Possibly it was the granddaughter of the original dress owner who saw the potential of converting the substantial amount of 1840s skirt fabric into an 1880s basque. Apparently, the fabric from the original bodice was needed to complete the job.
It is likely that the same new plain teal fabric used to trim the basque's back bustle tabs and other details, was also used to make a bustle skirt. With the addition of a long front panel using the remaining figured leaf silk, the result would been a very successful makeover with the pattern / plain fabric mix fashionable at the time. In the bustle skirt’s absence, it can only be imagined.
