How to Sew a Bustled Gown
Creating your own gown for your wedding or special occasion adds a touch of personality to your event. However, if you are an inexperienced seamstress, be sure to begin your project a few months in advance. Remember that any dress with a train can be turned into a bustled gown. Whether you want to bustle a formal dress for dancing or hitch up your wedding gown's train, installing a bustle at the gown's production stage helps accomplish this. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Fabric
- Pattern
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Needle
- Thread
- Dressmaker's pins
- 1-inch plastic rings
- 18 inches grosgrain ribbon
Instructions
-
-
1
Measure yourself at the bust, waist and hips to determine your best size according to your pattern's recommendations. Cut out the corresponding size from the pattern.
-
2
Fold your fabric in half lengthwise and place the pattern pieces on top. Pin the pieces in place and cut out the pattern.
-
-
3
Sew the dress together according to the pattern's instructions. Sew the seams with the fabric's right sides together to keep rough edges hidden and install the fastening (usually a zipper) as specified by the pattern.
-
4
Put on the dress and measure the train's length from the point at which the skirt hits the floor to the hem. Take this measurement and measure down from the gown's waistline. Mark the lower point with a dressmaker's pin.
-
5
Sew a 1-inch plastic ring on the underside of the marking. This should be the central point of the dress, and so you can hide the stitches effectively by sewing the ring to the central seam selvages.
-
6
Cut the length of ribbon in half and sew the two strands at the waistline's middle back. To hitch up the bustle, thread one of the ribbon's ends through the plastic ring and draw it upward to the base of the ribbons. Knot the ribbons together to keep the train secured.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
The amount of fabric you need will be specified by the pattern's specifications on the envelope.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
