A Bridesmaid's Bustle

My oldest and dearest friend, K, doesn't sew. Well, that's not true. She can hem a pair of pants and reattach a button. But that's pretty much it. So when I asked her to be a bridesmaid in my Victorian wedding, it was with the knowledge that I would be making her dress, along with all the underpinnings. 

K loves red and black. I did her corset in a red and black rose brocade (finished in a hurry for her birthday, so no pictures!). When it came time to tackle the bustle, I decided black was boring, so I went for a vibrant red. I used Truly Victorian TV108, the petticoat bustle so I wouldn't need to make a separate petticoat.

Front

Side

Back. So. Many. Ruffles. 

K is a tiny thing so I shortened the pattern so much I lost an entire tier of ruffles. I also extended the bottom ruffle around the entire hem since there won't be a second petticoat. 

And a sneak peek of the untrimmed but otherwise completed dress (she's doing her final fitting tomorrow): 

More photos tomorrow when I have her in it!