Hi everyone!! I’m so very excited to have been invited by the lovely Ashley & Emily to participate in this fun series!

When given the invitation and the option to choose which pattern I wanted to flip, I didn’t have to think about it for more than a second since I personally voted for the Zonen 09 Charlie to be the one included in the summer lineup. I was hoping to be able to sew along if the pattern was voted in and now I am so stoked to be a contestant, haha!

I have long had my eye on this pattern, I love the looks of all of the Zonen 09 patterns, but the Charlie is one of my favorites!

I initially went around and around trying to decide how to flip it for my boy, and I did come up with some ideas, but then I thought, why not flip it to a comfy wearable top for my GIRL! I know the boys tend to have a harder time getting things sewn for them, and I do still plan to bring some of my Charlie Flip ideas to life for mine. Truth be told, I had planned to make one for each of them, but life got crazy busy and I only had time for one… *Tears*

So let’s talk about this flip!

Perhaps the most obvious change I made was to draft a cut-out in the front bodice, added piping to the seam and gathered the front center of the bodice, below the cut-out.

Another very obvious change is that I eliminated the collar.

When flipping a pattern, I tend to like to leave one element of the original pattern as-is so it still has a recognizable element. For this flip, I loved the little slit in the front neckline and left it as is in the pattern.

Next, I eliminated the waistband cuff and lengthened the bodice to accommodate that change. I also changed the shape to a slight a-line.

I also didn’t line the shirt, instead, I used knit binding to finish the neckline and cutout. It gets super warm in our part of the country during the summer and this knit is pretty sturdy so I was afraid lining it would make it too warm for her to enjoy it this summer.

I also eliminated the sleeve cuff and created a gathered little “puff” at the top and elasticized the hem for more of a gather effect.

The only change I made to the back was the a-line shape, although I had so many ideas running around in my head as to even more possibilities! But you’ve gotta stop somewhere, right!? And sometimes it’s good to keep things simple.

I hemmed the shirt with a double needle for a nice clean finish.

I absolutely adore how this little shirt looks on her! I love when an idea forms and then comes to life and it looks as good or better than you imagined

The sweet a-line shape helps the shirt to have that very “girlie” silhouette.

I love how the piping makes the bodice detail “pop”.

And just for fun…

Thanks again so much for having me, Ashley and Emily!!

I hope you all love this comfy shirt as much as me and my girl do, she doesn’t want to quit wearing it!

Flip this Pattern: Summer 2014 is sponsored by Imagine Gnats and The Fabric Stash. Thank you both for showing such support in the sewing community and this series! We appreciate you!!

Tweet