Ogden Cami by True Bias

Time to start blogging that queue of makes! It’s not a big queue but I have fallen behind and want to catch up a bit before we get too far in to 2017!

I made this back in September or October so the making details are a little fuzzy I’m afraid! This has been written from memory as I didn’t take many pictures during making it as it was so quick to whizz up. I hadn’t realised how much I wanted simple cami tops in my life until True Bias released their latest pattern, the Ogden Cami, earlier this year. I had bought something very similar years ago and wore it all the time, but eventually stopped wearing it because the fit was a bit off (no surprises there, Primark…).

I look a bit like an egg but I’m in front of the Eiffel Tower so who cares?! (me)

The Ogden is a slightly fitted, partially lined strappy camisole top, and when I saw it on social media, I loved it immediately, but was reluctant to buy it because of the lack of a bust dart. As I normally need to do a FBA I was a bit put off buying the pattern because I thought the top would just drape badly and not be very flattering. I did a lot of hunting around online to see if there was a similar style that had a bust dart, but came up empty handed. I decided to bite the bullet and make it up as is and see how it looked. I am pleased to say I was totally wrong about the Ogden being unflattering – it’s loose and floaty without being oversized and is very comfy to wear as well as very good for hiding those bloated days!

I made this version out of a colourful viscose from the Rag Market in Birmingham that was £2 a metre and made it up as drafted, cutting a 14 at the bust down to an 18 to accommodate my hips and shortening the straps by 5cm (it would have been indecent otherwise!). It’s comfy to wear and the v-neck on the front and back neckline is very flattering. My only quibble with the pattern is that the partial lining stops mid-boob so the seam sits in an unkind place and therefore rides up a bit and makes the top look a bit lumpy. In my next version I will lengthen the lining piece to make sure the seam sits more or less level with the bottom of my bra too prevent it wiggling up too much. I also think the pattern comes up a little big, so I chopped loads off the paper pattern only to discover I’d removed WAY too much and had to stick it all back
on again. Naturally I only discovered my mistake when I made a second version in another fabric and couldn’t get it on… Whoops! In hindsight I’d rather have it a little looser and have the room to breathe and move comfortably. I do have to own up to not wearing this as much as I should do but only because I am too lazy to iron it – the viscose is lightweight and wrinkles a lot but it’s so comfy.

This is a quick make and is a great layering piece for the coming chilly months. I’ve already made a second (successful) version which will be on the blog soon!