41/100: Block Printed Kalaamkari...Repeating 21/100

41/100

#100sareepact 

Have been out of circulation due to network problem. Also my eldest brother is visiting us from Bangalore. Life seems to be good despite no net. Who needs it when one is re-bonding with a sibling? We also celebrated his birthday here. Mom is one happy person. 

School is hectic too. I draped a saree after a week. A repeat for the pact but totally new in school. I bought this block printed Kalamkari from Nalli. Paired it with a handloom blouse from Andhra Emporium. My accessories are my usual platinum studs/earrings from Tanishq and Silver bangles from Cottage Emporium.

I was also wearing stone studded anklets but those were not visible to anyone.

40/100 Rusted Chiffon

40/100

#100sareepact 

Independence Day. So many things to say but nothing comes out. Maybe because, it overwhelms us to think about our freedom fighters. Maybe because, just because....

We celebrated it in the Central Park of our Apartments. Flag hoisting, patriotic sings by kids, speeches by adults. And catching up with each other.

What did I do? Draped this Garden Vareli orange/rust chiffon with a embroidered Khadi blouse. It kind of goes with the colours of the Tricolour. And I really don't need excuses to drape a saree. Not any more..

Happy Independence Day, my friends....

39/100 Checked Saree: Repeating 27/100

39/100

#100sareepact 

In Delhi schools, Independence Day is celebrated on 14th August. We have cultural events lined up for the day. We, teachers make an effort to dress up in the colours of our flag. It is any one colour or all colours of the Tricolour. Our clothes are pre-decided as we repeat the same every year for Republic Day and Independence Day. We all know about who is going to wear what and it does not bother us.

I usually drape a white Kasavu with orange border with a green handloom blouse. No surprises there. 

Keeping that in mind, I repeated one of my sarees of the pact. ( 27/100. It is 100 days, not 100 sarees, right?) It has all the colours of the flag and goes well with the spirit of the week. 

I paired it with the same green handloom blouse and accessorised it with Silver earrings bought from Fabindia yesterday, their Anusuya range. I fell in love with the earrings and had to buy!

BTW, I couldn't watch the programmes as I was very busy otherwise, although I could hear it loud and clear. The photo are taken at the fag end of the school day in a corridor with four of my tricolour hued colleagues....

38/100 Soft Printed Cotton

38/100

27 years back, my mom and dad were travelling to Bhubaneswar. The worst happened and all their luggage was stolen despite travelling first class. From Bhubaneshwar, they went to Buguda by bus, my dad's native place, where my grandmother lived. (She refused to live in Delhi permanently with us). 

Now, not having any clothes, except for the ones they were wearing, they had no other option except for buying clothes from shops near the bus stand. 

My mom bought two simple sarees, printed cotton ones. She draped one saree only once and the other one disintegrated after many drapings. (She bought more sarees in the ensuing days)

Today I draped that remaining saree, bought near the bus stand. I found it in her wardrobe, while sorting through it, on Sunday. I told her to give it away as both of us preferred Sambalpuris or other handlooms nowadays. Last night I was looking for a saree to drape and I don't know what made me look at it. I picked it up and decided to drape it. It is very soft to touch and easy to drape.

Today in the morning, I changed my blouse thrice as the previous two did not suit the saree. This off white blouse with gold border in the sleeves was a perfect match. BTW, the blouse was a plain one. My mom stitched the gold border on the sleeves. 

My colleagues are used to seeing me draping sarees and don't say much. However, today many came and told me what a beautiful saree!

Needless to say, this saree will not be given away.

37/100 Pista Green Bomkai

37/100

We chose Saturday for the National Handloom day meet for Dilliwalas. It was a very humid day but commitment is commitment, right? And Dilli Haat, INA is a great venue. I invited a colleague of mine, Sushila Gupta and she accepted. She is not a part of the pact but as she drapes sarees all the time, I thought it was only apt to invite her. 

We really enjoyed. Shopping was not in our agenda although a few did shop. We browsed around. Fooled around. And got ourselves photographed by a lady who was impressed to see us in sarees. Except for one more female, we were the only ones in sarees. 

The best part is, we all gelled. I know Ritu from my school days. I loved meeting Alka Selot Asthana, Rema Srinivas Kamath and the ultimate child, Radhika Rathi. All were in handloom sarees.

I draped a pista grey-green cotton Bomkai with maroon border and anchal. It is another one from my mom's collection. I paired it with a handloom blouse from Nalli. Accessories. ....Pearl jhumkis from FABINDIA and a silver filigree bracelet gifted by my mom....

