While I didn’t do much research into the bustle pad, I did find two examples of what I think are referenced to be home made bustle pads from the V&A. V&A Bustle Pad 1 V&A Bustle Pad 2. There are suggestions in a book I have, Costume for Stage and Screen, that suggest using a bustle pad for that silhouette.
So what I did was simply to create a D shape (it’s curved a bit in the part that would sit against my back) from two pieces of twill. I then added ruffled lace all over the top edge, of the top piece, and on the edge of the bottom to form the lace that will go around the outside edge. I then simply stitched it around the C part, and in a few inches on either side of the part that goes against my back, clipped my corners, turned and stuffed it with polyfill, sewed up the opening and simply stitched a legnth of twill tape for the waist band along the edge that goes to my back, and I was done. This took me less than a day to make…with a 3 year old around, and having to go to work.
