Taking a moment


Thank you so much for all the lovely comments on the finished quilt, I am pleased to finally have a quilt under my belt and would not have managed it without the advice and tips from so many of you. I am sorry to say that I am very behind in replying to comments, the children are still on holiday until Tuesday so time to myself is rare but I am taking some time this afternoon while they are visiting the pantomime.


I hope all of you have enjoyed good times over the last couple of weeks. We had a lovely peaceful Christmas, spent here, just the four of us, perfect. New Year was spent with at dinner with friends, a good evening. In between we attended the wedding of some close friends. It was a wonderful occasion, very emotional as the couple have had a difficult year. We met up with many friends seen too rarely in recent years.

The bride is Sikh and suggested that it would be lovely if the ladies attending could perhaps wear saris? Just try stopping me!! I have always longed to wear a sari, so early December saw the Technical Advisor and I making a trip to Rusholme in Manchester. This was such an experience, the choices are overwhelming, certainly not comparable to a visit to Topshop. Thankfully the staff were very helpful. I sat down in front of a wall of colour while colours were spread across the on cushions in front of me. Once I began to narrow down colours and fabrics I was taken to a mirror to begin draping them across my shoulders. Initially I was somewhat afraid of the bright colours that I was being encouraged to try, after all this was a very grey winter's day in Manchester! However the assistant knew what she was doing and colours that I wouldn't normally go near turned out to be surprisingly flattering. Eventually 3 or 4 where chosen to try and it was upstairs to the fitting room. The assistant upstairs struggled to disguise here giggles when I came out with the blouse back to front and the petticoat upside down! We got that sorted and the draping began. This long piece of fabric was transformed with some deft pleating, the effect is amazing.

The draping of the sari creates such a beautiful silhouette, flattering to every shape, it creates curves where there are none and disguises those that shouldn't be there. The colours are so vibrant and of course a sari is never out of fashion. Admittedly it took some practise the night before the wedding to get it just right but it really isn't that difficult to master and I loved having the opportunity to wear something like this. All the girls at the wedding looked so colourful and elegant in their saris and although stairs proved tricky we all managed to get the hang of dancing in them.

The bride was of course the star of the day, she is gorgeous and such a warm and friendly person, one of those people who light up the room on entering. Her sari was deepest red and encrusted with hand sewn stone and bead work, heavy to wear but so beautiful.

Comments

Stephanie said…
What a wonderful opportunity! Your sari looks stunning. I love the colour you chose.
When I was a child I lived in Fiji for a few years, and I fell in love with saris then. We had a teacher, who, it was rumoured, got all her saris from India rather than locally. And I have to say that even her everyday saris were magical creations.
Cornflower said…
Hello, I've just discovered your site. You have lovely things here - the quilt is superb!
Jenny said…
Your sari and daughter look beautiful.
Alice said…
Really beautiful! It's such a shame our everyday traditional clothes are so drab, isn't it?
Charity said…
I, too, have always longed for a chance to wear a sari. How wonderful! The colour of yours is beautiful, and of course the bride looks amazing. :0)
yvette said…
You look fantastic, I love shopping for fabric in sari shops, its complete colour overload. Have a great New Year.
Anonymous said…
Oh, this is so beautiful, a sari is so very elegant and feminin . I love their bright colours, the beads and the glimmer, things you could never have on European clothes without looking too pompous. I think a sari is a kind of dress in which every woman look (and feel) like a goddess. You are lucky to have had the chance to wear one and to be let into the secret how to drape and wear it. Your colour is gorgeous and I hope there will be more opportunities for you in the future to wear it.
Arianwen said…
I love your sari! Your daughter looks like one of mine only smaller - very strange.
Anonymous said…
Fab ! It is fun to wear a sari - you feel so exotic. My brother's wife is gujerati but ironically when they got married she wanted the full Western white dress deal. The grass is always greener I suppose :0)
Anonymous said…
How lovely that you got to wear a sari too. It is such a beautiful colour.
Anonymous said…
Beautiful sari! And the bride's is gorgeous. I have often admired them because I love silk but I've never worn one, and like you I wouldn't know just how to wear it. I too had a peaceful Christmas break. We have no snow here in Southern Ontario and its as warm as spring.
Anonymous said…
What a fabulous idea. The room would've looked stunning - I can imagine the photos!

And the bride's red sari is spectacular!!
alltangledup said…
oh wow,.. that is just gorgeous!
Anonymous said…
The sari looks so good on you and the colour is lovely. I love the way Sikh brides dress in gold and red and those lovely red bangles too. As I didn't have a traditional sikh wedding I opted for a pink, cream and gold outfit (there might be pic of it in Sept 2006 on my blog). One always feels so dressed up in Indian clothes.

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