Figure 5aa shows another view of the base with
bent wire in place. Wire coat hanger works well
for support and is easily bent with pliers. As
indicated in the sketch, the top hole is for tying
the bent wire in place with a little waxed cord.
Use a pair of pliers to bend the wire over upon
itself to form a loop. One can wrap the wire with
colored electrical tape to decorate it to match the
colors in the bustle. As the loop is formed, wrap
the wire with tape to secure the end of the wire in
place.  The bridle strings can be tied directly to the
wire loop or passed through these loops and tied
together between them. Pulling the bridle string
up tighter will lift the entire ring of feathers to
project them out away from the wearer.

       A quick and easy method for fastening the
bridle strings between the uprights, or directly to
the upright loop, is a fishing swivel. Secure the
bridle string to the looped end of the swivel. The
clasped ends will connect to each other directly
between the uprights or to the loop in a pigtail
wire (See Figure 5bb).
Figure 5aa:

A – The first feather of the bustle
B – Upright spikes
C – Wire posts. Upright spikes are tied to the
wire posts
D – Leather ties at base of the upright spikes tied
at the back of the base.
E – Leather ties that string the bustle feathers
together       and tie at the back of the base.
F – Center rosette tied in place.
Excerpt from Ch. 5; Tips for Contemporary Traditional Bustles
Figure 5bb: Pigtail loop in
wire upright with swivel
connected directly to the loop.
       As the sketch in Figure 5bb indicates, the pigtail
wire serves a dual purpose as connections for the bridle
string and for placement of the upright spikes. Again,
use pliers to bend the wire into a full loop about an
inch and a half above the top of the base and leave a few
inches of excess wire projecting upward. The hollow
shaft of the spikes can slide down over this upright
wire.  

       In the figure above, the upright spikes are shown
attached to the base by way of a single leather thong
wrapped to the base of the feather extension. Each
leather strap is passed through additional holes drilled
in the base and tied in the back. The extension is held in
the upright position by tying it directly to the wire post.
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