Indian-inspired Tunic

Originally I was going to make a 1920s one-hour dress out of this fabric, but as I was sewing I began to see it was more and more unsuitable for the tight, close-fitting silhouette, and would look too fussy with the frills I was thinking of adding. Not to mention, it frayed like the dickens and was generally a nightmare to work with! I got it from Jo-Ann's in Florida, so it holds some special memories for me, so luckily I have enough fabric for another dress if I choose to make something else out of it.

Indian - or other cultural styles - is not something I'd usually wear, but looking at beautiful saris on the internet, and seeing as the cultural week is coming up on the Great British Sewing Bee (so excited!), I thought I'd make my one-hour 20s dress into something more unique to add to my wardrobe. Plus, as I was making it, the addition of hot pink to teal reminded me of those gorgeous saris, and many people whom I showed the garment to said it reminded them of Indian clothing. Now, I don't know much about Indian clothing, so sorry if I've made any mistakes with the style or terminology!

The pattern for this has been self-drafted, using the wonderful Bianca's one-hour 20s dress articles. It ended up a bit smaller than I wanted, as I forgot to add the seam allowance when cutting out (damn), and offers a very close-fitting look.

For styling options, I think I shall wear this with trousers and some brightly coloured jewellery for a casual, summery look. I've been planning to make slinky velvet trousers after seeing Jordan Baker from the Great Gatsby theater production in my town, wearing something similar with a shift dress for that 1920s look. I'm not sure if the combination of teal dotted chiffon and black velvet would be too much though - I'll just have to see. :)