Because after much thought it occurred to me that flat sprung coils used for drain snakes might be perfect - and have the bonus of being closest modern equivalent to what cage crinolines were made of.
I searched every local $2 shop with no luck, only to find the type of drain snake I needed at Mitre10 - $12 for a 4.5 metre coil.
I bought one just to try, and it works perfectly, holds it shape but is also flexible. But my petticoat has 4 channels, so I'd need to buy 2 more drain snakes, putting the project well over budget.
I'll have to think about this. I was hoping to get my whole 1863 outfit done for under $40.
making my crinoline petticoat hybrid - stage 2 |