Border print fabric: how is the kameez cut?

Why the width becomes the length

On ordinary fabric, the length of a kameez runs along the length of the cloth, and you can make it as long as you have metres for. Turn the pieces and the measurement from shoulder to hem has to fit between the two edges. Once a hem and a shoulder seam are allowed for, a cloth about 112 cm (44 inches) wide gives a finished kameez of a little over 100 cm at most. A narrower cloth gives a shorter one. Our guide to fabric widths explains the common sizes.

What you buy by the metre now goes round you. The running length has to cover the front, the back and both sleeves side by side, so the amount needed depends on your hip and hem measurements more than on your height. Compare the kameez length you want with the advice in our guide to kameez length for your height before you buy.

Three ways to use the border

The quarter turn is the classic method, but it is not the only one.

• Border at the hem only: the simplest layout. Front and back are laid with their hems on the border, and the sleeves are cut further along the cloth, from the plain or all-over part above the border.
• Border at the hem and the sleeve ends: the sleeves are also laid along the bordered edge. This uses more running length, since four pieces now share the border.
• Border cut off and stitched back on: the strip is separated and applied as a band at the hem, sleeves, neckline or down the front, and the body is cut the usual way from the rest. This frees the kameez length, at the cost of a visible join and a narrower field of plain fabric.

Limits to plan around

• Shape of the hem: a printed border is straight, so it suits a straight hem. A curved hem cuts through it, and strong flare tilts it at the side seams.
• Double borders: fabric with a border on both edges can give one for the hem and one to cut away for sleeves or trousers, but the kameez length is still tied to the width.
• One-way designs: if the border has flowers that grow upwards, every piece must face the same way, which uses more cloth.
• The side seams: the border will meet at the sides, and whether its motifs join neatly depends on the repeat and your width.
• Drape: cloth cut across the width can hang a touch differently from cloth cut along it. In lawn and cotton the difference is small.

Not the same as a panel-printed shirt

Many unstitched lawn suits have a border printed across the bottom of a front panel. That is a different thing. The panel is already designed to be cut lengthwise, and its length, not the fabric width, sets the limit. If your pack has separate border strips or a printed daman, see our guide to using the neckline pieces and borders from your pack.

What to send for a quote

Photograph the fabric opened out flat with both edges in the frame and a tape measure laid across the width, then note the total length you have. Say where you want the border and how long you would like the kameez. With our unstitched suit stitching service we check the layout against your measurements and tell you what the fabric allows before you post it. Start a Stitching Only quote with those details.