How to Make a French Bustle on a Bride's Gown
After the wedding concludes, many brides choose to bustle their gowns for the reception. This lifts the train from the floor, protecting it from being stepped on and keeping it out of the way for dancing. There are a few ways to do this, but one romantic style is the French bustle, also called an underbustle. French bustles are ideal for gowns with long trains and heavy fabric, as they are more stable than American overbustles. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Dressmaker's pins
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Needle
- Thread
- 1-inch plastic rings
- 18 inches grosgrain ribbon
Instructions
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1
Try the gown on with the shoes you intend to wear on your wedding day. Place the top of the tape measure at the point where the gown's skirt meets the floor and measure from that point to the train's hemline. Record this measurement, as it is the length of the train.
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2
Using your recorded measurement, measure from the gown's waistline to the point on the skirt where the measurement finishes. Mark the beginning and ending points with dressmaker's pins. Keep the markings on the gown's central seam, as this will keep the bustle symmetrical.
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3
Hand sew a 1-inch plastic ring to the marked point closest to the gown's hemline. When sewing, keep the stitches on the seam's selvages, as this will prevent them from being seen.
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4
Sew two 9-inch lengths of grosgrain ribbon to the marked point at the waistline. If your gown's train is very long or wide, locate the two side back seams to the right and left of the middle back seam and sew a plastic ring and two lengths of ribbon at each seam in the same way.
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5
Loop one length of the ribbons through the plastic ring to draw the skirt upwards. Knot the ribbons at their base to keep the bustle secure.
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Tips & Warnings
If your gown's skirt is comprised of two layers, sew the plastic ring to the lining layer, but ensure that the stitches include the outer layer so that the whole gown is bustled.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
