Blouse fitting – Cholakaapta with Tucks

A make it yourself idea and style tips for adjusting blouse fitting with blouse adjuster with tucks, with an animated GIF.

Fashion keeps changing constantly. But, we girls have sentiments for some of our saris and their blouses. Fitting into our favourite blouses is the concern of most of us. We have been discussing about this hot topic, sari blouse bodice adjustments with simple tricks and with blouse adjusters since two weeks. Today, let’s see how to make a Cholakaapta with tucks and style tips.

Cholakaapta with Tucks or Eye-controlled Tucked Cholakaapta 

This is a refined Cholakaapta with shaped panel for blouse bodice adjustment with hooks and eyes fastening at sides to attach with blouse at its fastening. Tucks are used to shape the panel and eyes are added at desired points for varied fit. This blouse adjuster type blends well with the blouse shape unlike the raised shirred type blouse adjuster that stands out with its unique texture.

The fitting requirements are not the same at all the points in the bodice. More room is needed at the centre than in the sides. Considering this, the tucks are used for shaping. When size changes are not regular, this adjuster is the best to use. This type of Cholakaapta goes well with plain sari blouses and princess cut blouses. 

How to make?

Measurements

• Eye-controlled Tucked Cholakaapta length – This length is taken measuring the centre front of the blouse. It varies depending up on blouse type and design variation.
• Eye-controlled Tucked Cholakaapta width – I have taken 6 cm (≈2.5 inches) width. After tucking, this width will reduce to 5 cm (≈ 2 inches) to the blouse width. This measurement is usually sufficient except for new moms. 

Materials used

• Absorbent cotton material (good quality lining material or cotton 2×2). Any colour can be selected. I chose a beige coloured and a brown coloured lining material. (In fact, this Cholakaapta was made as two-way. Beige side for light coloured blouses and brown side for dark blouses. Pictures are edited to fit for the tutorial.)
  
• Matching colour thread
• Blouse hooks 5 (equal to that in the blouse)
  

Tools needed

• Basic sewing machine
• Hand sewing needle
• Hand shears
• Thread trimmer

Method I followed

• I took the pre-washed fabric in two layers placing the fabrics with wrong sides together. I marked the length and width.
• Length = Eye-controlled Tucked Cholakaapta length + 1cm seam allowance at the top + 1cm seam allowance at the bottom
• Width = Eye-controlled Tucked Cholakaapta width + 2.5cm for fastening allowance at the right side + 1cm seam allowance at the right side + 1cm seam allowance at the left side
• Then follows cutting of the fabrics together.
• Fabric strips are kept with right sides facing together. I sewed them together leaving a two-inch gap in the middle of a side. This gap is for bringing the right side out.
• I trimmed the seam allowance near the pointed corners in V shape. This helps to avoid bulky point after turning to the right side.
• I turned the fabric panel inside out.
• I sewed along the edges at about 2mm from the edge and sealed the opening.
• I sewed along the length of the panel, 2.5cm away, in the right side. This is to position eyes for fastening.
• Mark lines parallel to the panel length for tucks in the side 1 (brown coloured). I marked 3 lines distanced at 1.5 cm each. I took 1st and 3rd tucks length shorter (5 cm) than the 2nd one (6.5 cm). This is to get desired shape. Number of tucks can be increased as wished.
• Now it is the time to mark for the hooks and eyes. In the side 1 (brown coloured), I marked hooks positions at the right side. I turned the panel to the other side. I marked eyes positions at the right side of the panel in this side 2 (beige coloured). This means hooks and eyes are in opposite sides.
• Sew tucks.
• I sewed hooks in the side 1 (brown) and eyes in the side 2 (beige).

Eye-controlled Tucked Cholakaapta is ready. Attach this blouse adjuster to the right side of the blouse. Wear the blouse and fasten the blouse with the hooks of the panel.

Tips for using Eye-controlled Tucked Cholakaapta

• Eye-controlled Tucked Cholakaapta is comfortable to wear with all the blouse types. Traditional 8 darted yoke front blouses, easy to make sari blouses without yoke and princess cut blouses.
• Eye-controlled Tucked Cholakaapta can be paired with back opening blouses. In this style, tucks are not suggested to use. This creates a design variation and we will talk about it in the coming post. In this case, the fabric that appears on the right side is changed according to the blouse material.
• Eye-controlled Tucked Cholakaapta is not suggested to use with sheer sarees. If at all it is used, same coloured blouse adjuster is preferable. It is possible to use a contrast coloured blouse adjuster, but requires expert advice.

Hope the idea gives some hope to reuse your favorite blouse that you couldn’t fit in. Thank you!