Need Help with Bustle Back

[billthepill469]

A trick to straightening the feathers

I used to crimp my spikes when I fancy danced. I used my fingernails and they got sore. You could hide the crimp marks under the hackles. I don't crimp my northern traditional Eagle bustles, I don't like the way crimping looks on eagle feathers. So here's what I do.
Get a couple of thin, wide boards. 1"x10" or 1"x12" cut to a 2' length are perfect.
Use a cotton setting on the iron. TURN OFF THE STEAM.
Test the setting on a couple of feathers that you don't mind ruining to test the heat (all irons aren't the same), and start with the inside of the quill, heat the quill, turn the feather over and run the iron on the outside of the quill.
Put the straightened feather between the 2 boards until it cools. The feather will not spring back.
Get another feather to work on.
Repeat process.
You can also use the iron to flatten out the feather barbs if they're flared.
Don't be scared, that's why you use some test feathers.
Try it, it works.

[Summer_Rain]

Pictures of the Finished Bustle

Guys, I have to be honest.... I just really finished the bustle in the last month or so. Since this Christmas, I was in the process of moving and honestly.. .I just found the time to finish the bustle. (Also, we just got high speed internet in the area I now live in so, I was finally able to upload the picture) However, here's the finish product:

[sookout sh'nob]

The way I figure it, we spent all our time making fancy hats and bags - the bustle just never took off as early as it could have.

p.s. Never say never - Anishtradish has some photos of Minnesota Ojibwe holding bustles (in his gallery) that pre-date WWII.

I'm waiting for skunk garters to come back!

I like the size of the inner bustle. It's the perfect size for me. I don't really like putting on extensions.

I'm more of a humble dancer. Actually, I prefer to dance without one, but within the minds of people, particularly the judges, bigger is gooder. Any northern dancer without a bustle is not looked at during contest. Sad isn't it - especially amongst the Great Lakes people. We never wore bustles until the late 50's/early sixties.

I better shut up. I'm too old school.

[miisko]

anish bustle...

Anishtradish, tight bustle! Not flashy, or anything just a nice tight, bustle...can't ask for anymore than that!

[spottedeagle]

Hi Guys, Honestly... I was Worn Out from working on it so hard before Christmas. I presented it to him, but I had to finish adding some "fluffs" and attaching the belt. So next weekend, Im Going to post the completed work.. I would also appreciate it any of you can give me feedback on how to finish it off once I post the pictures.

Again, thank ALL of you for helping me through my "First" Bustle"!! ...

**p.s. My Fiance' Loved it!

Glad to hear!!! LOok forward to seeing some pictures of it!!

[Summer_Rain]

Pictures of the Completed Bustle... next weekend

Hi Guys, Honestly... I was Worn Out from working on it so hard before Christmas. I presented it to him, but I had to finish adding some "fluffs" and attaching the belt. So next weekend, Im Going to post the completed work.. I would also appreciate it any of you can give me feedback on how to finish it off once I post the pictures.

Again, thank ALL of you for helping me through my "First" Bustle"!! ...

**p.s. My Fiance' Loved it!

[spottedeagle]

Nice looking round bustle anishtradish!!!!

[anishtradish]

Glad I was of some use summer. Now we wanna see pics of him wearing the bustle :)


I just finished my new bustle, little bit bigger than what I wanted, but I'll change it around eventualy.

[spottedeagle]

So how did he like his new bustle?????

[Summer_Rain]

Yeah, these guys have been unbelievably GREAT with helping me. And I am Forever Greatfull!!

Its down to "Crunch Time"... only 4 days left.

Im pretty confident in what I will present to him (Especially after I "re-did" it hhaahaa)

Thank You again Guys.. Youve been So helpful

Blessings to You ALL!!

[soopashinaab]

Old school all the way!! I don't use a bustle either. I reside in Lac du Flambeau, Ojibwe all the way!!

I like the size of the inner bustle. It's the perfect size for me. I don't really like putting on extensions.

I'm more of a humble dancer. Actually, I prefer to dance without one, but within the minds of people, particularly the judges, bigger is gooder. Any northern dancer without a bustle is not looked at during contest. Sad isn't it - especially amongst the Great Lakes people. We never wore bustles until the late 50's/early sixties.

I better shut up. I'm too old school.

[Kiwehnzii]

I like the size of the inner bustle. It's the perfect size for me. I don't really like putting on extensions.

I'm more of a humble dancer. Actually, I prefer to dance without one, but within the minds of people, particularly the judges, bigger is gooder. Any northern dancer without a bustle is not looked at during contest. Sad isn't it - especially amongst the Great Lakes people. We never wore bustles until the late 50's/early sixties.

I better shut up. I'm too old school.

[soopashinaab]

What I do is, you have all of your feathers strung up on a shoe lace at the ends of the feathers/extentions if ur using them, where you have the loops (people call these boots).

Then on your backboard, you drill 2 holes, probably right below where the wires come out, that you put each end of the shoelace thruogh, and tie them together in the back, that hooks the feathers onto the backboard, then you hook your first feathers, onto the spikes that are on the wires.

So then your feathers should be hanging upright suspended from your two spikes, and some people just leave it like that,

but what I do is on the backboard, I drill a bunch of small holes in the form of a circle, however big the circle of feathers strung up makes, then I take a seperate string, and i go in and out of the holes in the back, locking the strung up feather bases down.


This pic shows how the feathers are strung up to the base, and are just hanging loose from the 2 main spikes, the bases arn't tied down, but you see 2 rows of holes, becuase it's a double row bustle, and I take it appart and fold it up for travel, so I use wax string everytime I hook it down to the base, and just cut it loose again when I travel.



This is the back of one of my oldstyle bustles, you can see where I used the wax thread to tie down the feather base, and I just string my belt right through the wires, then I tie my spreader right through the belt.





thats the front of that one.


then this is the big bustle put together, with both rows,


then this is my other big one

I like the small round bustle, I like the use of the different kinds of birds you used. Seems like the new trend is really big bustles, we've all seen them 6' wide and 10' tall. You do some killer work.

[soopashinaab]

Bustle building 101

I really enjoyed reading this forum I really like how you guys have handled Summer Rain and her questions, the second attempt at a bustle looks much nicer than the first (no disrespect intended), nothing worse than someone out in the arena struttin with some halfa$$ed attempt at regalia. I like the way the bustle is turning out, I hope your fiance likes the hard work you are putting into it. Good luck!!

[billyjoejimbob]

i just put it on medium and try a few practrice feathers. hard to say exact.

it takes a lot of heat to mess up a feather.