Adding A Bustle To Wedding Dress

My dress actually has a permanent bustle as part of it`s design. It`s very pretty, wonder if that`s a new thing to have bustles as part of the design. I will still have to bustle the rest of the train at the reception. Any thoughts about a permanent bustle.....is this a new style? I imagine it goes back to a style used by the french in the early part of the century?

Hello Donna,
As you thought yes you will have to bustle the 2 layer seperatly. Otherwise you will end up having to tack together the layers and it wont look pretty. Go to the web site I suggested to Marje and Cindy for reference on bustles. I do believe that Leanna is in your area. Normally when you purchase a wedding gown the vendor should offer you alterations on location or if not he should at least have a referal list to give you. A package of basic alteration, bust, waist, hem and bustle shoud cost around $450. If you are a perfect fit for your dress you have only the bustle to get done (wedding gowns does not come with the bustle) you are looking at around $150.
:) Hope I was of some help and good luck,

Ladies,

I googled `bustle a wedding gown` and found this great site:

Http://www.leanna.com/Bridal/Bustles.htm

One of the pictures shows/explains how this seamstress does an apron backed gown too, plus they have a DVD you can buy with more instructions and pictures apparently.

My advice as someone who sells and thus works with gowns, is to not agree to anyone doing just a one button bustle at the back waist. If your gown is being bustled at the waist, be sure you have 3-5 different buttons or hooks made because the stress of sitting down on the train is sure to break one or two of them, unless you remember to really pick up the back of your gown every time you sit!. The French style bustle and California bustle are both more popular because the train is bustled to itself from underneath.

Also, once the bustle is made, be sure to have your Mom or MOH practise doing it up, as it can be tricky! On trick to remember is to alway start with the bustle tie/hook or whatever it is at the center seam of the gown...then go looking for the ones on each side of the center seam.

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I am from Oregon and to have a bustle added it`s like $35 or less and that`s through David`s Bridal which is usually more expensive. The local shops quoted me 10-25 dollars. My advice: just get it done by a professional. I don`t know where they got $150 from.

I figured it out! I purchased a used book on sewing techniques and discovered that there is no single way to bustle a dress - you basically take your cues from the way the dress is made. This gave me confidence in that if I could adjust the bustle in a way I thought looked good, there would be no "wrong" way to do it.

There are 2 basic techniques: you can either gather the fabric on TOP of the back of the dress, or gather it from underneath the dress. My daughter`s dress was in 2 pieces - an underneath silk sheath covered with another layer of lace on the dress. For the underneath part, I folded the extra layers under and fastened with velcro in such a way the velcro did now show. This brought the dress to floor-length in the back and sides.

For the lace I purchased heavy-duty snaps and clear elastic. I sewed the snaps over the elastic (just to give it extra strength so the lace wouldn`t rip) in about 4 inch strips. I sewed the female side of the snaps on the underneath side of the lace about 10 inches from the center back and the male side also on the underneath side another 10 inches down. Also did this on the sides.

When the snaps came together, it created a bustle that raised the lace covering in gathers that laid nicely yet cleared the floor.

It`s difficult to describe this in words - I hope this helps. The best thing to remember is that there is no single way to bustle a dress - just work with it!

Sweetie, you`re from Oregon, that explains it. In good old NYC if you can find anyone to add a bustle for $150 it`s a steal!

$150 for a bustle is totally a outrageous. It is a simple proceedure depending on the style of dress the max shouldn`t exceed $50.

Is there anyone out there that can help or provide advice. I need to bustle my wedding dress. I know how i want it to look; however, how and where do i sew the ties for the under-bustles? I will need to do 9 bustles (8 under and 1 over).
Please email me with ANY tips, pictures, instructions, etc. Much thanks!!!
Celia908@yahoo.com

I found this great article that explained how to bustle a wedding dress and the different types of bustles that you can have on a wedding dress.

Sorry, here is the link. Http://www.newjerseyweddingvendors.com/how-to-bustle-a-wedding-gown/

Thank you for the link. This should help greatly. Thanks again!

I bustled my own dress. I just put it on a dress form and started pinning it up with safety pins. Once I got the desired look I replaced the pins with loops and ties. It took a little bit of time, but you could easily do this as a weekend project if you have a dress form, needle and thread and some gross-grain ribbon.

I`m from NYC and my bustle cost me $35 at David`s Bridal.

Ballroom or Over Bustle
Step
1
Determine how much of the train must be lifted to make it even with the hem of the skirt. This will inform you as to where your loops will be on the actual train. Carefully place pins where your heavyweight thread loops need to be sewn. If the train is curved, your loops will make a gradual "V" or "U" shape.

Step
2
Sew six coordinating buttons on the waist seam of the back of the dress at an equal distance apart.

Step
3
Use a coordinating color of heavyweight thread or embroidery floss to create six loops on the dress train at your predetermined pin markers. Try to hide the loops in either seams or embellishments. Make the strongest loop by working from the inside of the train and pushing the threaded sharp needle through the fabric; pull it through until you have about 3 inches left on the inside. Reinsert the needle carefully back through the fabric and knot the two ends together to create a loop. On the outside it is barely noticeable and on the inside there is a strong knot that cannot pull through nor break.

Step
4
Continue until you have all the loops. Carefully bring each loop up and hook it on the appropriate button. Fold and move the fabric to make sure it is laying nicely.

French or Under Bustle
Step
1
As in the over bustle, you must first determine how much of the train must be lifted to make it even with the skirt. Mark with pins carefully; again the markers will be in a "V" or "U" if the train is curved.

Step
2
Working from the underside of the train, find where the pins are and carefully sew 6 to 8 inch pieces of 1/2 inch grosgrain ribbon. Again you will need at least 5 to 6 ties to make a nice bustle.

Step
3
Sew 6 pieces of 1/2 inch wide by 6 inch long grosgrain at the waist seam, in between the lining and train at the waist. Secure these very well with a strong thread.

Step
4
Bring each ribbon piece together and tie with a knot right at the waistline. This will create a beautiful full bustle. Move and fold the fabric to ensure that it is laying nicely

You are not crazy. Most wedding dresses do not come with the bustle already done. That is done by the person who fits your dress. I had my wedding dress altered by Susan Ruddie of The Wedding Dresser and she did a beautiful bustle. My weddng gown had a chapel train with tucks and lace in it and Susan did such a good job dress looked prettier bustled. You cna find her at theweddingdresser@earthlink.net