More on the Skirt and Train/Bustle

 I had to change the design of the train after making a few realizations about what I'm actually going to be doing with this dress:  wearing it in an elementary school all day long.  A school, for those who may not know, is a place where small people vomit on the carpet with surprising frequency.  They are also constantly spilling things, as do I, especially when eating lunch there.  Children also don't watch where they walk, and I have to navigate around a variety of obstacles and school items dropped on the floor, hence the decision not to have a big, beautiful train like the inspiration dress.  I probably should have thought more about this when I chose a dress--a walking dress would have been a much better choice for school.  Oh well, just changing the bustle/train a bit will make it more practical.  I did tie it up with ribbons and rings, so if I wanted, I could let the length of the train out for a special occasion.  I didn't make it nearly as large though, so it wouldn't quite have the same effect as the original anyway.

Draping the train.  I have a buckram-like material sewn in along the top to give extra stiffness.  Why not use regular buckram?  Because our fine city has only quilt stores, a Ben Franklins, and a JoAnns.  They didn't even know what buckram is.  I found a type of backed burlap that had a similar feel to it (think of burlap stuck to one of those plastic table clothes and that's about what it is).

Pulled up using six rings sewn to the underside of the train and tied to ribbons on the skirt.  The ribbons can be untied and the train let down.  I did leave it a little long though (the dress form is up a few inches taller than me to make it easier to work on at the moment), so that you at least get the idea of the train, without as much opportunity for damage.

Adding on the last big green piece.  I had just enough fabric left for this little addendum to the overskirt.  It was almost like I knew what I was doing and had measured correctly!  I had draped it in muslin first, then used that to cut out this last piece.  The muslin was then used to back it.  I added in a few pleats where the original was gathered slightly.  The thickness of this fabric laid more nicely that way.  The whole thing is in need of a good pressing at this point!  I still need to add the large swath of lace and the side panels to the front of the train.

I did finish off the closure for the bodice earlier.  I couldn't find smaller grommet anything in town (not a big surprise), and so went with the less-awesome eyelets instead.  The bonus is that I already had these, the down side is that they don't have a nice finished backside like the grommets do.  Oh well, so one will see the back-side but me.  I do plan on putting in some kind of placket behind so you can't see through; probably just a very simple flap.  There doesn't seem to be one in the original, so I'll wait and see if it is necessary once the lace layers have been added.  I also had taken the corset off the dress frame to use, so it's not quite laced up correctly in the photo.