I also have made both TV 101, Petticoat bustle, and TV 108, Grand Bustle. I love them too. but for my purposes TV101 worked better when I took the boning out and used it over my smaller lobster tail. I highly vouch for using them together. You benefit from the lobster tail’s strength and collapsability and the beautiful ruffles on TV 101 covering and smoothing the “bones’.

This is an initial sketch what I’m thinking of. Just the silhouette though.

Definitely going to try to make it work. I like the bustle gowns too much not to. 🙂

An elliptical hoop is a different silhouette than a bustle. But a bustle silhouette can definitely be had with proportion adjustments. I’d encourage you to try it. Use petticoats and a pad to help build it too. Keep the hoops to the 1860s costumes.

Thanks!

I’m still trying to decide weather I even _want_ to do a bustle gown. I mean, I love how they look on most women, but given I’d be crossplaying, and am …well…overweight to begin with, I’m not sure at all that it’d look good on me.

Unless of course, I enlarge the pattern so it’s more proportional to me. Which is what I did for my hoop skirts on my previous project. I’m just not sure that would have the effect I want though.

If it was a small undertaking I wouldn’t worry about it. But given that I’d need to do a bustle, probably a bustle pad, two petticoats and THEN the gown.

I wonder if I’d be happier just going with an elliptical hoop instead.

Try adding a short “petticoat” or bustle pad with ruffles ON TOP of the wired bustle for more lift. I also believe the skirt fabric and its underlining affect the poufiness as well. Skirt fabrics can weigh down the wire frames. Although, this lobster tail is fairly sturdy. Add petticoats on top for more lift. Also, if you haven’t, take a look at my post on selecting bustle supports.

The Imperial Tournure looks in some photos like it’d work, but again, not sure if it’s poofy ‘enough’.

Suggestions?