The film is incredible (with costumes designed by Edith Head), but I am absolutely obsessed with the Sunset Boulevard musical currently playing on Broadway, too. It’s a classic!

— xoxo, Gertie

This pattern was originally published on Patreon on April 15, 2025.

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Direct link to this pattern ]]> https://charmpatterns.com/valedictorian-bow-tie-suspenders-pattern/ Fri, 15 Nov 2024 14:16:10 +0000 https://charmpatterns.com/?p=114551 Rise to the head of the class with this sharp menswear-inspired set!

The Valedictorian Bow Tie and Suspenders is a classic combo with so many options. The tie can be made and worn traditionally or as an adjustable clip-on, while the suspenders can be created using leather loops and buttons, or purchased metal clips. 

Even better, both can be made from your woven fabric scraps, so you can make a matching set for every outfit!

— xoxo, Gertie

This pattern was originally published on Patreon on November 15, 2024.

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Direct link to this pattern ]]> https://charmpatterns.com/field-trip-backpack-pattern/ Mon, 15 Apr 2024 14:20:11 +0000 https://charmpatterns.com/?p=97719 Perfectly sized for a small tablet or sewing textbook, the Field Trip Backpack can go with you on all of your creative adventures!

This mini backpack is an adorable book bag that will upgrade any outfit with a touch of classroom chic. You can experiment with different fabrics and decorative closures for a truly one-of-a-kind accessory. I can’t wait to see what you make!

— xoxo, Gertie

This pattern was originally published on Patreon on April 15, 2024.

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Direct link to this pattern ]]> https://charmpatterns.com/santa-hat-pattern/ Thu, 21 Dec 2023 18:31:02 +0000 https://charmpatterns.com/?p=89342 You can’t have a Santa Baby outfit without a matching Santa Hat! Here’s how to make your own, with this very simple pattern drafting tutorial, so you can make hats to fit everyone in your family (fur babies included!).

Supplies Needed

• Lush red velveteen fabric
• Red lining fabric
• White faux fur fabric
• White lining fabric
• Polyfil (or extra faux fur fluff)
• Thread to match
• Pattern drafting or tracing paper
• Large French curve or curved ruler
• Straight ruler measuring at least 24 inches long
• Pencil or marker

Santa Hat Pattern Drafting

Begin by measuring the circumference of your head and the length that you want your Santa hat (from brim to pompom). For my hat, I wanted it to sit back on my head while wearing a vintage hairstyle, so I measured a circumference of about 26 inches (66 cm) and a length of 20 inches (50 cm)

Draw a line equal to the length of your hat (from brim to pompom) on your pattern drafting paper. I drew a line 20 inches long. From one end of your line, swing your ruler down and measure another 20-inch-long line. Do this a few times, to create a triangle shape, like below. The more lines you add, the easier the next step will be!

Use your curved ruler to smooth out the bottom edge of the triangle shape. Then, starting at one side of the curved edge, measure along the curved edge a length equal to your circumference measurement (about 26 inches in my case). You may need to add more straight lines to extend the sides of your triangle, or you may have already made it large enough. Once you have the correct circumference length measured along your curved edge, draw a line from that measurement to the point, creating the final shape of your hat.

Add a 5/8-inch (1.5 cm) seam allowance to all sides of the hat and cut out your pattern piece.

Fold the pattern piece in half. This will be the ultimate size of your hat, so you may want to try it on to see how it works!

And just like magic, your fold line becomes the fabric grainline. Mark it on your pattern piece (like we did here in green).

To draft the faux fur brim, lay the hat over a scrap of pattern making paper, and trace out the bottom edge. Trace up both straight sides a little ways.

We wanted our final brim to measure 2-1/2 inches (6.3 cm), so we added two 5/8-inch seam allowances (1-1/4 inch or 3.2 cm) to that measurement for a total of 3-3/4 inches (9.5 cm).

Using the lower edge as a guide, measure 3-3/4 inches up from the curved lower edge and draw the upper edge of your pattern piece. Your curved ruler will help!

Once you have the four sides of the brim pattern, draw in the sew line, 5/8 inches inside the outer edge of your pattern piece.

Cut out your pattern piece and fold in half as you did for the hat. Draw in your fabric grainline along the fold.

For the pompom, create a circle of fabric measuring about 7 inches in diameter.

And here’s your three final pattern pieces! Be sure to label them with the name of the pattern, today’s date, and your cutting instructions like we did below.

Santa Hat Construction

Cut out your pattern pieces following the cutting instructions in the image above.

Fold the hat right sides (RS) together, pin, and sew the vertical seam using red thread. Repeat for the hat lining, but leave an opening about 4 inches wide at the point.

Fold the faux fur brim RS together, pin, and sew the vertical seam using white thread. Repeat for the brim lining.

Pin the faux fur brim to the brim lining, RS together, and sew along the shorter curved edge. Grade your seams and turn the brim RS out.

