Victorian Bustle Skirt

Short week at the costume college - Bank Holiday and then a day spent with Jane sampling hem techniques ( brilliant to have such small things and such focussed things to do). So decided to share Gwen's progress with you instead.




 When last we left Gwen she was standing proud in her bustle cage and petticoat- since then she has acquired a foundation skirt,  apron and a bustle piece. The premise is very simple - remake the petticoat allowing for the fullness of the frills, drape a fancy bit in front and pleat high on the rear,  then scrunch up a long piece to hang down the back.  Decorate at will - opera curtains style. Simple!

The foundation skirt is to be  clean, unfussy, as it says, a foundation to build onto.  I've made this fully lined in a nice smooth and soft twill,  a warmer shade than shown in the photos. The pieces are the same as the petticoat-

pre pleating

post pleating

a flat slightly tapered panel for  the front, a tapered side piece, and the rectangular back with a dipping hem. The back is in 2 pieces to allow for a top opening and centre back fastening., it is pleated onto the waistband to give the shape at the top.  Fairly straight forward to do, but quite precise work.  She actually looked pretty good in it! And for once preferred the front to the back ( but didn't photograph it - just imagine its loveliness)







Met Museum example

Once  done it was onto the decorative bits, first should have been the apron -  this hangs in the front and tucks up underneath the bustle. So I opted to do the bustle instead.


nice idea but too tight

The bustle piece is a separate strip at the back usually caught up on tapes but at this scale I tried a slightly different approach. One of the diagrams in Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion 2 (p9) shows a complete piece laid out with gather points, pleating lines and folds marked out ( by Myra, Dressmaking Lessons II, 1888!)- this reminded me of smocking patterns so - 5 rows of lattice later-

any bottom would proud to wear this!

liked the over all effect but too dense and flat from the side so reduced the amount of gathers to let it bouf more and...


Having made this in the fabric it  struggled to hold its own weight so a supportive lining seemed in order closely fitting the skirt shape and holding the sides place. These were sewn right side to right side and turned out through the top edge.


Lining, showing top dart

Inside the bustle showing the pinches and  the lining.

I will admit to enjoying the smocking too much and over shortened the length -so  made a tapered knife pleated tail for it The tail is inside the bustle piece in the photo to the right - it is secured by the seam and will emerge as if by magic when the whole construct is turned out. I hope.












Then the apron -
This I draped on her, first on the bias and then on the straight grain - it sagged first and handled like cardboard second, but at least the pattern was the right way up. The idea is get long curving folds across the front - umm. 



apologies for the sun spots

 This seemed to use a vast amount of fabric- billows of it. Perhaps the fabric should have been washed first (see distractions) but it is beginning to give the shapes I want. The example has a quite short. heavily folded apron, on Gwen this looked like curtain swags, so hers is longer and more relaxed.
On hers the edges are bound with bias strips using the wrong side of the fabric to give a bit of contrast and to emphasise the curve. across the foundation skirt

 On the version for me the aprons are included in the waistband of the foundation skirt - for Gwen I quite fancied having a neutral coloured skirt to use with a variety of outfits. The apron and tail are now one unit - the apron is secured at centre back with half the tail sewn in place - the other half extends around the back and fastens with a hook and eye at the side seam. The skirt is now complete and the bodice remains to be done -  say it quickly and it sounds easy. At least the full scale one has the pattern done and cut!



Distractions -
making one for myself at costume college - still wrestling with the pesky corset - shape is rightish - just that I appear to be losing weight so it wanders. Big oops. More cake?
Green grocers on market have ripe fresh figs - yummmmmmm.
Date and walnut bread.
Might have killed the washing machine. Really BIG oops.
Which vinegar to use for apple chutney?
Why doesn't privet get the message and stop all of this growing? Cutting once or twice a year should be ample.