Victorian Bustle Day Dress Lesson 2

Victorian
Bustle
Day Dress
Lesson 2
with Jennifer Rosbrugh
www.HistoricalSewing.com
Victorian Bustle Day Dress
Lesson 2
Sewing the Foundation Skirt
3
Flatlining the Foundation Skirt
4
Setting in the Skirt Placket
6
Setting the Skirt onto the Waistband
8
Finishing the Skirt Hem
12
Foundation Skirt Trims
14
Homework Assignment
16
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Sewing the Foundation Skirt
Welcome to Lesson 2!
Prepping and cutting your pattern IS sewing, but now we get to actually use the machine. 
The fabric cutting part always seems to take forever. But then once it's done, it's like the
project is halfway finished!
Follow the general sewing instructions included with your pattern. Watch the videos in this
lesson for a full demonstration of those more complicated sections like setting in a placket,
and achieving a well-made hem.
Tips to Remember
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All seam allowances are 1/2" (1.3cm).
Press your center folds and other wrinkles in your fabric as you go along. Eventually
they'll press out. 
Remember to press as you go! Press every seam flat first. Then press open or to the
side. LET COOL before moving!
Use a pressing ham or sleeve roll to press your skirt panel seams open. This helps
prevent those ridges from showing through on the right side.
Grade your seam allowances along the waist edge and at the hem before enclosing.
http://historicalsewing.com/tutorials/how-to-grade-seam-allowances
For the 1880s underskirt with back pouf area (or the 1870s underskirt if you happened
to cut it with the pouf length), place safety pins at the pouf marks noted on the pattern
before sewing.
Sew skirt side seams from hem up to the waist.
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Flatlining the Foundation Skirt
The Truly Victorian pattern instructions say nothing about lining or flatlining the
foundation skirt. Sometimes your fashion fabric is sturdy enough on its own to not need an
extra layer of support. But if you intend to make a tailored skirt or one with lots of trims
mounted to it, you'll be happier by backing the fashion fabric.
You can leave off the underlining IF you have two or
more petticoats that can support your skirt. Of course,
you know that I widely promote the wearing of
petticoats. They not only help produce the silhouette you
want but keep the skirts in place.
In addition, to save the budget, you can make your
underskirt out of a sturdy twill then flatline your delicate
fashion fabric ON TOP of it at only the sections that will
be seen. This is a historically correct technique. You'll
often times see underskirts with their tan polished
cotton lining on top with the silk taffeta mounted to just
the hem sections.
And the flatlined fabric doesn't have to match at each
seam. It's only placed where it'll be seen when worn. Ah!
What a lovely trick those Victorians used.  This picture
on the right is a side panel with the sheer stripe pinned to the top section. The white cotton
underlining will be covered with ruffles. – No need to waste fabric when it'll be covered!
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We previously talked about what kinds of fabrics are good for underlining your skirt – twill
for under a sheer, organdy, organza, poplin, etc. Now let's get to work flatlining them
together.
In flatlining, you cut both your fashion fabric and underlining exactly the same. Then you
baste around the raw edges. From this point on you will treat each panel as a single piece.
This is different than a traditional lining. In that method, you sew up the skirt lining
separately and attach at the waist to the fashion fabric. The pieces stay separate and are
usually hemmed separately. You'll find both ways in historical garments, but the flatlined
skirt seems to show up more often.
Remember to baste your long skirt
panel edges from the hem up to the
waist as shown in the video. No need
to baste the hem or waist edges yet.
Also, baste just inside the 1/2" seam
line so you won't have to remove the
basting stitches. However, the center
back panel is so wide you'll want to
baste the top edge as seen in this
photo.
For flatlining, I nearly always serge my long edges together. Obviously this is not a period
technique. I like it because it finishes my raw edges at the same time. Basting the edges is
perfectly fine.
You should finish your raw edges somehow, either serge, pink, or machine or hand
whipstitch.
After flatlining, give the edges a quick press before continuing.