Pin the brim to the hat, with the white lining (not the fur) next to the red velveteen. Turn the red lining inside-out and pin along the hat brim so the RS of the lining is facing the faux fur and red velveteen. You’re sandwiching the brim inside the lining and the red velveteen.

Stitch completely around the hat opening. Grade the seams, and using the opening in the lining, turn the hat RS out.

Slipstitch the opening in the lining closed (by hand, or just edge stitch the opening with your machine).

To make the pompom, sew a line of long gathering stitches around the outside of the circle by hand. Place polyfil or a scrap of faux fur inside the circle, and pull up your gathering stitches to enclose it inside the pompom. Tie off your gathering threads to secure. Attach the pompom to the point of the hat by handsewing through all layers of the hat at the tip.

Enjoy your new Santa Hat!

Recently, as a break from spending time in the studio, we all took a trip to our local craft store and browsed the aisles for fun and festive supplies. We gathered a pile of our favorites and took them back to the studio for some play time.

I wanted a simple vintage-inspired corsage that could spice up my Santa Baby holiday outfit, but this tutorial works equally well to create a hair flower, wrist corsage, or even a small broach. I used this vintage corsage from my collection as my inspiration.

Resources

• 3/8 in wide ribbon
• 1/2 in wide green floral tape
• floral or craft wire
• pin bar backing (for a corsage or small broach) or a metal hair clip or comb (for a hair flower)
• faux greenery sprigs
• decorations: pine cones, mini ornaments/bells, and berries (these are sold at craft stores on sticks, and can be cut off individually with wire cutters)
• hot glue gun

Corsage Construction

There’s honestly no right or wrong way to do this! I suggest first looking on Pinterest or elsewhere for a shape, size, and style of corsage or hair flower that you want to use as inspiration.

Cut your greenery and items to size and play with the number and placement of the decorations. Shape your ribbon into a pretty bow or floof, if desired. Use the craft wire and/or the hot glue gun to assemble the decorations.

Once you are happy with the general design, use the floral tape, craft wire, and hot glue gun as needed to hold everything together. If you want a stem on your corsage (as in the image below), then wrap the ends of your greenery and wire in green floral tape.

When everything is beautiful and secure, use the hot glue gun to add the corsage bar pin or hair clip to the back.

Happy holidays from Charm Patterns!

The holiday stockings are sewn in rich midnight blue velveteen, while the scalloped cuff is cut in a single layer of ivory wool felt. To make the stockings feel really personal, I created the names by hand writing them on my iPad and then cutting them out of felt on my Cricut. (See the video below for how I did it, but you could also use a font like Hello Linnea for a similar look). Then I stitched on little rhinestone snowflake charms for some sparkle.

If you don’t have a craft cutting machine like a Cricut, you can use very sharp embroidery scissors to cut out your appliqués, or embroider the names using ribbon or embroidery thread.

Resources

• Holiday Stocking PDF sewing pattern and instructions
• Navy blue velveteen fabric, or fabric of your choice
• White boiled wool or felt fabric
• Green felt fabric
• Thread to match
• Silver snowflake charms

We are excited to share the Charm Patterns appliquéd Hanukkah Skirt with you! Created in partnership with Rachel Petterson from Pigs in Pajamas, this lovely circle skirt will have you celebrating the holiday in style!

Resources

• Hanukkah Skirt appliqué files in SVG format (for your craft cutting machine) or PDF format (to cut with scissors)
• Stanwyck Circle Skirt pattern (or any circle skirt pattern of your choice)

We recommend following the instructions for the Modern June Cleaver Holiday Skirt pattern to apply the appliques. Of course, you can use any applique method you prefer!

Our Guest Designer

Rachel Petterson is the wonder behind the sewing blog Pigs in Pajamas and a Charm Inner Circle patron. She helped to design the appliqué icons found on the Hanukkah Skirt. We’re so grateful she took the time to educate the Charm team about this Jewish holiday and her traditions! In addition to her blog, her sewing and crafting adventures can be found on Instagram @pigsinpajamas.

I’ve included the PDF (or SVG) file and step-by-step instructions below so you can make your own.

Resources

• Bat fascinator file in SVG or PDF format
• 1/4 yard of black buckram
• black metallic textured faux leather
• Liquid Fusion or other quick-drying fabric glue
• black fascinator hat base
• black headband
• 1 yard black millinery wire
• rhinestone trim
• six faux flowers
• black or gray Silamide thread
• black thread
• pliers

Bat Fascinator Construction

Using the PDF or SVG file at the final size you wish your bat to be, cut two buckram bat shapes, adding a 2-inch (in) by 1 in (5 cm by 2.5 cm) tall tab below the center of the bat. Slice the tabs so you have a one tab with three legs: 1/2 in, 1 in, 1/2 in (1.3 cm, 2.5 cm, 1.3 cm).

