How to sew an Indian sari? Sari - traditional women's clothing in India

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Indian sari impresses with its richness, grace, rich colors. It is created by hand only by men. One product takes seven months. It is woven, dyed, painted, embroidered, decorated with stones. A quality sari is expensive, but it will last for decades. And even today, most Indian women prefer it to modern types of clothing.

Indian clothing legends

Despite the fact that the sari is a long piece of matter, there are many legends about its origin. According to one of them, this is the creation of a weaver in love, who, during his work, daydreamed and wove long matter. And since he thought about his beloved, the fabric turned out to be of unimaginable beauty. From that moment on, saris are woven, painted, embroidered only by “hereditary” male weavers.

According to another version, the Sultan lost his state, himself, all property and even his wife to his enemies. The enemies decided to publicly mock the wife of the Sultan, but they could not. A woman's prayers were heard by an Indian deity, her outfit turned into an endless sari that enemies could not unwind.

Scientists justexplain the emergence of Indian traditional clothing. This is an "innovation" from the hip bandage of primitive people. At the same time, the sari is mentioned in ancient chronicles. That is, while some nations flaunted in animal skins, oriental princesses showed off beautiful Indian saris. Photos of Indian women of different classes only confirm the diversity and splendor of traditional clothing.

What is a sari?

This is a long seamless piece of fabric from 5 to 12 meters. Initially, there were two pieces, one wrapped around the hips, the second on the chest, like a topic. Over time, the sari was a one-piece canvas that was wrapped around the skirt and went up, covering the head and shoulders. At the same time, the part of the fabric hanging from the shoulders is most richly painted and decorated, in order to show all the richness and beauty of the garment.

Under the influence of European colonists, girls without a top and a skirt did not wear any Indian sari. A photo of traditional Indian women's clothes shows how modern saris are rich in colors, stylish and elegant. There are costumes consisting of pants with a shirt or a top and harem pants covered with a sari. Moreover, it can be long, short, transparent. The classic sari has one or two borders on the side (this is the edge with a pattern).

Early saris were classified by color value. For example, brides wore only a red sari with a gold pattern, a woman wore a yellow robe after childbirth, a widow dressed in white, and the lower classes wore blue. But now the color symbolism has lost its meaning.

Sari types

So Indiana sari is a wide long fabric of one or more colors, on the sides it has one or two borders and a pallu (one edge covering the head) with patterns. In India, the place of production of the sari has its own characteristics and differences. So, Benares saris are created for solemn occasions. They are embroidered with gold and silver threads all over the silk fabric. The pattern is very rich, decorated with stones.

In Orissa, the ikat technique is used, the colors resemble Tajik or Uzbek patterns. The essence of such weaving is that first a pattern is applied to the threads several times, drying each strand separately, and then the material is woven. Sambalpuri robe depicts religious symbols (flowers, wheels, shells) in honor of the god Jagannath.

The checkered Indian sari is made in the Bargarah district. In Sonepuri, clothes are dyed in the ikat style with bright religious colors. The bapta sari is characterized by the presence of silk and cotton strands dyed in gold. Depending on the pattern, labor cost, material, the saree can cost anywhere from $13 to $666.

Indian sari as a suit

A skirt and a top are worn under the sari. The skirt should be straight cut and seven centimeters shorter than the sari. It is combined in color with the tippet pattern, regardless of whether the fabric is transparent or dense. The skirt should be on a belt or lacing so that it fits snugly to the body and does not slip under the weight of a five to twelve meter sari. In addition, the edge of the fabric can be hidden under the belt of the skirt, which also requires a snug fit to the body.

The topic is called "choli". Not a single Indian sari can do without it. The photo of blouses shows the variety of back cutouts. At the same time, the front looks to the maximum closed. The blouse can be with short, long sleeves or without them at all. Choli should also be in harmony in color with the entire ensemble.

Indian sari: how to wear

• The classic way is nivi. Tuck the edges of the sari from right to left into the skirt in a circle. Then folds are tucked into the belt on the left side, but not on the side. Their width is 5-10 centimeters, no less, otherwise they will be lost when walking. The other end of the sari covers the back, chest and throws the palla over the left shoulder and covers the head. Sometimes it (pallu) is fixed on the shoulder with pins. When properly draped, the pallu should be longer than the elbow, at least covering the arm.
• Gujarati style. Everyone does the same as in the above method, only after the formation of folds they cover the back and immediately throw it over the right shoulder in front.
• The women of Maharashtra wear the Indian sari differently. How to wear a twelve-meter canvas? Indian women pass the long end between the legs in front and tuck it into the belt.
• If the folds are in front, then this is the Kurga style, and if the sari is draped without it, then this is the Bengali way.
• There are more than a dozen ways to drape a sari, which differ in the number and direction of folds, the length of the pallu, turns around the waist, throws over the right or left hand.

