Bustle Cages and Petticoats

Last week we made bustle cages (2 days) and petticoats (3 days). They complete the undergarments - a set of four including the corset and 'onesie' - a 19th-century lady would have worn under what promises to be a voluminous gown.

Bustle cages are made on a simple principle: a small piece of fabric sewn to a bigger piece of fabric, which is then held 'poofed out' by means of some sort of rigid bands inserted into channels sewn onto it. For the rigid bands we snapped the right size pieces from a roll of coiled steel, then filed the ends and wrapped tape around them:

Putting the bands inside the channels: only the top two crossed channels at the top (picture below) were tricky - insert into side seam opening, then try and hold that curved fabric under the machine while not allowing the steel to get to the needle... but it worked! the other channels have a gap in the middle for insertion (next picture). One lesson learned: make sure the tape used for the channels is woven tightly enough that it can resist the pressure of the steel.

Unfinished, they look like so many cat tunnels!

Finished - they do what they have to do, namely accentuate the posterior. It's a question whether Rosie would have approved...

After bustle cages, petticoats were relatively straightforward: a skirt in four pieces, flat in front and mega-gathered and ruffled in back. What took longer was making, finishing, and installing those 14 yards of ruffle!