For our worked-example woman: hip 40 in (101.5 cm), seated rise 11 in (28 cm); salwar length 38 in (96.5 cm) and mohri 14 in (35.5 cm); for the churidar, waist to knee 23 in, knee to ankle 15 in, knee 15 in, calf 14 in, ankle 9 in.

To scale: use your own hip, rise and length in the same formulas. The salwar needs two rows of panel length on 44 in cloth; very large hips may need a third. The churidar needs about two bias lengths; lay your pattern out on paper first (Module 2, How much fabric to buy).

From Indian drafts: salwar, kali and Patiala, unchanged. The panel length includes the nefa and hem; add 1/2 in (1.3 cm) seam allowance to the long edges and the asan curve.

1. Panel length = 38 + 2 in nefa + 1 1/2 in hem = 41 1/2 in (105.5 cm).
2. Panel top = H/4 + 2 in = 12 in (30.5 cm); outer edge straight.
3. Asan depth = seated rise + 2 in = 13 in (33 cm).
4. Extensions: front 2 in (5 cm), back 3 in (7.5 cm); raise the back panel top 1 in (2.5 cm) at the centre, sloping to nothing at the side.
5. Crotch curve: inner edge straight down 11 in, then curve out to the crotch point, 1 1/2 in (4 cm) from the corner.
6. Panel hem 5 1/2 in (14 cm); straight inseam from the crotch point.
7. Kali (cut 2): 41 1/2 in long, 10 in (25.5 cm) at the top, 3 in (7.5 cm) at the hem.
8. Check: mohri 5 1/2 + 5 1/2 + 3 = 14 in; each leg’s top 12 + 12 + 10 = 34 in; about 68 in (173 cm) gathers onto the nada.

Salwar cuts vary from tailor to tailor and region to region; this is one common layout. A D&D teacher checks the figures before you rely on them.

1. Pre-wash and press. Lay the cloth single layer, right side up.
2. Row 1: two front panels side by side, turned over for a left and a right, with the two kalis top-to-tail beside them. About 39 in (99 cm) of the width is used.
3. Row 2: the two back panels, again a left and a right. Cut the nada strips from the space beside them.
4. Mark the asan notches (one front, two back), the nefa and hem folds, and an “F” or “B” on each panel’s wrong side.

The order is from Order of construction: jeans, salwar and churidar.

1. Kalis to panels. On each leg, sew the kali’s long edges to the outer edges of a front panel and a back panel, narrow end at the hem. French seams on fine cloth; on firmer cloth, plain seams overlocked. Check: top and hem edges level.
2. Inseams. Front panel to back panel, crotch point to hem. Finish.
3. Crotch seam. One leg inside the other, inseams matched; sew from the back top to the front top; double-stitch the lower curve; finish.
4. Nada holes at the centre front of the outer nefa layer, interfaced (as in Project 4).
5. Nefa. Press 1/4 in under, fold 1 3/4 in inside, and stitch all round close to the lower fold.
6. Try on with the nada threaded. Check: the gathers sit evenly, the asan is comfortable sitting on the floor, the mohri passes over the foot and sits at the ankle.
7. Mohri. Press 1/4 in then 1 1/4 in and stitch; or edge it with lace or piping; or gather it into an ankle band (Hems: turn-ups, churidar ankles, raw edges and growth hems).
8. Finish: spread the gathers, add latkans if wanted, press.

The draft

From Indian drafts: churidar on the bias and kurta pyjama, unchanged. Extra length for the gathers: 12 in (30.5 cm), for about six to eight rings.

