The Charlie shirt first caught my eye because of the interesting pleating detail on both the back and front, and I was curious as to the construction method. Funnily enough, I initially misunderstood the front closure to be a covered button placket, but was pleasantly surprised to see that the same design aesthetic could be achieved without having to toil away at buttonholes. One thing I've noticed in working with Fabrics-Store patterns is that they always incorporate some clever trick or two, and the Charlie was no different.

The shirt is quite easy to sew in my opinion, especially for beginners or easily frustrated seamstresses like myself, but there is enough detail to be a nice challenge. No serger is needed for this pattern, and I absolutely love it, and would actually prefer most of my clothes to have finishes like it! It makes the shirt look and feel more expensive, and it's a shame no one but me will ever see the inside (and you of course, if you end up making it

The Charlie Blouse is a tasteful top with fold-over lapels on the front and back, and a mandarin-style collar with a button. It features drop shoulders in a design that makes it almost "sleeveless" since there are no attached sleeves, as well as bias-bound armholes. It's a beautiful pattern, and it lends well to a hack for some extra flair!

If you've made the Charlie shirt, you have essentially made the dress as well, and vice versa, since the top half of the pattern is exactly the same. The dress has slits up the sides as well as at the front and back which makes it super comfortable to walk in for the length and width of the skirt. I love the fact that I can just slip this dress on, tie the belt, put on some shoes and head out, and look and feel stunning! The sleeve hole is quite large, so the side of my bra was definitely visible to the world, but if you don't mind this, or if you don't mind wearing some kind of undergarment then it's no biggie.

Finished the dress last week! Love the linen. So comfortable to cut, sew and iron. Only thing is the arm cycle is quite low so when I slightly lift my arm you can see my bra/singlet. I am unsure if this is because I have a larger bust and sized down so it won't swim on my waist or it is just the style? I am glad I sized down to a 12 but maybe could have done size 10? As you can see in the photos - still a lot of ease around my waist. I might just alter the arm cycle and make it 3cm smaller. Overall, the instructions were easy to follow. The pattern was great. Are these pics ok? Happy to retake them

Finished the shorts! :) I liked the result, I really want to sew trousers now, but I will make them one size smaller. Almost no experience sewing something like this, and just look at the finished pictures! I did get a little stuck on sewing the belt closer to the end where it is necessary to bypass the zipper, the first time I did it wrong and the zipper ended up in a seam. I ripped it, and then I did everything right; this mistake was due to the almost complete lack of experience in attaching zippers. Otherwise, everything went together without problems and questions! :) very cool pattern!

My husband was very happy to buy me a FS gift card for Christmas and I was very happy to use it to buy the Charlie pattern and FS linen. I was inspired by Morgann McCoy's posts on The Thread for the sleeveless top and trousers, so much so that I just totally copied her color choices and I have no regrets! I was also motivated by fellow Charlie poster, Sarah, who tackled the trousers as her first sewing project. I used the IL019 Agave Signature Finish for the top and the IL019 Natural Softened for the trousers. Before I started working on my outfit, I met with Laura Linen to discuss fit adjustments for my measurements—I'm 5'4" and short-waisted. She gave me great suggestions and encouraged me to make a muslin for the trousers, which was key to my success. I felt pretty swanky when I tried on my outfit for the first time, so of course I'm now hooked for all time. I am going to make another blouse (or the dress) in IL020 lighter weight linen, and maybe another pair of trousers in the 4C22 heavier weight linen for fall season.

I followed the illustrated step-by-step instructions, always impressed by the detail and clarity of the explanations. The dream of a beginner wanting a challenging pattern. The mistakes I made (and unmade) along the way were entirely my responsibility, either because I didn't read the instructions well or because I was distracted. But I learned how to make a French seam, and a round collar that I'm very proud of!

FS CHARLIE Blouse Made with FS IL020 BLEACHED Softened Linen. Billowy linen shirts are my favourite things to wear in the warmer months, I love how they seemingly float over my body without clinging to it, and I love how they look tucked into a pair of high waisted trousers or shorts. I fell in love with the sleeveless version of the CHARLIE blouse the moment I saw it because it fit the bill so perfectly!

Back view with the placket details. I think they add a really cool touch to an otherwise quite simple pattern. But my favourite part of this pattern has to be the sleeves – the generously dropped shoulders create this beautiful dolman sleeve look and I just can't get enough of this specific silhouette.