Ratty, I love the suggestion of using a bedskirt as a bustle; thank you for sharing it. I have an 1860's-style polonaise underskirt that I managed to get for $5 at a costume sale because the overskirt is missing. The front and sides actually look fine, but the back exposes an expanse of muslin the seamstress used so the striped fabric would go further and they could buy less.
I thought at the time "I'll figure something out".
So I kept putting it off, but I might take care of it using a bedskirt bustle.
