Frocktober is Australia’s is a month-long fundraiser created by the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) to raise awareness and funds for vital ovarian cancer research. If you have been following for a while you will know that we have taken on the Frocktober challenge of wearing a different dress every day in October. We take the challenge of wearing a me made dress every day in October in support the OCRF.
This year are taking on the challenge of wearing a different Two Sewing Sisters made frock each day in October. If you have followed along on our Frocktober journey before you may recognise some pieces but we look forward to sharing the making details of the frocks with you.
We hope you enjoy seeing our frock collection and will make a donation to support this cause. Research is the answer and your support of the Ovarian Cancer Research enables this.
Day 31 – There was no question about what the final frock for this year would be. Lauren wearing our Alexandra Nea Frocktober girls print in Butterick 9764
Day 31 – Wearing the Frocktober Girls, with the Frocktober Girls. Erin wearing our Alexandra Nea frocktober girls print in Butterick 9771
Day 30 – Bringing it home in the favourite Butterick9 764 in polished cotton from Darn Cheap Fabrics
Day 30 – Frocking it up at Bendigo Cup with Bendigo Bank who are also a corporate supporter of the OCRF and the upcoming Silver Linings Ride
Day 29 – What amazing frock weather! Lauren wore an Iris print fabric from Spotlight in Vogue 2960
Frocktober Day 28 – Just 3 frock filled days to go for this frocktober. Lauren in McCall’s 7279 from fabric purchased at Knitting & Stitching Shows with Review Australia cardigan
Frocktober Day 28 – Taking Frocktober Frock fabric sourcing international! This fabric is from Liberty London during our trip to London earlier this year 🇬🇧 A Butterick 9764 in cotton fabric from Liberty with a Review Australia cardigan
Frocktober Day 20 – Another Sewing Sunday, another day recruiting the help of Katelyn O’Meara 🧵 . Lauren Ritchie in Butterick 5209 Erin Ritchie in Butterick 9764 and @stitchesandsutures in Tilly and the Buttons Magan Dress all in Spotlight fabric
Frocktober Day 26 – Erin wearing Butterick 5851 made in navy and white checks from Nanny’s fabric stash
Frocktober Day 26 – Another frocking day, another Two Sewing Sistershandmade frock. . Lauren Ritchiee wearing Simplicity Patterns 8572 made in an upcycled Japanese Kimono gift from Andrea Kitahara The white floral print provided a great skirt feature.
Frocktober Day 25 – Lauren wearing Simplicity 8594 in cotton print from Tessuti Fabrics
Frocktober Day 25 – Tonight Erin Ritchie was awarded the Deakin UniversityGlobal Citizenship Award 🌏 . Wearing #vogue1350 in light blue (tiny) gingham fabric from Super Cheap Fabrics wore with CUE blazer
Frocktober Day 24 – at Melbourne Soup in blue ruffle dress from the Tessuti Colour in Thirds Competition and vintage pattern Vogue 6504 in polished cotton from Rathdowne Fabrics
“Quick Erin, take a photo of me with the sign, we match!” .We’re thrilled to bring Alexandra Nea Illustration Frocktober Girls to fabric using Spoonflower 🧵✂️ The bonus was getting to debut the creations at the smoothfm 91.5 Frocktail Party with Alexandra to support the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) 🥂👗 . Lauren Ritchie in Vintage Butterick Pattern
Frocktober Day 23 – We’re thrilled to bring Alexandra Nea Illustration Frocktober Girls to fabric using Spoonflower 🧵✂️ The bonus was getting to debut the creations at the smoothfm 91.5 Frocktail Party with Alexandra to support the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) 🥂👗 . Lauren Ritchie in Vintage Butterick 9764 Erin Ritchie in Vintage Butterick 9771 Alexandra Nea in Review Australia.
Frocktober Day 23 – Lauren in Simplicity 2923 which was a Project Runway pattern in purple linen
Frocktober Day 23 – Butterick 9764 in polished cotton from Spotlight Stores
Frocktober Day 22 – Lauren Ritchie frocking her self drafted entry from the Tessuti Fabrics colour in thirds competition made earlier this year.
