Vintage Inspired Sewing Patterns

Charlie’s Aunt designs and publishes sewing patterns for vintage inspired bags, hats and stitched accessories.

The collection comprises nostalgic designs for bags, hats and other stitched accessories. The “make-do-and-mend” style patterns have all been hand-drawn, illustrated and scanned in keeping with the personal and homemade ethos of the patterns of the 1930s, 40s and 50s, which form the basis for the inspiration behind the collection. They offer easily constructed simple designs with a retro feel.

PDF sewing patterns

The PDF patterns usually contain one style of bag or hat, but many also have instructions for trims, such as rose corsages or bows, that can be used in other fashion accessory projects.

Each downloadable pattern contains:

  • Full-sized pattern templates with seam allowances already added, ready to cut out and use (some of the bigger templates need to be taped together)
  • Well illustrated, detailed and easy to follow instruction sheets
  • A colour cover sheet with photographs of the finished piece and extra pictures within of the style made up in different fabrics

Buy PDF sewing patterns
online at
ETSY.COM

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Buy Charlie’s Aunt printed patterns at sewing shops and online

See stockists below

Printed sewing patterns

Some of the styles offered as PDFs are also available in ready-printed versions.

For printed patterns direct, you can see the full range at at PursePatterns.com.

To buy printed patterns in the UK, www.sewhot.co.uk stocks a range of styles.

The printed patterns are available at wholesale pricing from Checker Distributors in the US, and WholesalePursePatterns.com

Sewing pattern FAQs

No, the pattern instructions are written in English only with good diagrams to help explain the steps.

No, all seam allowances are already included on Charlie’s Aunt sewing patterns and are ½ inch (12mm) unless otherwise stated.

Home sewers are permitted to make a limited number of bags/hats to sell using Charlie’s Aunt patterns, as long as they stick to our policies outlined below:

  • Make no more than 10 bags in a year to sell from any one Charlie’s Aunt pattern, and up to a MAXIMUM of 40 bags in total from a combination of any of the patterns in a year. Please don’t make any more than this. Charlie’s Aunt has more than 55 different sewing patterns and it simply wouldn’t be fair to buy 15 and make 10 of each, because you would be adopting the entire Charlie’s Aunt concept that way.
  • Write on each swing ticket and in all Etsy/online descriptions the following words: “This bag was made using a Charlie’s Aunt sewing pattern designed by Emma Brennan”. A link to the Charlie’s Aunt Etsy shop would also be greatly appreciated. Please don’t put your own ‘designer’ labels in our designs. You can however put a ‘handmade by…’ label in the bags.
  • Please have the courtesy to drop Emma a line to ask if you can make the bags to sell. This way we can keep track of who’s doing what and can hopefully persuade you to share photos of the bags you make on the Charlie’s Aunt Facebook page.
  • All items for sale must be handmade by you. Contracting with others to mass produce Charlie’s Aunt designs is STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
  • Distribution of the pattern pieces and corresponding instructions is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Please do not copy Charlie’s Aunt patterns in any way. The words, diagrams and pictures are covered by copyright and we will pursue anyone who infringes this.

No, unfortunately because of the nature of instant download PDF PATTERNS, there are no refunds.

You can use Charlie’s Aunt sewing patterns for workshops and classes BUT every student in the class will need to purchase a copy of the pattern. This means the course tutor, or students must buy a pattern (PDF or printed) for each student to use. Please do not simply print off multiple copies of one pattern.

Letheringsett bag and Heacham cloche hat
Heacham cloche hat