Sarisafari

The first model from a beautiful Orissa red ikat pallu and cotton lunghee for the lining. It was amazingly warm. My friend Jude now has it.

Since the last post the jacket population has dwindled! There were a dozen jackets a few weeks ago but people just keep wanting them – half have gone as gifts or sold

In May I A hired a young girl, a graduate in fashion design to sew for me. Boy was that a bad idea. Sewing with sari silks is challenging, as is the gusset placement, which the graduate didn’t grok. She was fun to have around though – I am somehow indebted to her as it made me focus on things. I finally made a few jackets myself, of course they came out alot nicer, and if the jacket costs more it’s because I made it and it is worth more in my opinion!

Also I got to see how the pattern works for a very beginning level seamstress so this is helping me greatly in working out the instructions and tips. A great help recently came from Shelley Muzzy who offered to test the pattern for me. Her recent email said:

“I did take an afternoon and put the cholo together. WOW! What a great garment and what a good pattern! If you follow the directions exactly, it comes together so neat…I especially love the gusset…what a wonderful gusset!!!! Indeed, it does allow easy and excellent arm movement”

Shelley must be a fast seamstress if it only took her an afternoon first of all, but I am very happy to be able to proceed to the final stages of getting the pattern together. I am a perfectionist about these things and so far the instructions are about 12 pages of text. I have to edit it WAY down. I’m also making some line drawings to illustrate some of the finer points, so the pattern production is taking MORE TIME. Sorry.

In the meantime enjoy this half a dozen beauties and snap them up if your budget allows. I am just offering them to cover some of the costs. They are all fantastically wearable and wonderful – made from heavy Benarsi handloom silks. The silks have been washed and are cut from damaged stock. If you are very finicky about things being perfect, don’t bother here. Some of the lining cloth might have small stains or faded spots. The beauty of the textiles transcends any flaws – they are just fabulous. They can be delicately handwashed – but only if you are a very good ironer with a good attitude – and of course can be dry cleaned.

Only Paypal payments are accepted for items for sale on this blog. You can make a payment to melinda@sarisafari.com. Please include your shipping address and 10.70 for a flat rate priority box to get your baby home to you.

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A large size Nepali Cholo in size 44 ‘ that means it fits 42 looser and 46 tighter. Length is 24 inches, sleeve length 22″. This is made from a stunning zari jamovar all-over pattern on a buttery cream ground. The lining is cream with tiny pink paisley butta. This will go with everything, is the perfect evening wear jacket. $92 plus 10.70 shipping.

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Emerald green with plum and zari birds all over the front and lower back. But wait! Fuscia lining with multicolored butta. This is one I made myself and it is reversible. So if you want fuschia one day you can have it. The sleeves have the narrow zari border inside and out. It’s a nice little jacket in medium size 40. That means loose on 38 and tight on 42. The ties allow you to adjust the fit quite a bit. I love this jacket. This is all vintage Benarsi silk. You can have it for $180 plus 10.70 shipping.

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A large size Nepali Cholo in size 44 ‘ that means it fits 42 looser and 46 tighter. Length is 24 inches, sleeve length 22″. This is an iridescent fused with silver zari jamovar in an icey blue with tiny maroon floral accents. The washed silk is heavy, buttery and drapey. The lining is a rich plain teal. This will go with everything, is the perfect evening wear jacket. $92 plus 10.70 shipping.

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Large opulent peacocks adorn the fronts and pieced back of this lovely jacket. The purple is a radiant shot with pink. The lining is a bright light pink with zari peacock buttas. This the kind of lovely matching you can get when you have contrasting colors on a sari. This is one I made myself and it is as pretty on the inside as it is out. The sleeves have the narrow zari border inside and out. It’s a nice little jacket in medium size 40. That means loose on 38 and tight on 42. The ties allow you to adjust the fit quite a bit. I love this jacket. This is all vintage Benarsi silk. You can have it for $180 plus 10.70 shipping.

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Buttery soft shot woven purple ground with dense paisley borders at the hems and collar. Lining is a subtle purple printed silk. I made this one myself and it is fully reversible too – so you get a much more casual look from the inner silk print. This jacket fits medium size 40. That means loose on 38 and tight on 42. The ties allow you to adjust the fit quite a bit. I love this jacket. This is all vintage Benarsi silk. You can have it for $140 plus 10.70 shipping.

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Drop dead gorgeous vintage Benarsi silk with heavy all over zari ornament on a dark maroon ground. I made this one myself and it is pretty! Wide borders adorn the hems and side gussets. The lining is a bright fuscia with zari butta. This is a large size Nepali Cholo in size 44 ‘ that means it fits 42 looser and 46 tighter. Length is 24 inches, sleeve length 22″. You can have it for $180 plus 10.70 shipping.

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The most amazing pallu wtih big pink znd green floral kalga on the fronts, heavy ornament butta sleeves with border. Self lining in black with sparser spaced butta. This is size small to fit size 36″. The jacket will fit 34 loosely and 38 tighter. This cholo is going for $160 plus 10.70 shipping charge.
Please take heed of this recommendation! This crepe black Benarsi jamovar that has an almost Dhakkai type of aesthetic matches this Cholo Perfectly. It has been washed and is ready to make the perfect ensemble with this Cholo. This is an outfit that I have to deliberately not keep for myself. Don’t doubt me on this it is stunning! You can get the sari delivered with the cholo for an additional $100 only if you buy them together. That means $260 plus 10.70 shipping.

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SOLD

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Gorgeous grass green with big orange kalgas and folkloristic bands of ornament in gold and brown. The back is pieced with large ornaments in the center and the underarm gussets are also full of ornament. The lining is a rich teal color. Tee jacket has elbow length sleeves, 14″. This is size small to fit size 36″. The jacket will fit 34 loosely and 38 tighter. This cholo is $160 plus 10.70 shipping charge. SOLD

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Tomorrow I am going to take the bus from PDX to Eugene and ride down past Cottage Grove and up to a friend’s place on a hill overlooking Dorena Lake. The perfect hot day. It will be mid 90s and I will be riding in the heat of the afternoon. What better than a sari to wear!

The drape is made by folding the sari in half lengthwise. Then it is folded about 60/40 of the width. The top border is folded over so now the “top” refers to the fold. Drape the pallu across your left hip and tie and knot at the top and the end of the pallu.

My first try I put the pallu under my choli – a novel idea I think will keep it from flapping in the wind and from having to fuss much with it. Well this little drape lends itself to warm summer rides and since I am wearing my handkint cycling shorts underneath I don’t mind if it is opening in the front.

Messing around with this drape this afternoon I happened on a cool trick. After you secure the closing, you can again wrap the end around your waist and to the front again and then at the center fold of the sari length put your left arm through the two layers of sari and arrange it on your left shoulder.

At some point you will have a twist of the sari cloth where the center fold is. It looks like a flower and the drapey flow of the cloth when you arange it like this is so pretty.
You are putting your left hand through at the top border. This cloth forms a bag at the side too. good place for the trail mix.

There are endless possibilities with these folded drapes – it’s like origami you can put your self into. The doubled sari fabric and then again the doubling at the width on this method makes it opaque enough to wear without petticoat. This is a tant that has an original bomkai pallu. I’ve never seen anything like it again and I hope I can someday find out the story. Well it’s the perfect match to my cycling shorts so off we go!