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Setting in the Skirt Placket
A separately attached placket makes for a strong
closure on a bustle skirt. You don't have to put in
the placket and may not want to especially if you
have a very sheer fashion fabric with no
underlining.
I find it easier to set in the placket first before
sewing any other of the panel seams.
Remember when sewing the placket, you want the placket piece on the back panel to stick
out towards the front. The placket on the side back panel (front part) is turned under
completely.
The photo on the left shows the
back placket piece pinned to the
center back skirt panel. Notice the
long edge is pressed under and
trimmed to 1/4". This part will
stick out away from the skirt.
The photo on the right is the placket pinned to the side back skirt panel. This piece will turn
completely to the inside.
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This is the finished placket as seen from
the inside before the remaining side seam
section is sewn.
After your placket is in, sew the
remaining panel seams. Press flat. Then
press open over a seam roll, pressing
ham or towel.
Side Note Option: It is entirely possible to mount your overskirt onto your underskirt and
apply one waistband to both making a single skirt. Making them separate garments, however,
will allow you to mix & match with other skirts. If you want to make one skirt garment, you'll
need to start your overskirt by cutting the panels and making the side pleats on the left hand
side. (We'll cover the overskirt next week in Lesson 3.) Then you would match the left side
back seams and apply the placket and waistband to both layers. This class will teach on
making the underskirt and overskirt as separate garments, each with their own waistband.
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Setting the Skirt onto the Waistband
Some skirt fabrics can be quite heavy or bulky. With these, and if your fabric is lightweight,
you'll most likely want to interface/flatline the waistband. Options for this include sew-in
interfacing, organza, organdy, your underlining fabric, or a pre-made waistband form.
Fitting the Waist
Before you get to sewing on the waistband, you'll want
to fit the skirt waist. Try on the skirt over your
undergarments, corset and bustle. Secure the center
front hip line to your corset so it doesn't move. Also pin
the Center Back/Side Back seam, at the hip, to your
corset which will allow you to concentrate on only the
front of the skirt.
Pinch up darts a couple inches over from center front and in the center of the side back
panels – wherever necessary to smooth the waist. Keep the hip area smooth. Pay attention
to only bringing in the waistline to fit snug, but not too tight, around the waist. Remove the
skirt carefully and sew up the darts, pressing the take up toward the centers.
If you have a larger waist size, you may only need to run
an ease or gathering stitch around the waist to fit your
waist. Do whatever it takes to fit it to YOUR figure.
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Waistband Part 1
Prep your waistband as above and as shown in the video. Be sure to press one long side
under 1/2" and trim back to 1/4" so it's all prepped. I love this shortcut as trying to press
under the opposite seam allowance once the waistband is on the skirt is tricky.
Start with applying the waistband to the fitted front, side fronts and side back skirt panels.
Right sides together, pin the un-pressed edge of the waistband to the skirt starting at the
placket opening.
Leave 1/2" seam allowance sticking out away from
the finished placket edge. Pin waistband to skirt
until you reach the Center Back/Side Back seam.
Stitch on.
Waistband Part 2
Now it's time to pleat up the center back panel
to fit whatever portion of waistband you have
left. You may have only a few inches and that's
ok.
The back section is generally very full. Simply
doing a traditional gather won't work – too
many layers and too thick. Pleating is the best
method.
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In the video I show finding the center point of the
back and waistband then making a box pleat there.
Then make outward facing knife pleats to take up
the remaining fabric to match the waistband. Your
pleats will probably overlap. Make them as even as
you can for a quality dressmaking look. Stitch this
center back section.
Press the entire waistband seam. Grade allowances and press toward the waistband – press
the waistband up.
Finishing the Waistband & Closure
To finish the ends, fold them right sides together
and stitch the 1/2" seam, in line with the finished
placket edge. Grade and turn the point out.
Slipstitch the pressed edge of the waistband to
the seam on the inside.
