Horsehair Bustle

[elizabeth_mn]

I finished this bustle yesterday.  It's based on a style seen in several fashion plates, for late Natural Form era, 1880-82 or so.  It's very subtle, just a teeny bit of oomph under a pretty smooth silhouette.

 

 

I started with a base of cotton drill, cut into a rounded shape and darted at the top.  I lined it with self-fabric, turned and top-stitched, and then sewed the darts.



The flounces are natural horse- and goat-hair canvas.  I hemmed them with a curve at the corners, gathered them, stitched them to the base, and covered the raw edge with twill tape.



I stitched the sides of the flounces partway down to the base so the fullness would keep to the back instead of spreading out to the sides. 





I think it's just the cutest little bustle I've ever seen!  And I realized yesterday that this is the first historical costume-y thing I've made since before F was born.  Finally!