Advice on a better, slightly more HA bottom?

[theChuck]

If you're worried about the gap, you could probably get Pendragon to shorten the panes a bit.  My wife has a dress from them, and they have done repairs on it for free.  They usually have to ship it out to California to do this though, so the turn around time might be a few weeks.

That's good to know. Might send it to them during the summer (between the spring and fall fairs) to see if they can do that.

Also, if you're good with a needle, it probably wouldn't be too difficult to sew another lining inside of your breeches so that you can stuff them.  You might even be able to just pin some stuffing on the inside so that they poof out more.

Rowen MacD recommended tulle as a stuffing material; would you agree, or is there another material you'd think? (Hay or straw is probably going to be less than pleasant.)

[Ser Niall]

Rowen MacD recommended tulle as a stuffing material; would you agree, or is there another material you'd think? (Hay or straw is probably going to be less than pleasant.)

Yes, tulle is definitely the way to go.  It's cheap, light, and holds it's shape.  I use it as stuffing for my own slops; I think I used a yard in total (1/2 yard for each leg).

[DonaCatalina]

I'll second using the tulle for stuffing because it doesn't make the pants hotter the way that cushion stuffing would.