A golden mustard body worked in gold buti, edged in metal and dark brown.

Why this piece

Mustard with gold in it — a yellow warm enough that the metallic borders read as part of the same family rather than as a contrast.
Brown at the edge — dark brown runs alongside the gold in the border, which is what stops the whole piece from reading as one tone.
Flower buti — small woven figures repeating sparsely across the body and gathering through the pallu, dobby-set on the loom rather than applied to the surface.

The colourway

Mustard is a colour that shows every fault in a beat, so an even body over six metres is most of the skill. Because the ground is already warm and golden, the dark brown in the border is doing the work of separation that a contrast colour would normally do.

How it is woven

The Handloom Mark is held on record against these pieces. Pit-loom weaving, with the weft put in by hand pick after pick. The small buti and the border figures are dobby-set rather than applied afterwards, which is why the pattern sits in the cloth rather than on it. The Handloom Mark is held on record for these pieces.

A hand-inserted weft leaves marks of itself — the odd slub or a pick that sits a fraction differently. That is the weave telling you what it is.

The border, and how it wears

A bugdi border, so the woven border design reads the same on both faces — a craft signature you can see for yourself rather than take on trust.

At 350 to 360 g and 44 to 46 GSM, this is a featherlight drape rather than a heavy one. It pleats deeply and holds the pleats, and it does not stiffen or go slack after the first clean. The body is semi-sheer and wants a petticoat under it.

Specification

Total length: 6.3–6.5 m, including an 80–90 cm blouse piece
Width: 45–46 inches
Weight: 350–360 g, measured in-house
Fabric weight: 44–46 GSM
Body: semi-sheer; wear it with a petticoat
Drape: soft, holds its pleats, and stays soft after the first clean
Loom: pit loom, with the weft inserted by hand
Patterning: dobby-set, on body, border and pallu
Finishing: pallu kuchu, selvedge and edges finished; fall and pico on request
Woven in: Maheshwar, Khargone district, Madhya Pradesh
Country of origin: India
Net quantity: one saree with attached blouse piece
Care: Dry Clean Only

Care and storage

Professional dry clean only. Home washing is not recommended.
Air-dry in the shade, without wringing.
Iron inside out on a low-to-medium setting, under a cotton press cloth.
Store it wrapped in breathable cotton or muslin, in a cool dark cupboard.
Refold along fresh lines every three to six months.

Dispatch

This piece is held in stock rather than made to order, so hand weaving does not put you in a queue. About half of all orders leave the next day, most go within two to three days, and most orders inside India arrive in three to seven days.

A note on colour

This piece is a golden mustard, edged in gold and dark brown. Screens, camera settings and the light a photograph was taken in all move a shade a little, so the piece that reaches you may sit slightly away from the image on this page. Every colour in this range has been tested for fastness on wash and rub.

Product details

Country of origin: India. Net quantity: one saree with attached blouse piece. Care: Dry Clean Only.

Golden Mustard Pure Handloom Maheshwari Silk Saree, Gold Buti Body | Phulwari