Man, it took a heck of a lot longer to make this skirt than I thought it would. And I’m still not finished — have to hem the lining. Tomorrow, though, because I’m beat.
Aouda’s skirt in the solid grey part of the sari looks beeeeeeeyoooouuuutiful. So much better than using it as an overskirt. However, it was more full than I’d expected, and pleating it all into the waistband was a bitch. Couldn’t get the pleats even from the sides to the back, but fuck it, it’s good enough for government work. (Why no, I’m not a perfectionist, how could you tell?)
I lined the skirt in black satin for weight and because the grey sari was rather sheer. Lining was a good idea, but made for double the work (more seams, lotsa basting). Oy, the basting.
Speaking of which, I hand-basted the pleats (I learned during Cosi Fan Tutte that this is very helpful even if it breaks my cardinal rule of Least Hand-Sewing Evah). I ran the thread over a candle (in lieu of beeswax, which I’ve never thought to use), and that reduced the usual tangling immensely. Only got 2-3 easy-to-remove knots, as opposed to the knot-every-other-stitch I got before. Thanks to Rachel for the suggestion!