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The Mantua-Maker 1880’s Bustle

Four similarly constructed bustles in different sizes.

I chose to build the largest bustle that dates from around 1884-86. The construction technique is somewhat similar to the other two but all three create very different silhouettes.

I have limited experience with the Mantua-Maker's patterns but have found that the few I have used are extremely well drafted. When I first opened this pattern I thought some angles were a bit odd but I went ahead with little concern due my positive past experiences.

The end result is a very flat top bustle that is structurally sound. I do not however like the fullness of the side panels and would distribute the gathers differently next time. Like the Patterns of History bustle this too is marked as "One Size Fits All" however, this one seems to be a better fit for the larger woman and would swamp me. You do have to consider the time period when choosing a bustle, there were times when they were quite oversized and times when they were quite small. I think that one thing to consider may be the "breadth of the bum" that you are working with. Both the Patterns of History bustle and the Mantua Maker bustle have laced structures underneath which allows for some adjustment in this area. For photos of the insides of these bustles see our Bustle Shapes Comparisons page.

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A cutting layout is provided and includes layout for all pieces including bias strips for bone casing. This pattern is designed for historic authenticity and I tend to look for quicker easier ways as my background is theatre. As a result my layout was quite different, I used twill tape rather than cutting bias strips and cut the ruffle on the straight grain rather than on the bias. This decreased the yardage substantially to only 1meter. I also did not cut both sides and back using the selvages as suggested.

I did as the pattern suggested and stitched sides to back pieces using 1" seam allowances. Note that the side panels will end just above the last casing. Rather than setting grommets into this seam allowance I turned the raw edges ½" in toward each other and pressed the seam closed.

I then took lacing tape and inserted the seam allowance edge between the two fabric seam allowances, pinned it into place and pried out one eyelet from the top of each strip as they would interfere with the seam allowance along the top. At the bottom I neatly tucked the raw edge in and hand stitched it. Using a zipper foot I machine stitched the lacing tape into place.

Prior to stitching the centre back I marked all casings on both back pieces as they could lie flat at this time. The instructions suggest marking the casings after the seam is sewn. While this would be a bit more difficult it does mean that the lines on both sides are sure to match. This is something you need to take care about if you mark the casing before stitching. I also did not use the welt seam but serged (gasp) the seam allowances together. I opted for this method due to the extreme angles that were involved and a desire to keep these areas as neat as possible. So, I stitched the seam, serged the seam allowances together, pressed them to one side, notched the curve where needed and then top stitched just inside the serging from the outside. The finished look from the outside is the same as it would be had I followed the pattern instructions.

After this the pattern says to bind the side skirts and back lower edge. I had done a rolled hem on the side panels earlier as I did not see how it could be done easily after they were attached. I found the bottom edge of the back too small to deal with and so I just serged it and attached a ruffle (but not until after I had sewn on all the casings). If I had turned up the bottom edge I would not have had room to attach the ruffle.

I attached my casings (twill tape) as the pattern stated, going only as far as the side seam. I cut the steels as stated but rather than applying "U" tips I used our plastic tips, first cutting off the tab. The steel I used was #50-8405-10 and the tips are #91-8016-11. I applied the waist band as stated and used 9mm wide twill tape for ties.

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