SHANNON'Sdresses

VICTORIANbustle dress

July 2009

I've had the pattern for this dress for over a year (Simplicity 5457), and it's been about four months in the making, so I'm really glad it turned out well so it wasn't all for nothing!! I haven't made anything of this style before, so I'm really pleased it was a success. I'm also happy I was able to finally put the victorian corset I made a couple of years ago to good use.

I probably should have got photos of all the layers making up the dress, but it's pretty self-explanatory - first there is a shift, then the corset, then an underskirt, the purple overskirt, a bustle-pad that ties around the waist over that, and then the apron secured over the top. The bustle itself attaches to the waist of the apron with hooks, and three hooks attached to the gathering hook into three rings on the bustle pad, to lift the bustle and pouf it out. And then the bodice simply goes over the top. So it's quite a complicated gown, but the finished effect is awesome, and I felt awesome wearing it. It's just a bummer it's the middle of winter and I didn't have the guts to venture outside to take some nicer photos. Plus my camera is dying - you can't turn the flash off, it won't zoom, and you can't even scan through the photos after you've taken them. Time to break out the credit card and buy a new one I think.