Wool Sari Refashion

I found a couple of beautiful, used, lightweight wool saris that I wanted to repurpose the fabric from. The first of the two is a lovely dull magenta with accents of gold, teal, and ultramarine.

I decided to use my vintage Simplicity 4220 pattern from 1953, which I used for my black and white sundress last year. I’ve reworked the grading I did on the pattern originally with a proper Small Bust Adjustment (SBA). I ended up feeling like the fit was off after wearing my dress last year a couple of times, so I did my research and ended up with a SBA, which has eliminated the bust dart all together, leaving just the pleats at the waist for shaping.

I used the different pattern on the end of the sari as well as the edge design to create the collar, placket and cuffs. I wanted to feature all of the beautiful elements from the original fabric.

I was even able to create a gold belt out of the very edge stripe of one side with some careful cutting.

The fabric was difficult to work with, as it is a looser weave and likes to shift out of shape as you work with it.

This wool is light enough to wear in summer, and breathable since it is a natural fabric. And the floaty movement of the dress is fantastic, it feels like you are wearing gauze.