FLIP this Pattern: Zonen 09 Charlie flip!

The über-talented ladies over at Frances Suzanne just celebrated the year anniversary of the Flip This Pattern series! They're starting up another round this summer, and the competitors are sure to come up with some fantastic pieces!

I had so much fun flipping the Sunki last year and jumped at the chance to be a part of things this time around. So, I'm thrilled to introduce the first pattern in the series: Charlie from Zonen 09. This pattern is simultaneously hip and classic. Here's a peek at my flip, which I'll get to in a bit:

Charlie is a lined, knitted shirt with a lapel collar that comes in sizes 2y - 9y. There are both short and long sleeved versions, and the shirt hem and sleeves are cuffed.

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The way the collar lies is so cool -- it allows the lining to show and makes it different from other collared shirts I've seen.

The Zonen 09 Flikr pool has dozens of variations of Charlie. (In fact, I could get lost for days in the Zonen 09 Flikr pool. There are so many clean, sharp, modern photos and clothes there!)

Here's one of my favorites:

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I should probably mention it's a Dutch pattern available in English, so you may have to use Google translate to read the posts to which I'm linking.

You'll see lots of girls' variations of the Charlie:

And a few fantastic flips like this one:

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When it came time to make my own Charlie, I chose to flip it, too. My boys don't need any shirts right now, so I decided to sew something for Eliza. Would you believe she's never had a nightgown? She's worn mostly her brothers' hand-me-down pajamas -- fleece footies with dump trucks and dinosaurs. She doesn't mind those, but it was time for her own sleepwear.

I found this fabric at Jo-Ann and knew immediately it was destined to become a nightgown. A Charlie Nightgown. 

Here's a list of the changes I made to the original pattern:

• omitted the collar
• added tiny ties to the front slit
• used the largest sleeve size to allow for an elasticized hem and gathered sleeve cap
• extended to gown length

It's lined with Ryan's old t-shirts, so the inside is soft and well worn.

Thoughts

• I sewed a size 2y. She's got an extremely narrow chest. If your child measures smaller than RTW, I would caution to consider head size before sizing down too far. This goes over her head, but it's a close fit. It would be an easy fix if you plan ahead and make the slit a little lower.
• Seam allowances aren't included in this pattern. I'm planning to invest in a compass like the ones we had in high school geometry to aid in consistency in adding seam allowances/grading/etc. I stink at it. It might be easier to fold the pattern pieces in half to ensure symmetry in your newly drawn cutting lines.

Hop on over to Frances Suzanne to get a discount code for your own Charlie pattern, and sew along to qualify for spectacular prizes! Be sure to check out the rest of the summer's series -- I'm eager to see all the creativity headed our way!