An Elizabethan Corset with a Wheel Farthingale
and supporting “Bum Roll”

Instruction for this can be found in chapter 12 on page 58 of "Women's Dress 1500-1800".
Drafting and Sewing Time: approx. 35 hours.

The Wheel Farthingale would have been worn over the tabs or "tassets" of the corset, this is not the case in the photo as we wished to expose the all of the corset details.

The corset may appear to be identical to the Early Tudor one but it in fact has somewhat different dimensions even though the construction technique is much the same. This corset is shorter, the bottom edge at side and back do not reach as low as the natural waistline. The silhouette is somewhat bowed at the front with a horizontal bone sewn across the chest on the inside, this detail is not possible to see in these photos. The mannequins we have used are styrofoam and in no way conform to the corset

The Wheel Farthingale was seen by the 1590's and requires an understructure to help it maintain the horizontal lines that defy gravity. This understructure was known as a "Bum Roll" and can be seen in slightly earlier Elizabethan Farthingales in a somewhat different shape, some came right around the abdomen and were the precursor to the Wheel Farthingale. One theory is that the Wheel Farthingale came about to solve the problem of the increasing weight that developed as the stuffed Bum Rolls got excessively, larger. If you wish to see this type of "bum roll" in a moderate size, please go to the page for Simplicity's Elizabethan Costume found in the "Period Costume" section. The "bum roll" pictured here is much smaller, the only padding is at the back and it is tied around the waist with a ribbon or twill tape. The Wheel Farthingale is then put on over top of it where earlier "Bum Rolls" were worn over top of the Spanish Farthingales. This photo shows the top of the Wheel Farthingale without any skirt. It is best to attach a skirt with at least one hoop near the bottom edge as this will stop your over dress from caving in toward the legs of the wearer. The Wheel Farthingale was called such as it was circular in shape and had supports much like spokes extending from the waist to the outer edge. The outer dress dropped straight from the wheel circumference to just above the ankle and to keep this straight drop, particularly when the actress is walking, you need the lower hoop. Since we have left off the lower hoop you can see the bum roll beneath, a full Wheel Farthingale can be seen in the Photo Album and is listed as a "Doll Farthingale".

In order to attain the proper shape for the circumference of the Wheel Farthingale the best steel to use is item #50-8001-96 the 7/16" spiral bones. The spiral steel can create the circular shape and still lay flat rather than standing on it's edge, this gives the top a softer ridge free look and allows the front to dip downwards easily. This large spiral steel ribbon can be tipped with item #91-8016-11 the large "U" tips, to prevent any raw ends from poking through the fabric. The spokes, which are on the underside of the "wheel" and cannot be seen in these photos, are made using the most rigid spring steel. In the case of these half-scale models we used item #50-8206-10 but for the full-scale version you could use item #50-8406-14 and cut it to the required lengths and tip the ends with item #91-8016-11 (or just use more bone of the #50-8206- series). The opening is at center front and it has been closed with ties, large snaps would be more appropriate for theatrical use as it would keep the center fronts lined up without risk of "overlapping"; a natural tendency of steel when in a hoop shape.

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