Odisha Handloom Cotton Saree Steel Blue Lily Border

A light sheer handloom cotton saree from Odisha with a cream slub textured body a dense border of steel blue lilies and trailing vines running its length small blue butis scattered across the field and paisley motifs gathering near the pallu which ends in hand knotted cream tassels The cloth itself gives the handloom away Hold it to the light the sheer ground shows tiny slubs and gentle unevenness in the yarn powerloom cloth is uniformly flat because mill spun yarn has no character to show Look closely at two lilies side by side their scale and spacing shift slightly from repeat to repeat the trace of threadwork done motif by motif rather than stamped in one pass Flip the border over and you will see the coloured threads carried between flowers on the reverse a printed border is blank on the back with colour sitting only on the surface Odisha s cotton weavers work on pit looms and frame looms in family workshops where the figured borders are built up thread by thread as the cloth grows A saree like this carries days of that slow accumulation which is exactly why no two are alike A graceful pick for office wear summer daytime events or quiet festive mornings Pair with a navy or white blouse and silver jewellery for a cool understated look