Last step — sewing up the sides, and then it was time to try it on for real — and look, it fits! I guess the measurements I took beforehand were accurate, and I bought the right size pattern for me. It’s a tiny bit loose at the bottom, but that’s very easy to take in further if I want to.
I haven’t hand-sewn the hooks and eyes on yet; I just safety-pinned it to check for fit. I don’t have a plan for this particular blouse, so I may not get to finishing it anytime soon, but it’s a nice neutral grey, and I’m sure it’ll be useful at some point (when I might also add some trim and bling it out a bit).
I’m delighted to have finished sewing a sari blouse, because:
a) it’s a more complex and fitted construction than I’ve sewn before, so I feel like I’ve leveled up
b) saris typically come with a length of fabric for the blouse, which you then take to a tailor to have sewn up — it’s been challenging for years, driving all the way up to the Indian neighborhood to get this done, dropping it off in time before an event, so I can go back and pick it up in time, figuring out details with the tailor who often doesn’t speak much English, etc. It’s going to be SO MUCH EASIER to sew them myself going forward, and for Kavi too, if she ends up wearing saris to things.
So hey, yay. I wish I could explain this to Amma and have her understand — she’d appreciate it, I think. She didn’t do sari blouse sewing, I think, but she used to sew little dresses for me and my sisters when we were small. Ah well.