1. Fold on the true bias: bring the cut edge down to lie along the selvedge. The 45° fold is the outer leg.
2. Top: 2 in (5 cm) for the nefa above the waistline.
3. Waist width from the fold = H/4 + 1 1/2 in = 11 1/2 in (29 cm); raise the back half 1 in (2.5 cm) at the centre back.
4. Asan depth = seated rise + 1 1/2 in = 12 1/2 in (32 cm); extension 2 1/2 in (6.5 cm); width at the crotch line 14 in (35.5 cm) folded; curve through 1 1/2 in (4 cm) from the corner.
5. Knee 23 in (58.5 cm) below the waistline: (knee + 2 in) ÷ 2 = 8 1/2 in (21.5 cm) folded.
6. Below the knee: 15 + 12 = 27 in (68.5 cm). Calf point 13 in below the knee: (calf + 1 1/2) ÷ 2 = 7 3/4 in (19.5 cm). Ankle: (ankle + 1) ÷ 2 = 5 in (12.5 cm): mohri 10 in (25.5 cm).
7. Total cut length = 2 + 23 + 27 = 52 in (132 cm).
8. Ankle opening: the 10 in mohri is less than the 12 1/2 in heel-to-instep, so mark a 4 in (10 cm) opening at the lower end of the inseam, with 3/4 in (2 cm) allowance for the hooks and facing.
9. Seam allowance 1/2 in (1.3 cm) on the inseam and crotch; generous on the inseam (3/4 in, 2 cm) if you want room to adjust at the fitting.

Layout

1. Fold the cloth on the true bias and lay the pattern’s fold line on the cloth fold. Cut.
2. Cut the second leg the same way from the next section, with the fold running in the same direction, so both legs stretch alike.
3. Keep the leftover triangles for bias piping or a dupatta edging.

Step by step

From Order of construction: jeans, salwar and churidar.

1. Stay-stitch the waist and crotch edges lightly, 3/8 in (1 cm) from the edge; the bias stretches. Fuse stay tape along the ankle-opening allowances.
2. Machine-baste the inseams (above the ankle opening) and the crotch seam.
3. Fitting: she tries it on with the nada tied. Pin the leg close along the calf and ankle, leaving the extra length to bunch into rings above the ankle. Check: she can sit and bend the knee; the rings fall evenly, not all on one side.
4. Stitch the fitted seams with a very narrow zigzag (width 0.5–1 mm, length 2.5 mm) so they stretch with the bias and do not snap. Double-stitch the crotch.
5. Finish the seams: overlock or zigzag; French seams are too stiff on bias legs.
6. Nada holes and nefa, as for the salwar.
7. Hang the churidar for a day; the bias drops and narrows.
8. Ankle: face or turn the opening allowances, sew 8 small hooks on one side and thread loops on the other, about 1/2 in (1.3 cm) apart; or set a small zip. Hem the ankle 1/2 in (1.3 cm), or bind it with a bias strip.
9. Press lightly; do not flatten the rings.

Teacher to check: churidar fitting is a hands-on skill, and studios vary the extra length and the ankle finish.

1. Join the kali to the front panel first, on both legs, before the back; it is easier to keep left and right straight.
2. Gather a salwar with the nada, not with gathering stitches: the gathers can then move to suit the body.
3. Find the true bias by folding a square corner of the cloth so the cut edge lies on the selvedge; check with a set square.
4. Cut both churidar legs with the same bias direction; opposite biases twist in opposite ways.
5. Use a fine needle (70/10) on rayon and mulmul.
6. Thread loops are softer than metal eyes against the ankle.
7. Hang the churidar from the nefa with weights (clothes pegs) at the ankles overnight before the final finish.
8. Professionals fit churidars on the customer at the baste stage; a dress form cannot show the rings.
9. The kali saves cloth: laid top-to-tail, two kalis fill the space beside two panels. Keep the rule in mind when you design.
10. Piping at the mohri from the churidar’s leftover bias triangles makes a matched set.

The salwar gathers bunch at the front

1. Pull the gathers towards the back and sides along the nada.
2. Stitch through the nefa at the side seams to hold the spread.
3. Prevention: spread the gathers at the try-on and mark the side positions.

