guys! Here is my cropped Geodesic sweatshirt. The pattern is from Blueprints for Sewing. It has two views: a longer one, with pockets, and this cropped version. 

I used a lightweight charcoal french terry. The dark color makes it a little difficult to see the design, but try this closer view:

The construction is cool and it's fun to make! It's made of multiple triangles joined together. Taylor's designs are all interesting and smart. Her instructions are great and the clothes turn out really well.  

Here, I'm wearing it over my crazy Willamette shirt, but it's also cute with high-waisted pants. Next winter I definitely want to make a longer version, possibly with a few different colored fabrics to show off the triangles.

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!