72/100: Sambalpuri Ikat Grey Brown Cotton Saree

72/100

#100sareepact

#maakisaree

After my dad passed away in 2002, Maa lost all interest in buying anything for herself. I and my SILs get her sarees all the time and she drapes those. Her siblings too gift her lots of sarees. Mostly they gift her Sambalpuris as they all live in Odisha. 

In the beginning of Nov, I and maa had visited Utkalika. She loved this saree as soon as she saw it and bought it. After 13 long years she bought a saree for herself. She did the fall and piko too, all by herself. Draped it for Diwali. 

Today, I borrowed it from her and draped it with this woollen blouse which also belongs to her. I don't know if it looks good or not but I was nicely warmed the whole time I was in school. Accessorised with Silver earrings from Fabindia.....

New saree, new memories.....all so good.......

71/100: Art Silk Beige Saree with peacock motifs

71/100

#100sareepact #maakisaree 

My love for Sambalpuri ikats comes from my maa. She owns a lot of such stuff and she has gifted me a lot of the stuff......sarees, dress materials, dupattas and handkerchiefs. 

I have seldom looked for ikats from other states. My world started with Sambalpuris and I was happily going about it. It is not that I did not own pochampallis or patolas. I just did not think much about those. 

Then came this saree pact. I got to know about it from one of my close friends who lives in Florida. He sent me a link about this in late April. And the rest they say is history! Ally Matthan and Anju Maudgal Kadam brought in that change which maa hadn't been able to do. I got out all my sarees and hers as well, bought a lot too and started draping those with mixing and matching blouses. 

Learnt about weaves, about different kind of drapes, and most important made friends through this pact. I also met a few saree pacters who became friends for life. Need I say more?

Bonding through sarees......now that is amazing in this day and age of so called convenient wear....

My jeans and capris are languishing.....

Today I draped maa's saree. An Art silk gifted to her by my second SIL. The pallu and border have peacock motifs. And body has hand embroidery. I am wearing the matching blouse of this saree. Very unusual for me.

Accessorized with cane earrings bought from Dilli Haat...

70/100: Yellow Printed Silk from U P Handlooms

70/100

#100sareepact

Yesterday my FB account was temporarily locked just after posting 69/100. For no reason whatsoever. I sent them numerous mails via support Inbox but did not get an reply. I submitted an ID to get my account unlocked. I was thinking it would take a few days but my account was available to me after a few hours. Those few hours were horrible.

We are so dependent on social media....For a while I thought it was lost to me forever. I had posted about it yesterday. Today, what do I see? Someone commenting that Facebook must have got tired seeing my never ending posts. Do I need such people as friends? 

I have already lost a blog to cyber space. I can't even begin to tell you what I went through. I had subscribed to my own blog in Google Reader. And therefore, could retrieve my posts but I lost all comments, links, contacts etc. I had to rebuild all that from my google reader subscriptions. I used to back up my blog quite regularly but nowadays I don't do it.

This saree must be 25+ years old when I was studying. Yellow Printed Silk, soft and easy to wear. I had bought it from U P Handlooms. I have matched a Magenta handloom blouse from Nalli. Accessorized with my regular gold jewellery.....

69/100: Grey and green Half and Half Cotton Handloom from Nalli

69/100

#100sareepact

#oldnewsaree

I will keep away from ikats for sometime.  I am going to take out different kind of sarees. I do have a few of those although I gravitate towards Sambalpuri ikats.

This saree is Cotton handloom from Nalli with pretty border and buties all over the body.  Half and half, grey and oilve green. It was a gift from my youngest SIL, a few years back. I draped it today without a fall! Matched it with a readymade Kalamkari blouse. Accessorised with my gold jewellery....

68/100: Green Black Sambalpuri Ikat

68/100

#100sareepact

Delhi Govt had declared a holiday for Chhatt Puja today. As usual I was in my disreputable capris, faded tee and also had oiled my hair.

I asked my mom if she would like to visit the Trade Fair in Pragati Maidan. I wanted to take her in Business hours when there is less crowd. She was not  keen. I asked if we shd go to Moments Mall in Kirti Nagar. She agreed.

Now I got out a saree and she was like...are you mad? I told her either I was going in the clothes I was wearing or drape a saree. So here I am draping this Sambalpuri ikat I had bought for mom for Mother's Day this year. Paired it with a magenta handloom blouse from Nalli. I made a jooda so that my hair does not look chipku chipku...sticky.

I draped this Sambalpuri Ikat which I had bought for Maa for Mother's Day this year. Paired it with a Magenta handloom blouse from Nalli. Maa to draped a Sambalpuri Ikat. I am yet to drape that...

67/100: Maroon Cotton from Cooptex

DIWALI

67/100

#100sareepact #giftoflove

My saree, a gift from Upma Bedi ma'am. Maroon Cotton with a purple gold border. Paired it with a gold brocade blouse and gold jewellery.

Maa is draping a Sambalpuri cotton. I had gifted it to her for mother's day this year. Of course, I will drape it too....

Lots of stories but who is gonna read those on Diwali?! 

Have a safe Diwali, friends....

66/100: Yellow South Silk with Thin Border

66/100

#100sareepact 

Come any festival, I miss my eldest brother. He is one of those forgetful and serious persons. However, with abundance of love and goodies. When he was studying in IIT, Delhi, he used to save from his scholarship and give it me. Even when he went to IIT, Madras for M.Tech, he made sure I had funds! 

It was kind of unwritten pact that none of us would tell our parents about it. When he started working, it was like bonanza for me! He was not much for shopping but if I asked him to accompany me, he did that with immense patience. 

Fast forward......he got married......and I got a SIL who has continued the tradition. She gifts me all kinds of stuff although my brother still dolls out money to me. Not that I need any of it. It is not about gifts any more. It is about caring, sharing and affection. 

I still argue with my brother and at times we don't even speak to each other. But I know, he is always there to listen to me. I am hot-headed and impulsive. He is cool and calm.
I call him at all odd hours if I am upset and he simply listens to me. Only after I get it all, out, he slowly demolishes my anger by his rationality. 

In this materialistic world, it is siblings bond that only matters. Everything else is zilch. I am grateful that I have three siblings. Wouldn't trade that for anything. My bonus is, I got three sisters too, via them...what more do I wish for?

Oh, I forget! Three nieces and two nephews.....

Now, why I miss my eldest brother on festivals? Because, he made sure all of us got together. Now.....it doesn't happen that way....

Today, we had lunch at my youngest brother's place. 

I had draped a saree to school. I did not change that. A yellow saree with thin red gold border and somewhat ikat aanchal. Paired it with a mix and match blouse bought locally. Saree was a gift from my second SIL long time back. I drape this saree once a year. Accessorised with gold hoops.....