It’s Episode 12—our one-year anniversary of the podcast! To mark this milestone, we’re featuring a true classic: the Ogden Cami by True Bias. This timeless, hugely popular pattern is the ultimate wardrobe staple, and it’s no surprise so many sewists (myself included) have made it multiple times. Perhaps this is down to its versatility, as it works beautifully on its own or layered under blazers and cardigans; with a soft V-neck at both the front and back, and delicate spaghetti straps.
Sewing the The Ogden Cami: The Low-Down
Pattern : The Ogden Cami by True Bias
Size : 8 with a few alterations (see below)
Fabric : Viscose
Sewing Label : Me Made End Fold Labels By KATM
Even though I’ve sewn this pattern a few times before, there has been an update since then. Sizes 14 and up now feature thicker straps and bust darts, which I wanted to incorporate into my size 8 version. To do this, I combined the two pattern versions by tracing the strap section from the size 14 and using the wider straps from the size 14-30 range. It was surprisingly easy to adapt.
I also added a bust dart. Instead of using the size 14 dart, I decided to tissue-fit the pattern to see how much I needed to adjust and add in the form of a dart. Tissue fitting involves pinning the pattern together and effectively trying it on. With help from my husband, I pinned the centre back of the pattern onto my centre back and then I could see how much more the centre front of the pattern needed to meet my centre front. I used this amount to carry out a full bust adjustment and created the dart. Through tissue fitting, I also realised that a broad back and sway back adjustment would be useful—both of which are fairly standard alterations for me.
In the podcast, we dive deeper into some excellent sewing tips from Kellie at True Bias. She recommends making two, which is easy with a quick sew like this. Also don’t skip stay stitching and under stitching—these are crucial for getting the neckline to sit perfectly. And lastly, make sure to sew with a drapey fabric, as stiffer fabrics could give it a tent-like appearance.
Inspired by Kylie who's fabric was fairly transparent and definitely needed a lining I also decided to fully line mine as I'm not a massive fan of flappy facings. I also used banrol to sew the hem, which worked really well with my slinky fabric.
If you're excited to try the Ogden Cami for yourself, don’t miss Episode 12 of our podcast on platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, Audible for all the details. And don’t forget to use the code SEWINGCLUBPODCAST for a discount on the pattern.
Happy sewing, everyone! 🎉✂️🧵
