Courtois dress: bodice construction, part III

Here we go again, it's Courtois project time. I've been working on the bodice, little bits and pieces every day and so far I have:
-sewn in the bone casings and put in bones on each seam and the front darts of the jacket
-determined the method for making the front of the jacket to look like the original portrait; I'm sure there are many different ways to do this, I chose to copy and apply the fastenings used in this extant gown.
-faced the front and side piece hem of the jacket and
-turned in and stiched the back piece and pleat hems
-sewn on the waistband

I still have to
-sew hooks and eyes on centre front edges
-finish the centre front panel (the back of the panel, to be more precise)
-sew that panel on the jacket and sew hooks and possibly yarn loops to attach it
-set in the shirred pieces on the neckline and make a small collar (onto which I can then baste the lace)
-make the sleeves
-trim the overskirt with a pleated fringe and ribbon loops

Here are some photos I took this evening. I think I might have laced the corset a bit tighter than before, since the jacket suddenly has odd fit issues on the side back waist.

Here you can really see the beautiful violet undertones of the fabric

Ok, so it looks like I have less waist definition when I wear a corset than when I don't. Odd. Or it might just be the jacket. There is some strange fit issue on (my) left side, towards the back that I can't really figure out, mostly because I can't reach back wearing the whole get-up and fix it myself.

It's weird, when I wear the corset, I feel very short-necked, because the corset pushes stuff upwards (and down). I feel that I have to make more of an effort to keep my posture good and my shoulders back and down than without the corset. Apparently it doesn't show on the outside.

The front panel. I chose to make it with smocking because I like sewing smocking and it gives a very similar look as in the portrait. I sewed in piping around all the edges, to control the strechiness of the smocked piece.