I may be just a teensy little bit obsessed with the new True Bias pattern, the Ogden Cami.
I am not usually one of the first people to sew a pattern, but this cami literally made me drop everything and sew it. Again and again - in cotton batiste, Liberty Tana Cotton Lawn, silk charmeuse and silk chiffon. It really filled a hole in my pattern library for a simple, well fitting cami.
My first version was meant to strictly be a muslin since I was testing the results of an FBA, which you can see below. I decided not to rotate the darts out - I just feel like I get a better fit with darts entact somehow.
My test version fit so well that I decided to finish and wear it. Batiste is so light and airy on a sweltering summer day, and I recently discovered I have yards and yards of white batiste in my stash for some unknown reason.
Happy with the fit, I moved on to a remnant of Liberty of London 100% Cotton Tana Lawn. One of the great things about this pattern is that it doesn't take all that much fabric. It's perfect for using up the odd yard+ of fabric or for using a precious/expensive fabric that you don't want to buy too much of.
Next I sewed the purple and black charmeuse version, which I have not done a photo shoot for. It feels luscious on.
My fourth version is in silk chiffon lined with china silk. Since the chiffon is sheer, I simply used the main pattern pieces to make a lining instead of using the facing pieces.
This one was a little challenging to hem. After a few failed attempts at a machine sewn narrow hem, I took the suggestions of some Instagram friends and did a hand rolled hem - my first, if you can believe it. It's a really sweet finish for this top.
I love that the back is fairly low, but not low enough to reveal one's bra band. Hooray! I love a top with great back.
You might think that I would have stopped there with the Ogdens, but I didn't. As if four wasn't enough, I also used the pattern to rescue a UFO.
Two years ago I started sewing the Future Dress. Christine of Seamwork Radio had posted a tutorial to this Claire McCardell classic 1945 dress on her blog, Daughter Fish. It seemed simple enough even if it did take miles of fabric. But making the straps was kind of fussy and I was pregnant at the time. I really needed to move on to sewing things I could wear to work, and the idea of hemming all those miles of rayon challis after all the time I had spent sewing french seams... I just didn't have the will power and set it aside. But I pulled it out this summer and fussed some more. However, getting the armscye's and straps right still seemed fussy, and at this point I was starting to mangle the fabric. So, I decided to scrap the original neckling/strap/armscye configuration and McGuyver the whole thing into a bias cut trapeze Ogden maxi dress.
I'm totally in love with its swishy perfection, although I need to shorten the straps just a scooch.
Anyway, Ogden love is going strong over here in the Craft Lounge. I have a feeling that now when I want to sew with a fabric that doesn't really go with the rest of my wardrobe, I'll just whip up an Ogden to go with it. It's so easy to sew and, as always, Kelli's instructions are thoughtful and clear. Plus I have several more ideas of what I want to do with this pattern - like cut it on the bias for a slinkier fit, sew it in a knit as a pj top or lengthened to be a night gown, or make Ogden slips for layering in the winter. But at this moment, I am going to embark on some unselfish sewing and a few other projects to clothe my lower half. But it feels nice to have a go-to pattern like this.
Do you have a TNT like this? A versatile pattern that fills that critical niche? Do tell!
 |
| Ogdens all in a row |
I am not usually one of the first people to sew a pattern, but this cami literally made me drop everything and sew it. Again and again - in cotton batiste, Liberty Tana Cotton Lawn, silk charmeuse and silk chiffon. It really filled a hole in my pattern library for a simple, well fitting cami.
 |
| Worn with my Jean-ius trousers |
 |
| Test version in cotton batiste |
My test version fit so well that I decided to finish and wear it. Batiste is so light and airy on a sweltering summer day, and I recently discovered I have yards and yards of white batiste in my stash for some unknown reason.
Happy with the fit, I moved on to a remnant of Liberty of London 100% Cotton Tana Lawn. One of the great things about this pattern is that it doesn't take all that much fabric. It's perfect for using up the odd yard+ of fabric or for using a precious/expensive fabric that you don't want to buy too much of.
 |
| Liberty version |
Next I sewed the purple and black charmeuse version, which I have not done a photo shoot for. It feels luscious on.
 |
| Sorry for the i-phone photo |
My fourth version is in silk chiffon lined with china silk. Since the chiffon is sheer, I simply used the main pattern pieces to make a lining instead of using the facing pieces.
This one was a little challenging to hem. After a few failed attempts at a machine sewn narrow hem, I took the suggestions of some Instagram friends and did a hand rolled hem - my first, if you can believe it. It's a really sweet finish for this top.
I love that the back is fairly low, but not low enough to reveal one's bra band. Hooray! I love a top with great back.
 |
| I love a top that gives good back! |
You might think that I would have stopped there with the Ogdens, but I didn't. As if four wasn't enough, I also used the pattern to rescue a UFO.
Two years ago I started sewing the Future Dress. Christine of Seamwork Radio had posted a tutorial to this Claire McCardell classic 1945 dress on her blog, Daughter Fish. It seemed simple enough even if it did take miles of fabric. But making the straps was kind of fussy and I was pregnant at the time. I really needed to move on to sewing things I could wear to work, and the idea of hemming all those miles of rayon challis after all the time I had spent sewing french seams... I just didn't have the will power and set it aside. But I pulled it out this summer and fussed some more. However, getting the armscye's and straps right still seemed fussy, and at this point I was starting to mangle the fabric. So, I decided to scrap the original neckling/strap/armscye configuration and McGuyver the whole thing into a bias cut trapeze Ogden maxi dress.
I'm totally in love with its swishy perfection, although I need to shorten the straps just a scooch.
Anyway, Ogden love is going strong over here in the Craft Lounge. I have a feeling that now when I want to sew with a fabric that doesn't really go with the rest of my wardrobe, I'll just whip up an Ogden to go with it. It's so easy to sew and, as always, Kelli's instructions are thoughtful and clear. Plus I have several more ideas of what I want to do with this pattern - like cut it on the bias for a slinkier fit, sew it in a knit as a pj top or lengthened to be a night gown, or make Ogden slips for layering in the winter. But at this moment, I am going to embark on some unselfish sewing and a few other projects to clothe my lower half. But it feels nice to have a go-to pattern like this.
Do you have a TNT like this? A versatile pattern that fills that critical niche? Do tell!
No comments:
Post a Comment