SEWING WITH VELVET
With its lustrous sheen and soft pile, velvet is the epitome of luxury. However, it does come with the (not entirely undeserved) reputation of being tricky to sew.
The name “velvet” applies to fabrics woven in a particular way, regardless of the composition of the fabric. In a process dating back to the Middle Ages, velvet fabric is comprised of a woven base which holds the pile. Originally made from pure silk, velvet is now predominantly made from polyester, rayon, silk and various blends. There are quite a few types of velvets including crushed, stretch, embossed (a pattern is stamped into the pile) and devore, where the pile is cut away to reveal a pattern.
There are two other fabrics which are similar to velvet - velveteen and velour. The main difference between the three is the length of the pile. Velveteen has a very short pile, velour is intermediate and velvet is the longest. Velveteen is heavier than velvet and has less shine and drape, whilst velour is stretchier than velvet. Many of the sewing techniques used for velvet can be applied to the two other fabrics.
When sewing velvet, it is of the utmost importance that you carefully select a suitable pattern and fabric for your chosen project. Gathers and soft folds emphasise velvet’s excellent draping qualities, but design details such as top stitching and darts should be avoided, as the fabric pile can be damaged.
The pile of velvet fabric has a definite direction, called the “nap”. You can feel the direction of the nap by running your hand down the fabric. It is usual to make velvet garments with the nap running downwards, so it’s essential to make sure all fabric pieces are cut in the same direction. Pattern pieces also need to be laid out on the wrong side of the fabric and in a single layer, as the pile on the right side make it difficult to pin and cut. Tailor’s racks are the best way to mark dots and other pattern points, preferably made using silk thread.
The most challenging part of making a velvet garment is sewing the fabric pieces together. There are lots of techniques to cover, so we’ll leave that for another post …
If you’re keen to try your hand at sewing velvet, we teach this in our Couture Sewing Techniques class.