True Bias Ogden Cami by Ella

Hi sunshine sewists, Ella here! As a little challenge this month, Harriet suggested I make the same pattern from two different fabric types using a drapey rayon and a second version in a medium weight cotton. I chose the light blue herbs viscose rayon by See You At Six, which I'm not surprised to hear has been really popular - it's soft, pretty and screams camisole! I also opted for the super fun 'permanent sea foam' print from the Snap to the Grid collection at Cotton + Steel. The eighties style print with pale pink squiggles and turquoise background reminded me of sunny beach days as a child!

The pattern I chose is not new - it's the ever popular Ogden Cami by True Bias - which is now available in printed form, alongside other True Bias patterns at Sew Me Sunshine.

As anticipated, the herbs rayon was a perfect fabric for the cami. I made no adjustments to the pattern and I can see why people whip up so many of these camisoles. With the Snap to the Grid fabric, I understood that it would have more structure so decided to use contrast and lightweight lining in some scrap Atelier Brunette pale pink cotton lawn, also available at Sew Me Sunshine.

To up the challenge, I added a fun twist by using the selvedge on the underside of the straps. It's a little detail like that that makes me smile. If you've seen my previous makes you will have seen me using pretty selvedge as binding and as a little label; Cotton + Steel selvedge is too good to waste!


I used a metre for each project. The rayon was a wide width, so the pattern pieces fit quite easily. With the narrower cotton it is more of a squeeze and I would certainly recommend my approach of a lighter cotton/ cotton lawn on the inside - a way to use up scraps and add some detail.

If you haven't made an Ogden Cami before (there can't be many of us left!) then what are you waiting for? And if you've only made it from drapy fabric, why not try one from a fun cotton print. I would like to make some more from one of Sew Me Sunshine's other fun Cotton + Steel prints in the shop.

As I write this blog, the weather is getting colder and you're probably thinking why are we talking summer patterns? Well first of all I know that people all over the world are now discovering Sew Me Sunshine (hiya!) and so they may be luckier than the UK and be bathed in warm sunshine right now. You may be planning an easter getaway or you just want to wear a bit of happy me-made layered under your winter clothes. For me, the best reason is that it's a simple, tried and tested economic make, that is sure to give you all the feels.

I'm really interested to see how people adapt the Ogden cami - you can follow the tag #ogdencamihack and don't forget to follow and tag #sewingsunshine with your Sew Me Sunshine makes too!

Check out my sewing musings at @Sewistella on Instagram.