Goodwill Sewing Giveaway #1 – Ogden Cami Hack
What is Goodwill Sewing #goodwillsewing? It’s a project I’ve created to spread some goodwill through sewing. It’s the 20th day of Me Made May of 2020, (#memademay2020) and it’s the day that I am offering a giveaway of something I’ve handmade with love and joy. It’s time to share all this me-made goodness. My very first offering is an Ogden Cami, which I’ve hacked into a sundress. For a review that I did on the original Ogden Cami, and to see pictures of its original form, you can go here.


The sizing of this dress was decided mainly by the dimensions of the fabric scrap that I had on hand. This fabric scrap happens to be my largest piece in my stash, and size 6 was the largest size that allowed me to fit all the pattern pieces in. Sewing your own wardrobe is a step towards sustainable fashion, and making sure all the scraps are put to good use is another plus. So this project is also an act of goodwill towards Mother Earth.


Here are details of this garment:
1) SIZE: The dress is a size 6 according to True Bias‘s (@truebias on Instagram) size chart for the original cami.
So if your body measurements are 35”/89cm (chest); 29”/74cm (waist); 37”/94cm (hip), then technically speaking this dress will fit you.
I am a size 0, and from the pictures you can see that the dress is big on me. Although the dress fits a little loose, I will happily wear it anyway. This oversized look seems to be trendy these days.
The shoulder straps have been converted to ties, which allows some play in the sizing to make it a looser or tighter fit. My guess is that if you fall in the sizes 0-6 in the size chart, then this dress will fit you.
2) LENGTH: The side seam measuring from the underarm to the hemline is 38”/97cm. This gives you an idea of the length of the dress. I am 5′ 2” or 158cm tall and the hemline is about 2” above my ankle. The hem is only a quarter-inch, so that means that any hopes of lengthening the dress are not applicable. Apologies. So depending on your height, this dress will either be a maxi or a long midi.
3) FABRIC: This is a very light cotton flannel in a plaid pattern. It feels very soft on the skin and has nice drape.
4) THE HACK: The original pattern of the cami is a tank top with front and back facing, and shoulder straps. I’ve basically made three alterations to make it into a dress. First, I lengthened the cami following the lines of the sides, so it has a tent shape. Second, I changed the shoulder straps to ties, which makes the straps adjustable to the length that works for you. Third, I added a gathered tier at the bottom because it’s fun! Besides, I had more scraps leftover, so why waste them? The side seams are finished with neat french seams.

Do you think this dress is for you? Would you love for it to be an addition to your wardrobe? Or do you see it on a loved one? If the answer is yes, then here’s what you have to do to be eligible for the giveaway lottery:
1) Subscribe to my website, Geri In Stitches here.
2) Follow me on Instagram at @geraldineberman here and leave a comment on today’s post.
After you’ve done the above, you will be automatically placed in the giveaway lottery. You have up till 22/05/2020 to do this. The winner will be randomly selected. Then I will make contact so that I can send you the dress in the mail.
If you are the lucky winner, I only ask that you help me with the shipping fees, and be willing to share a photograph of the dress when it arrives in your possession. If you’re too shy to pose with it on, you can just picture it however and wherever it suits you. You can picture it on a hanger, or with your cat, or draped on a chair, or laid on your bed. I will be pleased if you give me permission to can share your picture on social media.

This project is also an experiment to see how our virtual connections online can be made more tangible. I hope the lucky winner of this giveaway is as happy as I was making it when he/she gets it in the mail. From the first cut to the last stitch, this dress took 4-5 hours of loving care to put together. It is made with my hands and heart to reach out to yours.