Sewing an Indian sari

Quite easy to sew an Indian sari for a girl for carnivals and dances. It will take five meters of crepe satin and ten meters of braid with a beautiful pattern. Choose the width of the fabric so that you immediately sew a skirt, or fold the fabric.

For example, a satin eighty centimeters wide and five meters long. Without cutting the fabric, sew a skirt with an elastic band from two meters. The remaining three meters are sheathed on the sides with braid. This will be the sari. The top can be taken ready-made or sewn from a T-shirt, decorated with the same braid.

This Indian costume is very comfortable for dancing. The sari does not fall off when moving, and is fixed on the shoulder with a pin. To match, pick up jewelry on the head, arms, legs, as well as sandals.

For girls, you can sew an analogue of the Indian sari. Separately, make a straight skirt to the ankles. The top can be converted from a T-shirt. For a sari, you will need a transparent or dense fabric from five meters. Please note that the material of the skirt, blouse and sari must be combined in color. As a border, use braid with an unusual pattern.

Another version of the Indian costume

For sewing, choose satin, satin, chiffon, silk, thin cotton for a top if you want to emphasize lightness and femininity. Thicker fabrics do not hold the desired shape well. How to make an Indian sari for carnival? Sew a semi-sun skirt from crepe satin, sew the bottom with an oblique trim, and decorate the belt with a ribbon. Sew two petticoats of the same cut from nylon, which are ten centimeters longer than the satin tier.

Sew them with bias tape. Blousesew according to any pattern of the top, in which the bottom, sleeves and neck need to be processed in the same style. Sew a guipure veil on your head. You just sew a two-meter cut, gather it up and decorate it with a decorative flower.

Skirt can be sewn straight cut with side slits. Decorate the skirt, top and sari with sequins, braid. The organza sari in this case is short, like a veil, and serves as a headdress. This type can be used to sew a short straight Indian dress, sari.

For dancing, you can sew a skirt from wedges in two or three tiers. The underskirt can be transparent, but long. And the subsequent tiers are shorter, but made of satin fabric. On top you can tie a belt with coins. Instead of a skirt, sew bloomers (wide trousers, narrowed at the ankle).

Sewing salwar

Pants like harem pants are called salwars. They are worn with a long straight-cut tunic, called a kameez, and a stole (dupatta). Bloomers can be on the yoke, wide and regular. If you are going to sew an Indian sari with your own hands, then pay attention to the “unusual” patterns of any item of clothing (pants, blouses, tunics).

For sewing salwar, measure the circumference of the hips and the length of the product. In fact, you will need two yokes and sidewalls, four kali (inner parts), two parts for the hem of the bottom. Coquette in the form of two rectangles according to the size of the belt. Due to its width, salwars can be lengthened.

Sidewalls are also represented by a rectangle along the length of the entire product. Kali resembles a connected rectangle with a triangle whose vertexcut off, that is, at the top, the dimensions of the coquette, and then one edge gradually tapers to the opposite side. That is, the cali and sidewalls are connected, which are sewn to the yoke. At the same time, several folds are made on Kali. And turn-ups are sewn to the bottom of the pants.

Sewing chudidar, choli

Before you sew an Indian sari, you need to know what to wear it with. Young girls prefer a tunic with chudidar (these are pants that taper from the knee). In fact, they resemble jeans with narrow legs, only there are folds at the waist (almost like riding breeches). Indian tailors cut two parts of the right and left half of the chudidar at once.

This requires a lot of fabric, but it takes less time to sew. Beginning seamstresses can find patterns of trousers with a narrowed leg at the ankle. You just need to change the pattern a little, increasing it by the size of the folds and sew it.

Choli is a blouse with long or short sleeves. In terms of patterns, it is similar to the shirt style, that is, the sleeve has a large length and a small height of the rim. For a top, choose stretchy fabrics or thin cotton. Measurements of the chest, sleeves, shoulders, length of the product, waist will be required. Although there are short tops that end under the bust.

Indian tailors offer patterns in a variety of shapes and cutouts. They are different from the simplistic tee patterns, so the plunging back design fits perfectly.

Summary of results

It is difficult for novice craftswomen to sew Indian saris according to original patterns. A photo of a choli with unusual cutouts confirms professionalismIndian tailors. Please note: despite the different “petal”, “wavy”, “oblique”, “curly” lines, the blouse does not bulge and keeps its shape perfectly.

Therefore, it is better for beginners to find similar models with patterns in Burda: transfer to fabric and sew choli, pants, dresses. For a sari, choose silk, chiffon, organza, satin, satin. To get a rich pattern, use braid, sequins, beads, beads.