Frocktober Day 21 – Lauren in a purple knit dress
Frocktober Day 21 – Kicking off the week with By Hand London Jenna Dress in fabric from The Fabric Store – Australia
Frocktober Day 20 – Sewing Sunday! With so many projects on the go for upcoming events we recruited the help of @stitchesandsutures 🧵 . Lauren in Butterick 5708, Erin Simplicity 1802 @stitchesandsutures in By Hand London Anna Dress. All made in fabric from Spotlight
Frocktober Day 19 – Performing at the Marysville Jazz Festival with High Society Jazz Orchestra 🎷🎶 . Frock made by Robyn for Erin in black crepe and vintage pattern
Frocktober Day 19 – Performing at the Marysville Jazz Festival with High Society Jazz Orchestra 🎷🎶 . Lauren made this dress without a pattern in fabric from Ebay while living in London last year
Frocktober Day 18 – Have a laugh! It’s the weekend! Kicking off this frocking good weekend at @finders_keepers 👗 . A Butterick 9764 in fabric from Super Cheap Fabrics – it is not often we make a black dress, but when Erin worked at Spotlights a few years ago, a few snuck into the cupboard!
Frocktober Day 18 – Frock details are a minor thing when our new doggy mascot Sammywise makes an appearance in the frock photo.
Frocktober Day 17 – We can’t wait for the weather to get warmer… fun cotton prints are calling our name! But for now the sleeves are here to stay!
Frocktober Day 16 – Lauren in Vogue 8922 made in a suede purchased at Sackville and Lane before it closed in Wangaratta. Do you have a local independent fabric store you miss?
Day 15 – A busy day in the OCRF office sending out the last of the Frocktober Supporter Packs 👗 Frocktographer: Sam
Day 14 – A pirate print dress, Brunetti Cafe and end of university exams for the year… is there anything better way to celebrate the two week mark of Frocktober?!
Day 14 – Minnie Mouse 🐭 version of Butterick 9764 in fabric from Spotlightst visiting Kaprica
Day 13 – vintage tie dress with fabric from @spotlightstores guest Frocktographer Trent Howard
Day 12 – New Look 6176 in fabric from Sewing and Craft Superstore with guest Frocker Talia and Frocktographer Eliza. on a visit to Brown Brother
Day 11 – green paisley from Spotlight
Day 10 – Butterick 5604 in @spotlightstores polished cotton.
Day 9 – Butterick 5604 in @darncheap checked fabric.
Day 9 – Simplicity 8594 in polished cotton from Super Cheap Fabrics
Day 8 – Vintage style in fabric from Darn Cheap Fabrics
Day 8 – New Look 6176 in black and white fabric from Spotlight
Day 7 – Butterick 5604 in polished cotton from Spotlight
Day 7 – Butterick 5523 in a purple knit fabric from”the stash”
Day 6 – Ruffled Butterick 5209 in fabric from Darn Cheap Fabric
Day 6 – Knitted dress by Robyn Ritchie
Day 5 – Tshirt Dress and Polka dot Butterik 9764 photo by James Christie
Day 4 – Shirt Dress in Tessuti Fabrics
Day 3 Butterick 9764 pattern made floral polished cotton from Spotlight
Day 3 Butterick 9764 pattern made floral polished cotton from Spotlight
Day 2 Navy Infinity Dress
Day 1 Butterick 9764 pattern made floral polished cotton from Spotlight
Day 1 Butterick 9764 pattern made floral polished cotton from Spotlight
OCRF (Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation) hosted their annual Silver Style event at the Georges Ballroom in St Kilda. The theme was a touch of silver. Inspired by this theme and some fabulous silver shoes the outfit planning started.
Lauren found this striped printed silk at the Hand Made Fair at Hampton Court Palace in London in 2018. Unsure what she wanted to create with it the fabric waited in the wings. When the theme the event was announced it felt like the perfect occassion and coordinated well with a pair or existing silver shoes.
The pattern was selected due to panel pieces that would allow for the stripe in the fabric. Placing the strip in different directions and using a circle skirt achieved this.
Eager to pair the statement Maude bag and glittery Wittner shoes with a Tweed the hunt for the fabric began. We found the beautiful white and blue with silver fleck tweed at Darn Cheap Fabrics in Port Melbourne.
Returning to use a favourite pattern, Vogue 1392 with a circle. The bodice was lined with bem silk and cotton tape place around the neckline to reduce stretching.