Placing the bats on top of each other, stitch around the edge at 1/8 in (3 mm). Zigzag the layers of tabs together.

Cut a long piece of millinery wire and bend it to the approximate shape of the top edge of the bat using pliers, extending off the edge of each wing by at least one inch. Cut a second piece, bending it to match the bottom of the bat shape (not the wings).

Using a wide zigzag stitch, attach the wire to the buckram. Using your pliers, create small loops with the excess wire at the end of each wing; this will remove the sharp ends of the wire.

Using the SVG file and your craft cutting machine (or the PDF file and an Exacto knife), cut two faux leather shapes to match the bat outline and wing ribs. Because I used a scrap of faux leather, I cut each of mine in four pieces: one for each wing, one for the head, and one for the bottom edge.

Glue one bat border and ribs to one side of your buckram bat using Liquid Fusion or quick-drying fabric glue. (A hair dryer will really speed up the drying process!)

While the glue is drying, construct your fascinator base. Attach the fascinator frame to your headband using a wide zigzag stitch over the headband in three spots. It should be secure, but the headband can also slide a bit so you can reposition the fascinator to either side as you wish.

Stitch two millinery wire supports to the fascinator on either side of where you want to place the bat. I made circles and then bent them upwards and twisted the ends. The photo above shows a single wire support, and the photo below shows them both.

Once your glue is dry, use Silamide thread to attach the rhinestone trim around the entire exterior of the bat, cutting at corners and points to make sure they look sharp. I used rhinestone trim with a black base, so it would blend into the faux leather outline.

Of course I went for more bling! If you want to add rhinestone drops hanging from the bat wings, lay out each length of rhinestone drop (approximately 2-4 inches) and stitch to the bottom point of each bat wing and ribs.

Glue the second faux leather bat border and ribs to the backside of the fascinator, hiding your stitching.

To attach your big bat to the fascinator, slide the two millinery wire supports up through the layers of buckram and position the tabs on the fascinator. Stitch the center tab forward between the front support. Stitch the smaller two side tabs next to each side of the back support. Using tiny stitches, stitch the two millinery wire supports inside the bat to secure.

Glue or stitch three faux flowers on front and another 3 to the back of the fascinator, hiding the millinery wire armature and the tabs of the bat.

To celebrate the release of the Barbie movie, we’ve created this beautiful hair bow for you! It’s the perfect companion for your pink gingham Barbara Millicent dress (using the recently released Barbara Bodice and Millicent Skirt).

This is a bias-cut hair bow with curved ends, attached to a metal hair clip or comb. You can also attach it to a pin to use it as a broach or purse decoration. The possibilities are endless!

xoxo,
Gertie

PATTERN PIECES

1. Bow
Cut 1 fabric, 1 tulle

2. Knot
Cut 1 fabric

MATERIALS & SUPPLIES

• Barbie Bow Pattern Pieces (downloadable PDF to print)
• ¼ yard of fabric for bow
• ¼ yard of tulle for underlining
• Metal hair clip or plastic hair comb
• Thread to match

SEWING INSTRUCTIONS

NOTE: ⅝-inch (in) (1.5 cm) seam allowances are included on all pattern pieces.

SEW THE HAIR BOW

1. Underline the bow: pin the Bow (1) tulle to main fabric, WS together. Baste, using ½-in (1.3 cm) seam allowance and either a hand-sewn basting stitch or a long (5 mm) stitch on your sewing machine. Treat as one.

2. Prepare bow: fold bow in half lengthwise, right sides (RS) together, and pin. Stitch, leaving an opening about 3 in (7.6 cm) wide at the center of the bow. Grade the seams and notch the seam allowances every ½ in (1.3 cm) around the curves. Turn RS out and press flat. Arrange the bow into your preferred shape and pin at the center to hold it into place.
   
3. Prepare the knot: fold the Knot (2) in half, RS together, and pin the long edge. Stitch. Press seam allowances open. Turn RS out. Arrange the stitched seam so it is in the center of the knot and press flat. Press one short edge of the knot ⅝ in (1.5 cm) to the wrong side (the inside of the knot tube).
   
   
   

4. Finish bow: wrap the knot around the center of the bow, hiding the knot’s center seamline and tucking the unpressed raw edge of the knot inside the pressed edge. Slipstitch closed by hand. Handstitch bow to hair clip or hair comb to secure.

Enjoy your cute new Barbie Hair Bow!

Every season needs cute accessories, and I designed the perfect summer tote to take to the beach or for lounging by the pool. But it’s not just for summer!

The Hattie Tote bag works wonderfully all year round for storing your knitting and hand-sewing projects, too. (And, as a bonus, you can even fit a chihuahua inside!)

With nifty bamboo handles, secret interior pockets, and sturdy construction, this vintage-inspired classic will be a versatile addition to your accessories collection.

— xoxo, Gertie

This pattern was originally published on Patreon on May 15, 2023.

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