Not pirates, a new outfit

Arrgghh! No, it's not pirates, it's computers...sometimes my little laptop is out to get me!

So, instead of instructions for a traditional salwar kameez tunic, I will show what I've cut out and started sewing on for our trip to India this summer.

I love the fabric

and want to make this top out of it. I have cut the top with sleeves and a bit longer. I have also cut the V-neck higher.

Then I plan to make plain black salwar pants. I'm not sure what I'll use to make the dupatta (scarf).

Something to wear in India!

Salwar Kameez

Well, I had to stop sewing on my unknown-provenance-vintage-dress-pattern dress to start sewing on some clothing for our trip to India.

Each year we (my family) goes to northern India. We trek in the Himalayan mountains.

Last year, I stitched a quick salwar-kameez outfit together--much too quickly, as I didn't put in the gussets on the kameez top. Bad mistake! the seams tore a bit under the arms, so now I'm going back and putting in some gussets, like so:

I'm also going to put in some handmade binding around the neck and the sleeves for a bit of fancying-up:

I love to wear these outfits! They are so comfortable and yet so feminine. I have several that I wear to church and out & about.

I'm working on writing up a lesson on making the traditional kameez top, with gussets. I have used the Folkwear pattern in the past, but I don't like how the neckline and shoulder seams are made. It just doesn't turn out very well.

You can find a tutorial on making the salwar pants (the churidar style, which is tight-legged from the knee on down to the ankle) on Burdastyle.com. Look under How-Tos for churidar leggings. If you like the more traditional type bottoms, which are baggy all the way to the ankles, I can make up a lesson for those too. I have used another Folkwear pattern for the traditional salwar pants, which I really do like! Way comfortable!

Folkwear Pattern #119 Sarouelles

An unknown vintage pattern

I am falling in love (well, extreme like) of old sewing patterns. Currently, I am trying to sew a dress from a pattern I found in an antique store--for 50 cents!!-- in Waxahachie (pronounced Wox-ah-hatch-ee), Texas. The downtown square is such vintage Texana!

Anyhow, I'm trying to sew up this vintage pattern. It seems that older patterns have no markings on the pattern pieces (just some hole-punched...well...HOLES) and scanty how-tos. After working on the bodice, I figured out that the first two steps of the instructions were for the collar-less version--and I wanted a collar. So rip, rip, rip and start over!

Then, nothing but "put in collar". Well, what was this little piece that was obviously a facing of some sort? Pulling out my sewing books, and searching the web for collar instructions, I finally got the collar on the dress. Looks pretty good, don't you think?

BTW, I have no idea how old this pattern is. The pattern number is 3448, but it did not come with a pattern envelope, and I can't find anything on the pattern or instructions to help me figure out its age.

Here's a pic--can anyone help? Thanks in advance!

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