How To Sew A Bum Roll

This bum roll pattern is suitable for the 18th century and early Victorian era (1830s and 1840s) particularly for working class wear. It creates a fashionable bell-shape, especially when you wear it with tucked and corded petticoats.

What Materials Do I Need For A Bum Roll?

You’ll Need:

pre-washed, ordinary cotton fabric – white or unbleached (for example cretonne or calico)
stuffing
cotton twill tape – white or unbleached
cotton sewing thread

What Stuffing Should I Use For My Bum Roll?

As stuffing for your bum roll, you can either use historically correct natural stuffing like cotton batting, kapok fill, sawdust, cork – e.g. cut wine corks – and natural fluffy materials like dried thistle fluff or cattail fluff; or you can use modern stuffing like polyester stuffing.

1. Make a pattern out of paper: Draw a big crescent shape big enough to go around your waist.

2. Cut out the pattern twice from cotton fabric.

3. With right sides together, sew the long seams closed. Leave a small opening at the waist seam for stuffing the bum roll. Clip the seam allowances at the waist seam. Then turn the hip pad inside out.

4. Now stuff the bum pad. And sew the opening closed with overhand or mattress stitches by hand.

5. Attach twill tapes to the tapering ends of the bum roll to tie the bum roll around your hips. Or bind the waist seam with twill tape leaving the ends long enough to tie the bum pad.

If you have questions, please don‘t hesitate to ask them in the comments below.