Me Made May – India week
I didn’t intend this week to be India week, but by Tuesday I noticed that there was a recurring theme, so after that, it became deliberate.
I have bought printed cotton in a number of locations in India and Nepal over the years, most recently at the actual dyeing and block printing works in Gujarat. Cotton is also grown in Gujarat. This is one of the reasons that I wanted to go there.
Whilst the weather has clearly been suitable for wearing all of these Indian fabrics, washing them is a challenge. Unless they have been washed loads of times, and faded a little, they need washing separately, in cold water, by hand, and then I mainly drip them dry outside.
By chance I wore a cotton blouse made from cotton bought in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, last Friday – May 1st. The fabric for the Lottie blouse was bought in the same place. I don’t wear it very often. I don’t like the Lottie neckline, but the fabric is rather nice. And today i had to wear this dress as the fabric was also bought at the same place. I made it 6 years ago.
This blouse gets worn 2 – 3 times a year. I like it a lot. The fabric came from a shop in Kathmandu, ages ago! It definitely needs washing separately.
And the Archer shirt above is made from block printed fabric sourced in Gujarat, and never blogged. I think that the fabric and pattern work very well together. I wear it quite a lot. Maybe I’d wear it even more if I could just chuck it into the washing machine. It works well with this skirt, which, having been made from left over scraps, is getting worn more each year.
Besides the challenge of washing these printed fabrics, they tend to crease quite easily. If I roll up the sleeves, or sit down in the longer garments, it shows for the rest of the day.
But apart from that, the garments are obviously unique and a great way to remember my trips abroad.
A brief note about the blue skirt. Yes, it’s shop bought, at East, sometime in the Noughties I think. It has been so well worn, that it may represent better value than some of my handmade garments. Probably from a similar region of the world to the other garments featured, it is also washed separately!
I wonder what next week will bring – in more ways than just what i will be wearing?
One Week, One Pattern
Me Made May 2016
Me Made May 2015
Simplicity Competition
Sew Over it Patterns
all my own work by ann 