The kali seams twist down the leg

1. Unpick and re-sew from the top down, matching the edges every 6 in.
2. Press each seam flat before the next.
3. Prevention: cut the kali with its grain down its centre.

The mohri is too small to pass the foot

1. Add a short slit at the inseam and finish it with a button and loop.
2. Unpick the hem and re-cut the inseams wider at the ankle.
3. Prevention: check the mohri against the heel-to-instep on paper.

The churidar seam snaps

1. Re-sew with a narrow zigzag or a stretch stitch.
2. Use polyester thread, which stretches more than cotton.
3. Prevention: never sew bias legs with a straight stitch only.

The churidar rings fall to one side

1. Check both legs were cut with the bias the same way; if not, re-cut one leg.
2. Re-fit the inseam so the leg centre lines up with the knee.
3. Prevention: mark the bias direction on the pattern.

The churidar is tight at the knee when sitting

1. Let out the inseam over the knee by 1/4 in (6 mm).
2. Add 1 in (2.5 cm) to the knee width on the next pair.
3. Prevention: fit sitting as well as standing.

The churidar grows longer after a day

1. Re-mark the ankle on the body and trim.
2. Re-set the hooks if the opening moved.
3. Prevention: always hang it for a day before the ankle finish.

• Patiala salwar: a much fuller leg with six deep pleats, a kali on the inner leg and a 4 in (10 cm) patti at the ankle; about 3–4 m of 44 in cloth (Indian drafts: salwar, kali and Patiala; Pleats: accordion, sunray and Patiala).
• Afghani, Pathani and dhoti salwars: from the same pieces (Module 7, Every trouser: India and South Asia (salwars, churidar and pyjamas)).
• Men’s churidar: the same draft on his seat, rise and leg; worn with sherwanis and bandhgalas.
• Children’s salwar: on the child’s measurements, with elastic rather than a nada for young children, and no latkans (Module 3, Children’s trousers: safety).
• Elastic plus nada: elastic in the back of the nefa for comfort, the nada at the front.
• Festive: silk or brocade salwars lined with cotton; churidars in cotton-silk with a contrast piped ankle; gota or lace at the mohri (Module 8, What to wear where: weddings and festivals).
• Everyday: mulmul and cambric salwars for Bengaluru summers; rayon churidars for office kurtas.
• Knit churidar: cotton jersey cut on the straight grain, which gives a ready-made, leggings-like churidar; reduce the widths for the stretch.

• Cutting the churidar on the straight grain: it will not gather into rings.
• Cutting the two churidar legs on opposite biases.
• Sewing the kali upside down, narrow end at the top.
• Forgetting that the salwar panel length already includes the nefa and hem.
• Hemming a churidar the day it is sewn.

As a hobby: a salwar is a satisfying first Indian garment; once you have made one, a matching dupatta edging from the leftovers finishes the set.

For earning: salwars and churidars are steady orders with every kurta; churidars need a fitting, so plan for two visits. Cost your time by the method in Part XII.

For teaching: teach the salwar first (it is forgiving), then the churidar as a lesson in grain. A bias demonstration with a square of cloth makes the idea click.

• Wash churidars gently and dry them flat or folded over a bar, not hung by the ankles; the bias stretches.
• Iron salwars with the nada out; spread the gathers as you press.
• Check hooks and loops after each wash.

• Both drafts are the book’s Module 4 figures, from common Indian tailoring practice; regions and tailors vary them, especially the Patiala.
• The extra churidar length (12 in here) is a choice; some tailors use 6–12 in. Teacher to check.
• Seam allowances of 1/2 in for these drafts are a common Indian tailoring choice, given here because Module 4 does not state them.

1. Can you name the panels, kali, asan, nefa and mohri?
2. Can you find the true bias on a piece of cloth?
3. Do you know why the churidar is cut 12 in longer than the leg?
4. Did you fit the churidar on the body before the final stitching?
5. Can the wearer sit cross-legged in it?