30/100 Taant is in love with Khadi

30/100

Last day of July. End of a horrible month. We had a retirement party for one of the class 4 staff. Long speeches, gifts, food...it had it all. I wish him well for his future..

I draped this dark blue taant saree with an embroidered khadi blouse. I had bought this blouse piece long time back from Khadi Gramyod Bhavan. My mom stitched the blouse only recently.

Right now everyone seems to be going gaga over Kalamkari blouses. However, give me a Khadi Blouse any time. I can mix and match it with any thing.....

About the saree, my youngest SIL had gone to Kolkata for a Seminar when she was working in C-DOT. She bought taant sarees for all of us. Mine has since disintegrated and this one belonged to mom. As she does not wear dark colours anymore, she gave it to me. I draped it for the first time today. I had planned on wearing a red ikat kurti blouse with it but that blouse turned out to be too loose.

My earrings are bought locally for a pittance.

29/100 Old is Maroon Gold

29/100

Yesterday I had got ready for school draping this saree. Got a lot of messages saying it was a holiday as our most loved president Dr Kalam had passed away the previous day.

Changed back into something casual. However, got a call saying "get to school". I did not drape it again and went to school as I was.

Today I draped it again and counting for 29. Although, I can cheat it for 30!

My mom had bought two such sarees from Odisha, this one and a navy blue one. My SIL has the navy blue one. I have draped this Sambalpuri cotton saree lots of times and loved it every time. I had also stitched a Sambalpuri blouse to match it but that blouse disintegrated long time ago. Today I matched with a handloom blouse.

The highlight of my ensemble was the pair of earrings I had put on. Cane ones, very light weight and bought from Dilli Haat in May 2015. Also I am a no accessory person, most of my colleagues were surprised to see me such earrings.

28/100 Sambalpuri multi-coloured Pasapalli Cotton

28/100

#‎100sareepact‬

Finally the day of Inspection. Not that it causes much worry nowadays after 20 odd years of working. Yet the days leading to it are hectic. We try to complete all our records. I must say, the team was happy with the school. That makes us uplifted. The school I work is very big, in the sense that there are 4300+ girls. And there is always lack of space. For everything. Yet we cope, that too very beautifully.

As I have been draping sarees, I decided to go for something different. A multi-coloured Pasapalli. Nothing like a Sambalpuri. It works for all occasions. I decided to go for a plain green blouse. The body of the saree does not have this colour. I opted for no accessory look. My usual stuff had to work.

I made my mom take a pic in the morning as I knew there won't be any time for that in school today.

27/100 Ganga Jamuna Checked Cotton Saree

27/100

 #100sareepact

Work is very hectic what with Central Team Inspection looming large on 25 July. No time for breathing space.

 I draped this saree to cheer myself up. It is a typical cotton saree from Baripada, Odisha. It belonged to my SIL, and she was on the verge of giving it away. I retrieved it along with two more cotton sarees. It has a Ganga Jamuna border with white, green and orangish checks on the body. A very peppy saree. I matched it with a green handloom blouse with gold border. I got a lot of praise for the same.

 My Jhumkis are from the local market and my silver bracelet is a bought from Mcleodganj, Dharmashala, HP.

26/100 Pink saree on a humid day

26/100

‪#‎100sareepact‬

Funny weather in Delhi nowadays. It rains during the weekends. On weekdays, it rains early in the morning or in the evening. Clouds don't translate into rains though. It gets so humid after the rains. Horrible. July and August are the worst months. Long dreary days and nights.

Past week, I did not drape a saree. Did not feel like. I draped this pink cotton saree today. It is a batik print. Does not seem to be THE real thing but just a print. I bought it some 20 years back, had draped it a few times. I am not much of a pink person but my colleagues told me that the colour suirs me. I accessorised it with my Silver-Turquoise earrings and bracelet.

Photo courtsey: Pooja Dhamija

I seem to have made a funny face in the second photo....

25/100 Red and Green Bandhani Saree

25/100

‪#‎100sareepact‬

A red green bandhani. Belonged to my SIL, Sujata Tripathy. More than 20 years old, I think. She must have draped it 100 times. At home. In those days I had not wished to drape it. She was on verge of giving it away and had kept it aside in her almirah when I retrieved it some 8 years ago, meaning to wear it. I draped it today for the first time. With a ikat blouse. I felt my SIL's love engulf me. She is like that only. So loving and caring.

The real colour has not come out in the picture.

I accessorized it with red green meena work jhumkis bought locally.

24/100 South cotton

24/100

 #100sareepact

 This saree was a Rakhi gift from my second brother. Or should I say SIL? It is a South silk cotton, mauve shade, with checks. The anchal is off white. I have had it for more than 15 years. Not draped til date. I have taken it out many a times but it never got draped.

Today too I draped it with The matching off white blouse. It looked obnoxious. I was on the verge of taking it of when I saw the sleeveless dark blue blouse. Looked like a perfect match to me and I was done.

It was so hectic in school that no time for pics. Just before the school closed, someone took a few pictures. Not so focused but ok. The saree looks blue but it is not. It is MAUVE. No accessories, nothing.....

23/100 Yellow block printed saree with an appliqued anchal

23/100 

#100sareepact 

Bought this saree some 20 years back, along with another one, from a pheriwala who had come to school. Both for Rs 400. I had draped it once before. The other one, a gold taant saree, is yet to be draped. 

Never realised, it was so bright and cheerful. I had forgotten all about its very unusual print too. Very comfortable cotton matched with a plain maroon blouse.

An ordinary saree became special today. Thanks to Ruchi Rawat for the pics. I was working and got up to get the mandatory photos taken for the pact. We are so obssessed, no?

22/100 Sambalpuri Cream Cotton Saree with Red Border

22/100

#100sareepact 

One of those busy, busy work days. Schools reopened for students after summer vacations. Admission for Class XI is still ongoing. 

I was going through my wardrobe and found this saree. A cream saree with red border and greyish black anchal. It looks worn but neither me nor my mom recalled anything about this saree. Where was it bought or if it was gifted? Maybe someday it will all fall into place.

Anyway, finding a forgotten Sambalpuri cotton in cream with red border is not a bad thing. And with a different anchal is even better. I matched a red ikat blouse with it. Only drawback is that the saree is a bit short in length and I could only manage three and a half pleats. I suppose I will have to do something about that.

I got the saree pic taken at the fag end of the working day. Looking so tired and harassed. But the saree pic is a must and that is that!