Burda Style For people who sew

Velvet is a really ornery fabric to work with, but if you follow a few rules and inconveniences, you can create beautiful garments with it!

Technique Materials

silk velvet

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  Nov 9, 2008, 10.36 AMby ajdica

  Smooth, pure cotton velvet should tolerate normal ironing-on the back of the fabric of course, even full steam. I got a whole dress made that way no problem… doesn’t hurt to test on a small piece first though:P
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  Nov 1, 2008, 11.07 PMby dmnb

  Sewing velvet used to be a nightmare. Even basting carefully was never good enough. Somebody gave me a marvellous tip. You will find in all good sewing stores SULKY TOTALLY STABLE aniron-on tear away stabilizer. It comes in rolls 8″ × 12 yds. Cut a strip about 1"1/2 iron it along the edge shiny side facing the right side of the velvet without puting much pressure so you do not mark the velvet .Repeat for 2nd piece. Put the 2 piece together as usual for sewing.The 2 SULKY strips will be facing each other.No more puckering or sliding, noneed for a roller foot or basting. If it is a straight seam you will not even need any pins and you can sew your velvet like any other fabric. I work with silk velvet which is the most difficult and now always get perfect results.To remove the stabilizer paper start by tearing the wider strip on the right side of the garment. It works better than starting with the thin part of the strip right along the seam. The strip can ba used several times untill it becomes too narrow or does not stick any more when ironed on.

  I think one could do the same thing with freezer paper which will stick to fabrics when ironed on but have not yet tried it. It would be cheaper.

  Good luck to all who sew velvet.

  Dominique

  1 Reply

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    Sep 20, 2011, 02.00 PMby calzie

    Excellent tip. Thank you!

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  Nov 14, 2007, 06.46 PMby nehmah

  Might I suggest placing a good press cloth between the fabric and the iron. Just in case….! Better still, follow the example above; get that needleboard/velvaboard (but still use a press cloth). Buy the best tools and notions you can afford. Nehmah
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  Oct 23, 2007, 01.34 PMby shewanna

  Thank you so much for sharing! I’m on my way into the sewing room to “roll” all my folded velvet pieces.
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  Sep 21, 2007, 11.22 PMby claireokc

  Part of the elegance of velvet, is that it does have a depth to it. But it comes at a price – without proper care the velvet can “shine” or the pile becomes flat (sort of like panne velvet). This is easier to do than you think, so it needs to “hang” after every wearing. You did a really remarkable job on putting this together. Where I live (in the Southern Plains in the US), velvet is cheap, but it’s so hard to work with, I charge a lot to work on this fabric. Your elegant jacket, was obviously a labor of love!
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  Sep 21, 2007, 06.17 PMby mirela

  Oh my! Sounds like a lot of work. Thanks so much for the tips.