I am in the middle of working on a replica of another Vionnet dress. This one is #28 in Betty Kirke’s book and the Bunka Fashion College book. Betty Kirke noted that the key feature of this bias dress are the twisted sleeves that are cut as one with the back part of the bodice.

The dress also has some triangular cuts in the bodice that create seams across adjacent planes and require sewing reverse corners, which I will share more in another post. I want to share how I finished the wide neckline of this bodice. I used an applied selvage edge, which was a special finish used by Vionnet.

I have not seen this finish in any other sewing manuals. I learned about it from an article in Threads Magazine (#147), “The Couture Techniques of Madeleine Vionnet” by Sandra Ericson (Feb/Mar 2010).

It is a great finish/facing to a neckline or another garment edge that is not deeply curved. It is lightweight, lies very flat, and provides support to the edge.

Here are the steps to applying this technique:

Cut selvage edge plus 3/8 inch from fashion fabric.

Fold the selvage edge strip along its length with a bit of the fabric (1/16th -1/8th) at the crease, lightly press.

Place the folded strip (right side up) on the right side of the garment, with the edge of the selvage strip and the edge of the garment extending in the same direction. Align the folded edge of the strip, with the seamline of the garment. Pin or hand baste in place.

Sew the strip by machine 1/16th-1/8th from folded edge. Trim the seam allowances of the garment only (do not cut the selvage).

Turn and press. Picture below shows the wrong side of the garment with the selvage facing pressed back.

There will be a slight piped edge of the fabric from the selvage strip that appears at the edge of the neckline on the right side of the garment .

In progress bodice with applied selvage edge finish at neckline.