How to Stitch an 'A'-line Kurti

This tuorial is on making an "A"-Line Kurti. It is very easy and the draft pattern is quite similar to that of a straight-cut kameez/kurti except for that it widens as we move down and has a flare.  

You can find the drafting in this tutorial. You should note that here, the width AB is (hip + 3"). Hip measurement would be as mentioned in the above tutorial (RS). Take extra 1" along the whole length as seam allowance.

If you would like to give the bottom a curve shape as I've done, then you should mark C as  the midpoint of AB and also BD = 3". Join the points making a curve. YOu can therwise simply go with the straight pattern as it is also equally popular.

The edges of the sides can either be closed or left often as a slit. Further steps are similar to the one in the kameez sewing tutorial. 

Happy sewing!!

How to sew kali Salwar / Panel Salwar

Hey Sewaddicts!! Time to learn something new! So, in this tutorial we're gonna learn how to make a panel pyjama/ kali salwar. Okay! easy.. Don't worry.. its really simple. You will find the drafting method for a kali salwar in my earlier post. So, in this tutorial we will see the cutting & sewing parts.

CUTTING:

  

After cutting the waist piece you have to cut the center piece. 

Open the full width of the fabric. 

First, fold the fabric into half its width (that is AB is 2 layers). 

Again fold the fabric half width-wise that is fold A over B or such that C mid point of the AB. 

Now you have got 4 layers of the fabric. 

On this folded fabric, Mark the required length of the salwar part (here, this required length is = salwar full length minus waist piece length) +1" (Figure Salwar center piece Cutting 1) 

Salwar center piece Cutting 1

Cut the center piece according to the length Fig .2.

Fig 2

Open the second fold that is "C".  You have got 2 center pieces (2 layers) that is AB.

Cut along the fold that is A A (fig.1). Separate the 2 cut layers. The fig 3 shows the two centre pieces.

Fig 3 Center pieces

Now, for the side pieces the length would be same as that you took for the center piece and width would be half the width of the fabric. Draw a line across the corners as Fig 4 and cut it along the line. Fig 5.

Side pices/kali

Fig 4

Fig 5

 you have got 4 kalis  Place the kalis one over the other. Fig 6.

Fig 6

 Mark the crotch length and draw curves for the crotch and the inner side of the kali as shown in the fig. 7 and cut along these curves. (Figure 8)

Fig7

fig 8. kali

 Fig 9 shows the waist pieces, ankle fabric and facings.

Fig 9

  Fig.10 shows all the kali salwar pieces after cutting. Now that we are done with the cutting part, let's move on to the stitching part.

 fig 10 kali salwar  pieces

STITCHING

Facing - bottom opening (The ankle part)  

Take a strip of fabric with width as (double the width of the interface you are going to attach  +1") and its length would be (1/2 of ankle circumference) or  (the width of center piece in Fig 1)

Fig 1

Take the interface (with width as 1/2 width of facing(as in the step above) and length being the same as the facing). As in fig 2, place the interface on the wrong side of the facing and cover it.

                                                 

Fig 2

Attach the interface to the right side of the center piece at the bottom (that is where your ankle part would be) and stitch the two together. The pins in fig.3 indicate the seam line.

                                                                              

Fig 3 attaching interfacing

 After attaching and stitching, turn the interfacing towards the wrong side of the center piece. Next, top stitch on the right side (fig 4).                                           

Fig 4

Stitch the other edge of the facing (which is towards the wrong side) again onto the wrong side as in Fig 5. Now you have 2 parallel seam lines - one each over each edge of the facing.

                                           Fig 5

                                       

Create rows of top stitching with either a straight stitch (as i have done in this picture below) or any other decorative stitch of your choice.

Fig 6

Now lets move onto the main salwar part. Keep the side pieces/the kalis on each side of the centre piece respectively lengthwise and sew. Do the same for the other side too. 

Fig 7 joining the center and side pieces 

 After having finished joining of the pieces together, it should look as in the figs 8,9.

Fig 8 finished joining the kali

Fig 9

After that, sew the crotch part, attach the waist piece to the leg/salwar pieces all the way creating frills. For rest of the finishing process, you will find the instructions here in this tutorial.

So, there you are... done with kali salwar/ panel pyjama. It is a very trendy dress. It is very popular in 

India as a casual wear. You can pair it up with a short/long kurti or even a t-shirt. (It looks cool with a t-shirt.!!) I hope this tutorial would be of great help to you. For any queries and doubts or requests, please comment below.. and keep waiting for other interesting easy-to-learn tutorials..

How to Make a Simple Salwar - Part 3 - Sewing

Hey folks!  In my earlier post I showed  how to cut the pattern. (& here's the first part - drafting)

Continuing the simple salwar making series, here's the third part - the sewing. So, lets start. 

  

First take the waist piece, if the waist piece circumference is not enough, attach extra fabric which is sufficient for your waist. 

Finally, you acquire the waist measurement, that is your actual waist size +6" or 7" that means if your waist is 40 you'll get 46" or 47".

After that, the two raw edges (circumference) are sewn together, the fig 1 shows the waist piece/belt. 

                                                                          Fig 1 waist belt

  For casing, the upper raw edge of the belt will be folded 1/2" inside.  Again fold 1" on the wrong side, that means it will be folded twice and the edge will be secured with top stitch. Fig 2.

fig 2

To insert the draw string, open the seams in the center where you sew the sides together. The fig 3 shows the detail.

fig 3 waist belt casing

For facing, take a strip of fabric which should be the length of the ankle measurement as I have mentioned in the drafting tutorial. The width of this strip would be double of the width you  want  +1" seam allowance (if the width is 1", then you take 3" when you fold  the strip 1 1/2" one side,) 

Place the facing in half, at the ankle length, right side to right side and stitch down. Fig 4 shows the seam line.  

fig. 4

After attaching facing fold it inwards and then top stitch along the fold on the right side.  Fig 5.

fig. 5

Stitch along the lower edge of the facing  where the pins have been pinned. fig 6. & fig 7 show right side.

fig 6

fig 7

Finish  with straight line seams the along the ankle length as in fig 8. the yellow and/or blue line seams are then sewed over the straight line seams.            
                         

fig 8

     Now keep aside the waist belt. Sew the right leg and left leg salwar pieces,  right sides of  crotch together. Front and back crotch are sewn separately.  Check out fig 9.

                                                                Fig 9 crotch attaching 

 fig 10 shows  attachment of  the crotch.

Fig 10

Keep the waist belt in equal portion for front & back and mark it.
Attach  the waist belt front  mark to  front  crotch  right side to right side and pin it front and back separately. fig 11 indicates the joined pieces.  From there, you sew the belt and leg portion together by facing right sides together and  keeping pleats all throughout ( as shown in Fig 12 & 13 )  up to the back crotch portion. Continue in the same way for the other leg portion up to the front. Keep in mind that the pleats should be in equal width for  both the legs and  must be facing each other.

FIG 11

Fig 12         

fig 13

You can clearly understand this through the figures are 14 and 15.    

Fig 14

Fig 15

  Stitch the top stitch on the right side  after your finishing to attach the waist belt to the salwar leg portions, as fig 16.

fig 16

join the leg portions from one ankle to the other ankle by joining the crotch along the seam line by keeping right sides together (Figures 17 and 18).

Fig 17

Fig 18

Insert the draw string throw the casing. as in Fig 19, 20.

Fig 19

FIG 20

So, the finished salwar would look like the ones in Figures 21, 22       

Fig 21

Fig 22.