I think it’s safe to say that at some point in many sewer’s journeys, we can become addicted to Indie Patterns. For those who haven’t yet taken the plunge, these are patterns made by independent designers, separate to the big name sewing companies like McCall’s, Vogue, etc. Indie Patterns also tend to be the most common things I see people making on social media, which I now realise helps to drive up the desire to own and make them yourself.
That was the case for me with the Ogden Cami by True Bias. It was perhaps one of the most popular Indie Pattern I kept seeing popping up online, and I was hooked on it’s simple but elegant design. However, it ended up being quite expensive because I purchased the PDF, not realising then how much printing A0 size patterns would cost me, or how painful attempting to assemble patterns at home would be either. Printing, trimming and taping together sometimes over 30 pieces of paper is not my idea of fun.
The first Ogden Cami I made was in this lovely golden fabric I found second-hand. And while it does wrinkle like nobody’s business, it’s also incredibly lightweight and soft. Once I’d found a matching thread I then set out to sew a Size 6, based on the measurements chart. I was startled that it fit so nice and snug around the bust and yet still managed to fit over the hips, although I did end up shortening the straps by almost 3” to stop the whole world from getting a perfect view of the twins.
However, I found I wasn’t all that fond of the style or cut, and that it didn’t serve a practical purpose in my wardrobe outside of being great for sleeping in when it was hot, or as a to wear to my dance classes. Despite that I decided to give it another go this week, to see if opinions would be changed by the fact that I was in dire need of more lightweight dance shirts given the recent heat in Australia. I made it out of this semi-sheer fabric, also found second-hand, which I had leftover in my stash. And this time I topstitched the whole neckline and armholes in an effort to stop the lining folding to the outside.
I’m not sure whether it was assembling the pattern, or whether it’s due to me changing sizes, but I’m not at all as fond of this second Ogden as I am of the first. I will still use it for dance, and again for sleepwear, but I think my opinion on the pattern remains the same. It simply doesn’t fit into my wardrobe. However, I still recommend it to others because it’s a versatile and simple pattern, both to make and fit. It also has a neat inner lining portion that can be extended right to the bottom to make it entirely reversible!
Pattern: The Ogden Cami, by True Bias
Views Made: Only one view available, made in size 6
Pros: Incredibly quick and easy to assemble, inner lining gives it a very polished finish, and is very comfortable to wear.
Cons: None that I can think of.
Would I recommend it to Beginners: I would absolutely recommend this to beginners. It’s fit friendly, has minimal steps, and all the instructions are quite clear.
Would I sew it again: No, but that’s only because I think two is enough for me.
Stitch Sessions 