Tuesday, January 1, 2013

V346: How to Make a Victorian Bustle - Pattern and Instructions

Hi all! Okay, I'm going to attempt to explain how to make the lobster tail bustle I posted about last time.  I want to stress that there is no right or wrong way to do this, and the way you put yours together may be different than how I did mine.  You *will* need some patience and math skills, but anyone can make one of these tournures, so long as you are a little crafty and have some sewing know-how.  Ready?

This pattern isn't ready-made - you plug in your own measurements and draw it out.  Luckily, though, it is mostly straight lines, and is very forgiving.
Make note of the 1/3 rule - you don't want the bustle back coming all the way around to your sides, which is why it is 1/3 and not 1/4.


The "traingle" side piece can be any shape really.  The purpose of it is to keep the bustle from shifting around at back
If you intend to add a ruffle or pleat guard, do it while the whole thing is flat, without bones.


Stitching the side back seams, with the tapes on top - that black tape is only there because I ran out of white, no special reason, lol
That's the basics - customize to your heart's content.
Here's how it looks with the inner tapes tied together.
The finished piece - it sits 2" below the waistline.
I've tried to be descriptive, but I've probably forgotten something, so if you have questions, go ahead and leave a comment, and I will try my best to answer them. :-)
Posted by Lauren Reeser at 5:03 PM
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26 comments:

  2. This is fantastic! Do you have any fabric recommendations? Or should we just avoid anything with stretch?

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    1. Miss Elizabeth L. recommended to me a stiff, strong fabric like taffeta. I didn't have any, so I used cotton, nice and starched. So long as it is lightweight yet sturdy, it should work. You want to avoid something like canvas, as it is too heavy.

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  3. This might be a noob question, but... how on earth do you sit down in that thing?

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    1. Haha, gooood question. A friend of mine demonstrated sitting where the tail is pushed off to the side. I haven't tried it yet...

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    2. I wear boned bustles like this- you have to sit straight down ("perch" is preferred"). note the loops hang, they aren't set with other boning to stay that far apart; when you sit the loops go up as you go down.

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    3. I agree with you I have one and it all folds up as you sit and it is very hard to do anything other than perch as your corset limits you.

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  4. Thank you SO much for posting the pattern and the instructions!

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  5. It's so clever, but I do feel it needs to be bright lobster red! ;-)

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    1. I agree! A bigger, badder, bright red taffeta tail!

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  6. I am so impressed! Wow, looks like you put your New Years weekend to very ingenious use, unlike some of us pajama clad slug bottoms, who sat around trolling the costume blogs and watching historic fashion porn a.k.a. PBS, LOL!
    It is so kind of you to share the pattern, too! let me know how the adjustable tape ties work for you, when wearing the gown, a real argument for that rather than my "pup tent" suggestion.
    Many, many happy days are ahead,
    Nancy N

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    1. I haven't worn the thing yet, but I may be wishing I did the pup tent method. I hear the ties can be annoying...

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  7. Thank you so much for sharing the pattern ! You make wonders ! ♥

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  8. That's wonderful! Thank you!

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  9. That's the thing I was searching for and didn't found. Thanks a lot.

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    1. You are most welcome. I am glad I could help :-)

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  10. Thanks so much for this fabulous tutorial! Our house museum is changing it's period clothing program from mid-Civil War to the more appropriate 1870+ era and I am in charge of sewing a complete new wardrobe for all the docents.

    I couldn't even think of getting started until we had the proper foundations so I have been hedging, trying to think of how to do this without buying a pattern. Being a non-profit we have to budget every cent, and one less pattern bought provides a necessity elsewhere.

    It turned out great, I 'ruffled' all but the top boning channel, so that we won't need quite so many (if any) heavily ruffled petticoats atop them. I am re-purposing the skirts from all our ratty 10 year old Civil War style dresses to make these bustle forms and scavenging the boning from all the old hoops, and we're reusing the boneless hoop skirts as extra petticoats. I love being green. Thanks for all your great work!

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    1. That is a very good idea. The more ruffles the better! Up-cycling old stuff into new is splendid, and very period correct as well. :-) I'm right there with you - why buy all new materials when you can cannibalize older tings for re-purposing? Genius :-)

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    2. Hi Lauren,
      So sorry to bug you, but I'm having a little problem with our first docent recipient of a bustlegown. She insists that the bustle form is causing her 'pain at work'. Lower back pain from the bustle, which weighs next to nothing. Now, I figured the skirt might be too heavy so I took 1/3 of the weight out of the skirt (as much as I could get away with and still have it look correct). NOW the gal says the bustle form is causing her abdomen and lower back pain, it rides down so this is what is causing it. I noted that according to your tutorial, it's 'supposed to sit 2 inches below the waist' and this gal swears it's falling off her (tiny waist, wide hips so huh?not likely!). Anyhoos, since I've yet to wear a bustlegown and cannot possibly relate to what she's going through, do you have any advice? Are these contraptions something one must 'get used to'? With the nature of gravity, I feel the form must surely be forced to ride somewhat lower in the back than the front. And this gal says that's a problem. Yikes.

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  11. Thank you!!!!! You just saved me from having to buy one! :D

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  12. Thank you very much for this amazing pattern. I have one question - what kind of boning did you use? What kind is best? :)

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  13. This is amazing!
    My next costume is going to have one of these...
    Thank you for sharing.

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