Photo by Cam Davie
Silver Style was a great evening to celebrate the efforts of the OCRF. Every woman, everywhere – free from the threat of Ovarian Cancer. You can donate directly to the cause or find out other way to take part such as Frocktober.
Frocktober is a community fundraising initiative for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF). The aim of the campaign is to start important conversations. It raising awareness of the lack of early detection method, of women’s experiences, and of how we as a community can do more to support ovarian cancer research. You can make your donation here.
The challenge of Frocktober is to take on a frock, or dress, challenge in October. We first became involved with Frocktober in 2013. Our challenge was to wear a different frock everyday in October. We took a photo each day to share on our social media pages. With a love of frocks this was an exciting challenge to help fund research into early detection test.
Things to know about Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecological cancer
There is no early detection test for ovarian cancer. Over 50% of the community incorrectly believes a Pap smear will diagnose ovarian cancer.
Each year, nearly a quarter of a million women around the world are diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
In Australia alone, one woman dies every eight hours from ovarian cancer.
Less than 30% of women diagnosed at a late stage will survive for more than five years.
If a woman is diagnosed at Stage 1 (while the cancer is localised) then her survival rates are over 90%.
The OCRF receives no government funding and relies solely on the financial support of corporate Australia and the broader community.
Proportionally, more women die from ovarian cancer than breast cancer, because it is usually diagnosed in its advanced stages.
Symptoms are often vague and the warning signs associated with the disease —discomfort or pain in the abdomen or pelvis; feeling swollen or bloated; appetite loss or feeling full quickly; tiredness, and unexplained changes in weight—rarely set off alarm bells. As a result, women or their doctors sometimes mistakenly attribute the symptoms to other gastrointestinal problems or common female complaints, and delay taking further steps.
About 15–20% of women with ovarian cancer are found to have a fault in one of the BRCA genes or other
similar genes.
Two Sewing Sisters and Frocktober
This will be the first time in 5 years that we are not donning a frock everyday of October. Between us we have completed the equivalent of 7 Frocktobers without repeating a frock. It’s a lot of frocks for an important cause.
The frocks were a combination of ones we had made, purchased new, purchased second hand/vintage, family collection and borrowed from friends. Check out the frocks we have worn over the years.
There is still a chance to become involved in Frocktober this year. If not this year think about taking part next year. Wear a frock, host an event in your work place for a Frock Friday or start the important conversation to raise funds and awareness in your network about this insidious disease.
With a revised look for Frocktober last year Illustrator Alexandra Nea created the frocktober figures to provide the new stunning faces of Frocktober. This wonderful fashion illustrator works capturing luxury events across the country and you will find a stunning sketch of the Two Sewing Sisters was created by Alexandra.
Frocktober Gallery
Check out our past years Frocktober to get you inspired. Stitching, shopping or borrowing to get your frock collection ready for Frocktober.
The first Frocktober, day 1 of year 1.
Frock 31 for Lauren in 2017
The first Frocktober, day 31 of year 1.
Frock 31 for Erin in 2017
Attending the Get York Frock On Event in Louise Macdonald Millinery
Relay for life in frocks
Embracing the theme theme in frocks for a Mario themed birthday
Celebrated Day 31 in 2015 with hand made frock
Handmade frocks with Mum
Wearing Nanny made frocks with Nanny
In 2015 we hosted a Charity Fundraiser afternoon tea
Frocktober Afternoon tea in 2016
Opening the Frocking for a Cause Exhibition at the Wangaratta Information Center in 2016
With the OCRF team at the Frocktober Charity Gala in 2017
With fellow Frocker Rhiannon Irving
Recruited Trini to take part in Frocktober
With the frocktober who introduced us to the cause
The third time he has frocked up for us
Stopping traffic for the Herald Sun in 2016
The Frocking for Cause team in 2017 at the Frocktober Launch
The outfit for Royal Ascot all start with the shoes! Irregular Choice shoes to be exact, and aren’t they amazing!?
The dress was made from McCall’s 7279 with a circle skirt added for a softer line to match the delicate lavender lace sourced from Spotlight in Melbourne. Construction involved tacking the lace to the matching poplin backing before stitching the darts of the bodice.
The details of the make included black piping around the cream Peterpan collar and turned up cuffs
The finished look for Royal Ascot was paired with a black Review belt to highlight the piping and worn with a Lauren J Ritchie Lenox Boater.