How I Get The Best From Velvets - a sewing post

Tuesday 25 March 2014
Chateaux Style Curtains...super posh!
I love stitching luxurious fabrics, it gives that extra special finish to your work. Over the years I have used silks, jacquards and of course velvet!

After last week's Great British Sewing Bee I was asked over on twitter to share my experiences of working with velvets.

Velvet's come in a variety of weights from dress making to furnishing weights and some are heavy, heavy, heavy. Great for a work out on those arms!

Here are my tips....

  • The best way to get the best from your fabric is to drape it in the shop first to check the weight and feel. I did this when buying the green velvet for the curtains in the piccie. These were HEAVY and just what we wanted for our patio doors!!
  • Always check your fabric for the amount to buy including nap. This is the right way your fabric should hang. If you brush up your fabric you will see the pile change colour. Make sure that you buy enough to ensure your nap runs the same way on all pieces. It usually tells you on a commercial pattern. It would be awful if you sew a dress, which when you wear it, it goes a different colour from panel! Nap is the secret!
  • Press, press, press! always with a pressing cloth. When you make up your velvet..to protect the nap, press with a cloth.
  •  Be care with your stitches as the unpicking can look very messy. I always steam any unpicking before I stitch again.

And my last one...It will fray as the velvet pile when cut does make a mess. Keep your work area tidy!! Saying that velvet is so worth the effort.

Velvet I truly love you. 

Cannot wait for tonight's Sewing Bee..it's Vintage. Whoop!

BBFN,

Samantha x

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