How to Sew With Velvet

When you think of luxurious fabrics, velvet is at the top of the list. It's a soft, rich and beautiful fabric that's useful for a wide range of projects, whether you're making an elegant jacket, upholstering a decorative chair or just adding rich, textural detail to a craft project. Working with velvet, however, takes care, attention and a bit of practice.

Instructions

1. Keep seams to a minimum. Velvet is difficult to press, so the simpler the design, the easier it is to deal with.

2. Cut the fabric in a single layer and in the direction of the nap. Velvet slips if you attempt to cut it in multiple layers. If the pattern layout calls for cutting multiple layers, reverse the pattern when you cut the second layer.

3. Use a 70/10 needle and polyester or cotton/polyester thread. Despite its hefty appearance, the backing on velvet fabric is thin and needs a thinner needle.

4. Hand-baste the seams before you sew. This prevents the fabric from "crawling" while you sew.

5. Protect the pile when sewing. Too much pressure leaves an impression in the pile of the fabric, so be sure to use light pressure on the foot and a low tension on the thread. Sew with a stitch length of 2 to 2.5 mm and sew in the direction of the nap.

6. Take special care when you press velvet. Use a steam iron and a needle/velvet board or high pile towel and press in the direction of the nap. Never touch the iron to the right side of the fabric or allow the weight of the iron to rest on the fabric.