How to Sew a Bustle Dress

Bustle your train to keep the bottom of your dress clean.

While a Victorian-inspired bustle is most commonly used by brides to shorten the train of a wedding dress for a reception, you also can bustle a train on an evening gown into a useful and decorative feature. Bustling adds volume to the back of the dress, giving an elegant and feminine touch. It also stops the train from getting dirty or torn.

Things You'll Need

• Pins
• Thread
• Needle
• Matching buttons
• 3 to 5 thin strips of matching fabric

Instructions

1. Pick up the bottom of the train and lift toward the center back of the wedding gown or evening dress until it is level to the ground. Mark the point where the train meets the back of the dress with pins. Lighter fabrics will need three points marked where the train touches the dress back, while heavier materials will require five or more.

2. Drop the train and sew the matching buttons to the points marked with pins. Sew them tightly with strong thread as they will carry the weight of the train. Larger buttons measuring about three-fourths of an inch in diameter will be most secure for a heavy train; cover them with a lace applique or flowers or bows for the wedding ceremony, if desired.

3. Make thin loops from fabric or cord in the same color as the dress, approximately 1 1/2 inches long. For wedding dresses, ask for a fabric sample at the store where you bought your dress or choose something with a similar finish such as satin or lace.

4. Sew the loops to the underside of the train of the dress, one in the center and one toward either side so that the weight will be evenly distributed. You won't see these when the train is extended.

5. Lift the train and hook the fabric loops over the buttons to form an overbustle.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose diamonte or decorative buttons to add an extra design element to your gown.

• Keep fabric strips as thin as possible. Heavier fabrics sometimes can break the loops over a long period of time; make sure to have handy an emergency sewing kit or safety pin.

References

• Leanna Studios: The Great Bustle Debate
• Singer's Sewing For Special Occasions
• Sew For Dough:Putting Bustles On Your Wedding Gown