New project - Lisa

I am making a black skirt with a more steampunk feel.  I have the basic skirt made and have made a band of pleats around the bottom.  Now I'm fiddling around with additional decoration.  I've pinned together a couple of ideas.  And I'm having trouble deciding....
I plan to have two rows of velvet ribbon, and the gathers above them (the pleats beneath the ribbon are really hard to see - black on black).  Should I add the strip of lace between the ribbons?  It's really pretty.  It's a lot of work if the pretty is nearly impossible to see.

Right now I'm leaning toward the pretty.
I have a little time to think it over since I haven't finished the petticoat yet. I also plan to let the white lace at the bottom of the petticoat peek out a bit beneath the skirt.  Is that a bit 'twee' for a woman of my 'experience'?  Yes.  And I just don't care.  Feel free to disagree! 

I have a couple of different top options planned, which I will post when I have all the fabric.  I'll just say that one is posh, one sort of military and one very librarian.

R says: More! More! Victorians did not have our sense of restraint when it came to frou-frous on the clothing.  Our modern sensibilities dictate "When in doubt, remove an item" but in that time it was "When in doubt, add more!" At least that's what it looks like in the fashion plates I've seen.  Go for it, Lisa.  Add as much decoration as that skirt can hold but rest assured you will never seem "twee".

The first of many photos - Dickens

Here, in this grainy pictures, we are strolling the Dickens Faire.  We have clearer pictures of us, along with the other outfits we put together, but not available...at this moment.  Robin was the dream of many young girls with her lovely crinoline, and she was well photographed.  And finally, for my part, Heather's patterns were fantastic.  The instructions were logical and everything fit together.  My biggest problems were all of my own making.  Truly Victorian