More summer wardrobe staples: Ogden Cami + Flint Pants

Before I leave on vacation for a few weeks (much, much needed although Alexis is on duty if you need any help with anything while I'm gone) I thought I'd share a few more garments I made in a sewing frenzy this spring.

I knew my sewing time would be non-existent once I moved into my new place (my typical "must always be doing something" mania was temporarily transferred to painting and decorating), so I went a little crazy and sewed a little capsule summer wardrobe before the move. It wasn't intentional, but everything feels super cohesive and works well with each other, and it's been dead easy to get dressed and pack for trips ever since. These are two pieces I'm pretty thrilled with.

This outfit really hits all the summer marks for me; lightweight and breathable, with some interesting details and balanced volume to keep everything chic and polished. It's a nice reminder that you don't need to wear a dress to feel put together; swishy and drapey separates work just as well, and mean you don't have to wear bike shorts if you suffer from the chub rub when you wear dresses like, ahem, me.

As I mentioned in my last post, I've made two pairs of Flint Pants so far this year. This was the first pair, and I used a lovely camel tencel I got from one of my wholesalers. I love this colour but it washes me out if it's too close to my face, so it's the perfect choice for a pair of swinging, bouncy summer pants. The silk tank is obviously the  Ogden Cami from True Bias; it seems like everyone and their auntie made this pattern and I can see why. It's pretty much perfect.

These pants are a tad tight in the tush, so I still need to go and drop the seat curve like I did with my linen pair, but they're definitely still wearable. The tencel does wrinkle like crazy so you just have to accept the trade off between silky soft texture and crease marks all over your pretty pants.

This Ogden Cami is a wearable muslin. I have a stack of silk remnants I bought from a fabric shop going out of business, and this luscious black moire crepe was one of them. I had barely a yard, so it was a real challenge to cut it out. I ended up having to piece the inner facing together, which is a couple inches shorter than Kelli drafted it because I was trying to be resourceful. For that reason, the facing has a tendency to ride up a bit. I may go back and stitch in the ditch along the side seams to secure it.

I'll definitely be making more Ogdens; it really has a lovely shape and will make a great layering piece. I also love that it has the cut and softness of a bias cut camisole without actually being cut on the bias. I've been meaning to sew a bias cut slip forever but this pattern is a nice compromise if you don't want to fuss with a fussy grainline. Obviously, the thin straps make what bra you're wearing a consideration. I went braless in these pics (she's wild!) but since I don't have any good strapless bras, I'll probably wear it with a bralette with thin straps in the future. I gotta say, I LOVE how it looks from behind; Kelli, you are a master of proportion!

Perhaps you're asking yourself, yeah yeah yeah Heather, but what's the story with THAT BAG?

ISN'T IT AWESOME??! It also happens to be handmade, although not by me. My friend Amy is a rope bowl making genius and when I was at our weekly Bachelorette date I almost cried when I saw the pretty bag she made using the same technique. After freaking out about it for approximately 20 minutes, I asked her to write a blog tutorial on how to sew one, so that is coming your way next week. It's a super easy, satisfying sewing project that costs almost nothing to make, and I think you are going to looooooooove the tutorial. I actually loved what she wrote so much we've been talking about more DIY blog posts for the coming year. Not all of it will be garment sewing related, but I'm excited to collaborate with someone whose creative energy seems in sync with what we're trying to do around here!

By the time you read this I'll probably be in France. Guillaume needs to go home every summer to spend time with his family and I'm happy to tag along and use up my airmiles. It's the longest vacation I've taken in a few years and I'm really looking forward to catching up with my New Yorker subscription (I've started to feel oppressed every week when the new issue arrives and I haven't read the last four), practicing my abysmal French, drinking lots of rosé and hopefully learning how to drive standard so we can go on some solo day trips together. His family has a place in the south so it will obviously be hot as hell, but I'm hoping the sun can help me cook up some new pattern ideas; I need some creative recharging. This outfit will likely get some serious wear while we're there.

What is your dream summer outfit? And any recommendations for cute towns in the south of France? We'll be staying mostly near Beziers but I'm trying to convince him to brave the tourists of Provence because I'm obsessed with the instagram stories of Jamie Beck and just want to roll around in fields of lavender and sunflowers..