36/100 Bottle Green Sambalpuri

36/100

#100sareepact 

It was not a saree draping day. Horrible weather and no electricity in school most of the day. I couldn't wait to get home and change my saree. Draping sarees for 5 days in a row is too much even for the likes of me. And tomorrow too, I am planning to drape a saree!!

In the last two periods, I was like, what is happening? 

This saree belongs to my mom and is a much draped one. A Sambalpuri with floral patterns and paisleys and temple border not so common. I think most of the "not so usual" Sambalpuris we have, are due to my second mamaji. Whenever my mom visited Cuttack, and wanted to shop, he used to take her to all those shops which kept only exclusive stuff. She used to buy two, for herself and me. And my mamaji also gifted a saree or two. Now, no one remembers if mom bought this saree or was gifted. I have always loved her in it and got to drape it today for the first time.

Paired it with a printed maroon blouse. There are tiny multi coloured hearts all over the blouse. What else, but pearl earrings!

One great saree to celebrate the National Handloom Day...

35/100 Batik print cotton

5/100

#100sareepact

As it had been horrible the day before, I had decided not to drape a saree today. But I had a change of mind. 

I had bought this saree some 20 years back from the Exhibition in C R Park. It is a very soft cotton, batik print. I had draped it a few times.

My saree is NOT handloom but my embroidered Khadi blouse is! Counting it towards a handloom wear leading up to August 7.

A few years ago, I told mom to give it away along with a few others as I was not going to drape sarees any more. My mom being mom, knows me better that I do myself. She simply kept those sarees away from my eyes. When I started this pact, she quietly returned the "give away" to my wardrobe!

Mix and matched with a Khadi blouse. My mom is a wizard, she fixed that blouse such that it fits me again after many many years....

34/100 Pista Shade Dhakai

34/100

#100sareepact 

Today is one of the worst days of August. So humid. I was, for once, in a starched saree and felt pretty uncomfortable for most of the time in school.

This Beige-Pista shade cotton handloom saree belongs to my mom. It is a Dhakai saree and was gifted to mom by her younger sister. It has booties all over and anchal is very pretty. I have eyed this saree for a while now and finally got around draping it. 

Paired it with an Andhra handloom blue ikat blouse. 

Photo credit: Pooja Dhamija / Sushma Mahajan

33/100: Coimbatore cotton

33/100

#100sareepact 

Draping a saree no longer seems like a chore. Now I automatically reach for a saree. I look for comfort and find that in soft cottons. And when I drape my mom's sarees, it is like being wrapped in her love. I feel good whole day long.

My saree is a Coimbatore cotton characterised by the typical 'plain body , relatively small borders and rich heavy thread worked pallu' . The saree is finer than its Kanjivaram or Chettinad sisters , as its woven in finer count yarns . The motifs are achieved using slightly heavier yarn to get that raised dobby effect .. 

It belongs to my mom. But it is a handloom. The aanchal and the border are very good. I find the colour very soothing. One thing that I noticed today that the patli portion has lines. The body has booties all over. 

Blouse is handloom from another saree. And jhumkis bought from local market.

Photo credit: One of my students

32/100: Madras Checks

32/100

#100sareepact 

August 7, 2015 is National Handloom Day. I have decided to drape only cotton handloom sarees for the next five days.

I can't think of draping anything heavy in this horrendous Delhi weather. So you are going to see very light cotton sarees, maybe even bordering on the ordinary.

I visited Bangalore in August 2013 to celebrate my eldest brother's birthday and Rakshabandhan. I and my SIL used to go shopping everyday of my stay. At that time, I had a saree phobia and was into casuals only. I did not buy any saree for myself but we bought sarees for my mom. 

My mom is into cotton handlooms and drapes only unstarched sarees. (I have inherited that particular trait). My SIL bought two sarees from Tamilnadu Emporium. A Madras check and another one with tiny checks. Both in different shades of green.

I am draping that Madras check saree with another of my khadi blouses. As I woke up late, I had no time to accessorize. The rings you see in the pictures are my daily wear. I never take them off.

31/100 Garden Vareli Maroon Georgette

31/100

Today I deviated from my usual. Draped a plain Georgette. Nothing special about this Garden Vareli saree. I bought such sarees when I started working. Both in printed and plain. I used to drape those sarees with contrast blouses.....mostly printed ones.

Today I have matched the blouse in the exact shade of the saree, a rarity for me. I accessorized with tiny meena-work jhumkis bought locally.

My saree was a huge success.