Kalle Shirt In Chiffon

A while ago I was in Fabric Vision with Courteney and lamenting the fact that my favourite bird print blouse no longer fit me, when Courteney came across a piece of chiffon in a similar print on the sale table.  Well that fabric had to come home with me didn't it?  She certainly makes a very good enabler!

I bought 2m because the fabric was pretty cheap and despite the original being a simple cut on sleeve top, this time I wanted something a bit more detailed.  The Closet Case Kalle Shirt came to mind.  I have made it before in a heavier fabric but the boxy cut really lends itself to a drapey fabric.

When I put a photo of the completed top on IG a few people asked about my method for treating the fabric with Gelatin before sewing it.  This treatment makes chiffon so much easier to work with.  To make it you heat a cup of water and add to it 3 teaspoons of powdered gelatin.  Once fully dissolved add it to 3 litres of warm tap water in a bucket and soak your fabric for half an hour in the mixture.  Hang your fabric on the line and drip dry.  Once your fabric is dry you are ready to cut your fabric out.  I have to say this treatment is a game changer when it comes to slippery fabrics.

Once treated with gelatin this shirt was really quick to make up.  I found a piece of white lightweight synthetic for the inside back yoke so the birds did not show through.  I am not sure of the composition of this fabric because it was gifted to me but it was just the right weight for the yoke lining.  I lengthened the shirt slightly from the original cropped length because I felt on me it was just a bit short.  Hip length is my preferred length for a shirt.

I finished the shirt with a rolled hem and added buttons I sourced from Aliexpress.  Before I wore it I washed it to remove the gelatin reside.

I am really happy with how this turned out.  It is lovely to wear and will be come a regular in my trans seasonal wardrobe.