(photos below)
Patterns Used:
– Inspired by Jenny La Fleur’s photos.
– Update: Ruffle overlay addition inspired by Rococo Atelier’s Post.
Fabrics Used:
– White cotton.
Other Materials Used:
– White thread.
– White bias tape.
– White twill tape.
– Polyester fiberfill.
Machine sewing.
This was my second attempt at making padding for later 18th century outfits. My first version was more of a bum roll, but along with being over stuffed, it was too large for what I needed. I decided to go with this style, using the stitches across the pad to help keep it flatter.
I looked at the link above (see “Patterns used”), and based off of my own measurements followed the shape loosely to achieve what I felt might work for my needs. It helped to see her false rump on the dress form to guess the sort of padding I might need for my outfits.
Each attempt only took one day to make. I’m not sure yet if I need to make another to iron out any flaws, but we’ll see.
Updated: I decided I wasn’t as pleased with the oomph I was getting from the false rump. Inspired by Rococo Atelier’s post (see link above under “Patterns”), I decided to make some changes to my false rump. I also wanted to be able to go back to the original in case it didn’t work out.
At the last minute, I ripped the seams open at the bottom of the false rump and filled it with more of the fiber filling. I wish I had added a little more to the centermost panel. I really packed the sides/hip sections and was happier with them. I was just a little nervous about how much would throw off the hem length of petticoats. As it turned out, I didn’t have to worry about it.
I opted for several rows of narrow ruffles, and I mounted them onto a base that was tacked on to the false rump. I wanted to be able to easily remove the ruffles quickly if needed.
I have some buckling issues with the overlay, but the effect is nice enough that I’ll keep it. I was very happy with the results, and in the future I will add ruffles to help soften edges on foundation garments. I still have a hard time knowing how much stuffing to use — my very first stuffed project, I felt I over-stuffed, and now I’m having issues not stuffing them enough. Ha! See below for added photos.
Photos of False Rump:
Nothing special (it was a quick project), but hopefully it will do the job.
I am not sure how it looks on me with stays and petticoats yet, but it might be close enough to give the proper fullness I need for now.
You can see where the ruffle overlay is buckling a little. It was difficult to attach the overlay smoothly (plus, I was rushed). The false rump buckles a little until it’s stretched out. Regardless, it now does the job a little better.
I did a few rows of narrow ruffles, and I didn’t base the layout on anything specific. I just wanted to test an idea out. I’ll admit, I’ve had a craving to do something ruffly and fun, and this was a nice way to get that out of my system! 😉 I also was serging the edges of the ruffles with my old serger when it stopped working. I finished the rest of the ruffles with the new serger. This was a good, simple project to test out a new machine.
This is my “honey, please stop taking photos of me and finish getting ready so we can leave” miserable look. Heheh! You can see the extra oomph I’m now getting with the added fiberfilling and ruffles. I wish I had thought to take a photo of me leaning over slightly. The ruffles definitely help soften that edge between foundation and nothing. I also have two petticoats on under the chemise a la reine.
