1898 Wedding Skirt Complete and a Small Bustle Pad

Good Monday to you all!  I hope you had a marvelous weekend!  Mine was pretty laid back and pleasant.  I did get the skirt for my late 1890s wedding dress complete, so that's a happiness for me!  I did a video this morning with Colton and in it I shared my extant late 1890s wedding dress.  I am just sick that it is in the shape it is...the silk is shattering and it literally falls apart when I handle it.  But, it is through the the sadness that there is also a happiness!  The shattering silk allows me to see the insides of the skirt...its very construction!  So, there is that.

*I do need to talk about the video for a minute here...I was on the verge of getting a headache of colossal proportions and so was really not myself and my mind was a bit foggy.  When I was talking about the construction of the skirt, I mentioned the "front" of the skirt.  What I meant to say was the outside of the skirt.  It was "bag lined" (which means that you sew the "outside" of the skirt separate from the lining of the skirt.  You then pin the outside and the lining of the skirt right sides together and sew the hem, iron the seam open, turn it right sides out, press the hem open on the outside and finally meet the top up and press the hem so that it lays nicely.)  I'm sure most of you know this, but I felt the need to explain just in case someone didn't!  Anyhoo, upon listening to myself attempt an explanation, I realized that I did a very poor job!  Also, the inside skirt ties are located at the back.  I noticed that I didn't mention where they were in the video.  This is a great lesson for me...never again will I do a video when I am not at my best!!*

This skirt is, I believe, my best work yet.  I am so very pleased with how it turned out!  It is rather plain, but my inspiration has a plain skirt and in its plain-ness, it to my eyes is very elegant!  I love the way it feels, with the layers of silk, satin, tulling, buckram and the dust ruffle.  Plus it sounds really cool when I walk around wearing it!

The Skirt

Inspiration for this dress came from Antique-Gown.  Here and here are links to the dress on Pinterest.  It is so incredible!!!

For my dress, I am using an ivory dupioni silk with low "slub level".  The sheen on it is so beautiful and just what I wanted for this dress!

For most of this dress, I am using the Wisconsin Historical Society's 1899 Wedding Gown.  The skirt and the gathered sleeves are what will be made form this pattern and then I'll use the bodice pattern pieces to construct Mom's "Mother of the Bride" dress!

The small bustle pad that I quickly made up, fills in the depression between the back and the rear quite nicely!

I LOVE the back of this skirt!  It falls so very nicely from the waist.  You can see here how those ties on the inside keep the fabric under control.

Inside of the skirt.  The one in my collection uses a lovely silk taffeta for the lining.  I refuse to use silk as a lining, so this is a poly taffeta from the Casa Collection at JoAnn Fabrics.  It is actually a lovely fabric to work with.

Rarely will you ever see pictures of the inside of a skirt or bodice of mine...but this one...I'm pretty happy with it!

The only hem protector my original has was a dust ruffle cut with really cute pinking shears.  There was no wool or corduroy braid, so I chose not to use it on mine and opted for the lace trimmed dust ruffle.  The Wisconsin Museum pattern suggested employing this method as well. (They do have a pattern piece for a corduroy piece, but as I said, my original didn't have one...) 

I tacked the dust ruffle down towards the edge of the hem to keep it in place...I like how it looks when the skirt is lying on the ground!

The Bustle Pad

One of the pieces of underwear that I wanted to make for this dress was a wee small bustle pad to fill the gap between my mid back and rear.  I looked through my Delineator magazines from the late 1890s and in the back of August 1898, I found a great example of just what I was looking for!

View 9879 is what I was going for.  I didn't have any lace that looked nice, so I made two rows of cording to keep the edge nice and straight.  That didn't really happen, but it still looks cool!

For the top of the bustle, I used Truly Victorian TVE01.  The under piece, I just cut down the TVE01.

Here is the under pillow.  With just the top, you really couldn't see any difference, and it was really "wavy" looking.

Just pretend you don't see the safety pin that is pinning the ribbon to the pillow!  I want to get some pretty new ribbon as this is stained and not so lovely.

I have started on the bodice and have just the sleeves and silk chiffon ruffles and shirring at the upper bodice and the belt to complete!  Then I shall be done!!

I hope you all have a wonderfully blessed week!

g