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How to Sew a Tulle Bustle Onto a Skirt

In the Victorian age, bustles were substantial, wire pieces, but today's bustles are generally made of tulle. Some modern styles have bustles worn over skirts, but most wear tulle bustles under their skirts. Tulle bustles are made in layers, with the largest number of layers at the top near the waistband so that there is more fullness at the top of the bustle. To permanently attach a bustle to a dress, sew it onto the dress.

Things You'll Need

Several yards of tulle
1 yard of 1-inch ribbon in a color that matches the tulle
Matching thread
Sewing machine
Skirt
Straight pins
Seam ripper

Instructions

- 1
  Measure your waist. Take half the measurement of your waist, add four inches and cut the ribbon to that length.
- 2
  Cut the bottom layer of the bustle using half the waist measure as the width. Use several layers of tulle. The number of layers depends on how much volume you want in the bustle. Pin to the ribbon, centering the tulle on the ribbon, leaving 2 inches of ribbon on each side of the tulle. Stitch with a running stitch.
- 3
  Cut the next layer of bustle 4 to 6 inches shorter than the first, but the same width. Pin and stitch as you did the bottom layer.
- 4
  Continue with additional layers until you have reached the desired height. Secure all layers to the ribbon with a zigzag stitch through the layers and the ribbon.
- 5
  Use a seam ripper to undo the waistband from the skirt at the back of the skirt.
- 6
  Pin the bustle to the skirt, with the wrong side of the bustle on the right side of the skirt. The top ribbon should be in the waistband and not visible when viewing the skirt from the outside. Stitch the bustle to the skirt.
- 7
  Reattach the waistband by stitching it back onto the skirt, with the bustle's ribbon inside the waistband. Finish as necessary with handstitching or machine stitching to close the waistband over the skirt.

Sewing