Velvet Fabric

Velvet and velour are very similar, but the main difference is how they are made. Velvet is a woven fabric with a dense pile, making it more structured and ideal for tailoring. Velour is a knitted fabric, which gives it a natural stretch. This makes velour the better choice for garments that need to move with the body, such as leggings, hoodies, and dancewear.

The ‘nap’ refers to the direction in which the velvet fibres (the pile) lay. If you run your hand along the fabric, it will feel smooth in one direction and rough in the other. When cutting your pattern pieces, it is vital that they all face the same direction. If you flip one piece, it will catch the light differently and look like a completely different shade of fabric!

You should never iron the front of velvet directly, as the weight of the iron will crush the pile and leave a permanent shiny mark. Instead, use a steamer on the reverse side of the fabric. If you must use an iron, place the velvet face-down on a thick towel or a dedicated ‘needle board’ and use plenty of steam with very light pressure to avoid damaging the texture.

Velvet can be slightly slippery because the two piles ‘crawl’ against each other as you sew. To prevent this, we recommend using plenty of sewing clips or long pins, or even hand-basting your seams before machine-stitching. Using a walking foot on your sewing machine will also help feed both layers of fabric through evenly, preventing puckering and misalignment.