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To close your skirt, sew on skirt hooks & bars – one on the
waistband and three to five along the placket. I find it
easier to sew on all the hooks first then match up the
opening, mark for the bars and stitch on.
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Finishing the Skirt Hem
Bustle Era foundation skirts have a variety of hem treatments, some simple and others
quite complicated and layered. For this class we'll cover the basic hem treatment. The
patterns allow for a 1& 1/2" hem. If you made changes when prepping your pattern and
cutting the fabric, use the new allowance here.
I highly recommend a hem facing to finish your hem. It's a period technique and for good
reason as it supports the hem and the entire skirt. In the video I show how to apply a
purchased bias hem facing.
Depending, of course, on your design and fabric, your hem facing can be of any width, but a
1 & 1/2" facing is a minimum width. If you need or want a deeper facing, cut bias strips
from a polished cotton or your underlining fabric. Crinoline, horsehair, hymo cloth and
organdy can all be applied under the hem facing for even more support.
For more on hem facings, read this article:
http://historicalsewing.com/finish-skirt-hems-support
Skirt Hem
Baste your fashion fabric and underlining
together. Press up 1& 1/2". Mark a line 1" in
from raw edge and trim so you are left with a
1/2" seam allowance.
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Open one edge of the hem facing and pin the fold to the 1/2" seam line.
Sew in the fold. Press flat. Grade seam if needed.
Press seam allowances and facing to inside. Hand
slipstitch to the skirt.
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Foundation Skirt Trims
Although you can find many existing bustle skirts and even tons of fashion plates & designs
with little trim on the under skirts, but what would be a bustle dress that's plain? Even if
you're not in to trim, a simple, deep, pleated ruffle along the hem can add amazing depth to
your dress.
Types of trim you can add to your skirt include: all kinds
of ruffles -pleated or gathered; fabric strips – flat or
pleated, or gathered into a ruche or puff (gathering at the
top and bottom edges); braid trims on top of other trim or
fabric; ribbons – pleated, gathered or stitched on flat. Also
think about how to combine the above. A ruffle with a
deep lace on top followed by a ribbon then a braid gives
great Victorian depth to the trim. Add lace in ruffles, on
top of ruffles or peeking out from under the hem.
How to Calculate Ruffles and Where to Place Them on the Skirt:
http://historicalsewing.com/how-to-calculate-yardagefor-ruffles
http://historicalsewing.com/figuring-flounces-on1850s-skirts
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How to Calculate Pleats
http://historicalsewing.com/techniques-for-easier-pleatingin-19th-century-costuming
Where to Sew on Trim
Match your lowest ruffle hem to the hem of your skirt or
slightly above. Sew on multiple rows of ruffles either
overlapping or spaced apart with about 1" to 2" of skirt seen in between. You can even
curve your ruffles around the front like a smile on the skirt.
Sewing on trims to the skirt will take some time. You might
even get lazy here and stall. Depending on how much trim
you are applying to your skirt, it may take you a while and
even past the last week of class. We'll be moving straight into
the overskirt next
week (which generally
has trims too) then
onto the bodice. Keep
working on it and
you'll get it finished
and be beautiful!
If you feel you're starting to
fall behind, or won't be able
to finish the foundation skirt
this week, leave off the trims
for now and come back to
them.
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Homework Assignment – Time to get to work
1. Cut your underskirt following the diagrams in the pattern instructions (if you haven't
done so already).
2. Flatline the skirt panels
3. Set in the placket
4. Add a pocket if desired (bonus video)
5. Sew skirt panel seams
6. Set on the waistband and add hooks & bars for closure
7. Hem the skirt
8. Add trims – ruffles, puffs, ruches, braid, flat trims or fabric strips
Videos in This Lesson
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Flatlining & Seams in the Underskirt
Setting in a Skirt Placket
Skirt Waistband, Part 1
Skirt Waistband, Part 2
Finishing the Skirt Hem
Skirt Side Ties & Finishing
Bonus: Skirt Pocket
Happy Sewing!
~Jennifer
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