Hmmm. The book I was reading on dress-making kept saying to bone the linings, but if people didn't really do it, that's something to consider. I've been thinking in terms of not requiring the chiffon to hold the lining or taffeta layers up - as though they should be mostly self-supporting. That, and I was trying to fit the lining alone without anything over the shoulders and gravity was definitely working against me. Perhaps I need to fit the chiffon layer first and then work backward from there.

Thanks for the links. Pictures, patterns, and text in one place is excellent.