(Not Fest Related) - Hoop Skirt not sitting properly!

[Naween]

Hi Ladies,
I normally wouldn't post this here, but I'm having issues with my wedding dress my sister is making for me! It's a big-butted pouf skirt with layers of lace, pleats, and taffeta. Ie, it's so heavy that its making my hoop skirts push forward.
From googling online it seems a bum pad might help, but i did a quick test of one and the bottom hoops are still swaying forwards.

What can I do, weigh the front of my skirts down with fishing weights?


(I'll try and post pics on the weekend if it will help...the dress is at my sisters)

[isabelladangelo]

It sounds like there is a lot of weight in the back, forcing it forward.  I'd like to see a picture before making a recommendation, really.   There could be any number of things forcing the skirt forward -including simply the way you stand!   A bustle could help but only if it's a weight issue.

[Naween]

Thanks isabella, I'll try and grab a pic tomorrow night or saturday morning.
The overskirt of the dress has 3 large poufs down the back, and two poufs on each side, with pleats and 10" beaded alencon lace inserted between the poufs. Each pouf has gathered netting to give it the oomph, so it's really the weight of the lace thats the biggest contributing factor.
The skirts are VERY similar to this one:


As for the way I stand....yes, i have a very bad sway back and tend to stand with my pelvis tilted down (like a bowl spilling forward), which also thrusts out my butt. I need to improve my posture.

[gem]

Maybe hoops aren't the best support for the skirt? Maybe something with greater support all the way around (like a cage crinoline?) would better distribute the weight of the skirts so they don't collapse inward and forward. Also, I'm wondering if something that's more oval than round (like 18th century supports) would help.

[LadyStitch]

This is spit ballling here but, could you add a "bustel" petticote over the hoops to help keep the shape?
I would second the cage crinolin idea that Gem had.  Yes it is a bigger pain, but the style of dress is simular to late 1800's with more oof in the back. Having more ridgid support back there might help.   If it is more weight on the sides look at pocket hoops.

[mehan]

Throwing a thought out here (for those that actually sew, I don't) - but she doesn't mention what type of hoop.   If it is one of those single (bottom) hoops wouldn't that make a difference? 

[Naween]

Hi Ladies,
I've tried two different hoops with the dress.
One is an assymetrical (eg longer in the back) hoop skirt that has two hoops, one at the bottom and one at mid-height.
The other is a 4?5?6? hoop round skirt. Both have the same problem.


While I have the pattern for a cage crinoline, I cant find a local source for hoop steel.
My wedding is August 12....

[Naween]

Ie, my crinoline looks alot like this one, but with only two hoops - one at midway, and one at the bottom.
I tried adding a bum pad, it helps a bit but not fully.
I looked at simplicity pattern 7216 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B004EUG1PA/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=2617941011&s=arts-crafts)  that suggests using a "control panel" to help prevent this "tipping" of the crinoline, which someone comment was similar to this pattern http://trulyvictorian.com/catalog/103.html, but while it keeps the top hoops from tipping, the bottom one still is pushing forward. These are spring steel hoops btw, not rigilene or plastic boning.

Also, is the only difference between a hooped crinoline and a cage crinoline whether or not there is fabric between the hoops? Not sure if I'm missing something here...and does having the fabric between the hoops really make any difference to how it sits?

I keep wondering if i should add more hoops to it, but i dont see how that would stop the bottom hoops from swaying forward under the weight?

[gem]

This is exactly what I was thinking of in my first post, and the description is why:

Our Elliptical shape is narrow over the hips, close to the body in front, and dramatically expanded to the rear.... The self-supporting, elliptical shape is maintained by strategically placed vertical supports, as well as ties on the inside of the 4 top hoops.

It's that shape--wide at the back but close in front--and the "strategically placed vertical supports" that I think will help with the issue you're having.

It looks like yours already has a similar shape (?); perhaps bolstering the vertical support is what's called for here.

[Naween]

I took another good look at the hoop skirt today - while it is cut to the same shape, it had the hoops slanting downward towards the back of the hoop...which was causing the problem.

I've started sewing purely horizontal casing sfor hoops, and its already behaving better!
We'll see how it goes...

[Naween]

Well, think its time to cry and give up on the wedding dress of my dreams (two days til the wedding).

Built an elliptical crinoline cage like the previous poster showed...it too collapsed and swung out under teh weight.

[Rani Zemirah]

Have you tried some serious padding UNDER the cage, covering your rear, so that the cage CAN'T swing forward?  It might not be the most comfortable thing you've ever worn, and you probably wouldn't have a prayer of sitting down in it (like you could sit in that, anyway...), but just about anything is worth a try at this point, right?

Or even strapping the front of the cage behind your legs...  I know, out there, but with two days to go, and only one wedding dress, I think I'd be trying everything I could think of.  I wonder if you could somehow even... remove the front of the cage so there's nothing there to be pushed out?  Just close off the back of the cage so that it would hit the backs of your legs and have no where else to go...  

Not really practical, I know... just throwing ideas out there in hopes they might spark your own imagination to come up with a solution, I guess.  I have no real experience with these things, though, and I'm sure the amazing seamstresses here will have far better advice for you.  GOOD LUCK!!!  

[Kate XXXXXX]

Well, think its time to cry and give up on the wedding dress of my dreams (two days til the wedding).

Built an elliptical crinoline cage like the previous poster showed...it too collapsed and swung out under teh weight.

What did you use for hooping?  You need heavy gauge flat steel hoop boning.

[Naween]

I was using 3/4 in steel strapped from a hardware store.

[Adriana Rose]

Try strapping a pillow to your bum! that may give it support.

Im not a pro like a lot of these ladies are but can you 86 the hoop altogeather? You and your sister are the only ones who know it will be a tad limp. And use a straight up crinolin to give the poof, maybe add a ton of extra tulle to it for the lift?

Dont panic sweetie you will be beautiful!