How to Make a Wedding Gown Bustle With a Ribbon Tie
A wedding gown train is lovely and elegant during a wedding ceremony but can be ruined during a busy wedding reception. With a French bustle, created by sewing ribbons into the dress that are then tied together to create romantic poofs of fabric that flow down the gown's back, a bride can enjoy dancing at her reception without tripping on her hem.
But while most gowns today are bustled at the reception, it can be an expensive alteration since each bustle must be custom placed and sewn. It is possible though, for a bride to save some money and create the bustles herself.
Instructions
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1
Try on the dress. Make sure you are wearing the shoes you will be wearing at the wedding reception. Have someone measure the length of the dress in the back from your waist to the floor and mark this measurement on the train with pins.
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Raise the train up at the pin mark and hold it against the back center of the waistline. Make sure the train is at least 1/2 to 3/4 inches off the floor. Use your hands to arrange bustle puffs until you are satisfied with the configuration.
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3
Cut lengths of ribbon 12 inches long and fold each one in half.
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Turn the dress inside out. Starting at the seam line about 1/2 inches beneath the end of the back zipper, mark the points where ribbons will be sewn. Most brides will have at least three points in each row, one at the seam, one to its right and one to the left.
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Attach the ribbon ties at their midpoints through the lining and into the back seams of the wedding dress without going through the fabric's top surface. If you need a bustle point where there is no seam, try coordinating it's placement where an embellishment is sewn.
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Fold 12 inch lengths of ribbon in half. This time, however, make a loop in the lower end of each ribbon while leaving the top half of the ribbon straight.
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Move several inches below the first row and create a second row of bustle points using the looped ribbons. Sew them in place at each mid-point and be careful to stagger the points so that the loops are to the right or left of the first bustle points.
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Pull a straight ribbon from the first row through a loop in the second row and tie in place to create a poof. The tighter you tie the ribbon, the more fullness there will be in the poof.
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Continue making as many rows down the back of the train as needed, alternating between bustle points that are flat ribbons and bustle points that are looped. You should create an even number of rows. Create the poofs down the length of the dress back.
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Arrange the bustles until you are satisfied with their placement. Check to see that the train hem is level with that of the wedding gown.
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Tips & Warnings
Plan on having a dress rehearsal the week before your wedding. You should try on the dress and have your bridesmaids create the bustles.
Most brides will probably have a finished dress with at least three rows of bustle points.
You may find it helpful to use a variety of ribbon colors to coordinate which ribbons tie together.
References
Resources
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