The ‘Ogden Cami’ hack from Nerrisa

The thing I love about the sewing community is that it’s full of inventive makers who are more than happy to share their inspiration. So when I saw ‘THAT’ hack of The ‘True Bias Ogden Cami‘ from a few of the amazing sewists I follow, I knew I needed one of my own.

In case you’re new to sewing, the Ogden cami is a nice simple sew from True Bias that features some of the basic skills you need to learn if you’re going to make your own wardrobe. If you’re a more experienced sewer, it’s a really satisfying sew that you can probably tackle in a few hours.

2.5 hours in fact..

Last weekend, I was heading to London for the day and had that ‘I have nothing to wear’ panic a few hours before leaving. In a twist of fate, I’d actually spent my Friday night pre-washing the fabrics (rock ‘n’ roll right!?) I purchased from the Sewisfaction Pop up in Bath and this ‘Abstract Feline Viscose‘ called out to me.

Something you should know about me, is:

1. I plan all of my makes around being able to wear them with trainers.

2. I like, where possible be able to wear my me mades all year round.  So slip dress it was.

Normally, when I sew, I spend some time drawing out my design and doing a bit of planning, but with 2.5 hours on the clock, this wasn’t the time to be sketching – but I did go back and do a little doodle after the fact. So as you can see, the hack is a simple lengthening of the hem-line to create a simple cami dress, perfect for layering over t-shirt, tights, roll-necks and any other outfit you might like to add it too.

Just a few things to note when creating this simple version:

-Probably don’t make the hack the first time you create this pattern – although I was able to fix the fit issues on mine, I would have figured them out before hand if it wasn’t my first time making it. It’s a lovely pattern anyway, so a toile of the original or even just a cute, simple version in a different fabric will help minimise the risk of this going wrong.

-Check your measurements. I lengthened the line from the hem of the vest, but you’ll need to make sure that these measurements add up – we all have bums and thighs so make sure your dress can accommodate them based on the measurements in the booklet to make sure it isn’t too tight or in my case, way too loose when you follow the line – hence the tip above.

And that’s it – I’d really love to say that it was a complicated make and I’m super talented, but why overcomplicate things eh? Now that I’ve fallen in love with this shape, I can see a few more variations of this on my list – I’m thinking tie straps, a frilled hem or even a maxi version with a split for party season.

I’ve actually made a Pinterest board for more inspiration and if you want to see all of these versions I’ve got planned when I’ve made them, feel free to follow me over on Instagram too – @nerrisapratt.

Oh and just in case you’re wondering, I finished it with 15 minutes to spare – sewing success!

Happy hacking!

Nerrisa x