Quilting with velvet
 

My dear sister has requested a quilt in velvet - nothing fancy, random squares and rectangles. I am going to foundation piece it. A few accent pieces of brocade.

Being a thrift store queen, she provided me with a pile of fabric to use, some of it was clothes that I took apart. I notice some of it is stretchy.

Any hints or tips on working with this? Anyone make a quilt with all velvet before? Thanks.

Not yet! But it's in the plan...someday...

I would foundation piece the stretchy velvet, but if it is the heavier drapery/upholstery velvet, I see no need.

You need to be aware of the fact that velvet has a directional sheen. Because of this, two pieces from the same fabric will look different if they are not both placed facing the same direction (upside down/right side up). This is not always an issue in a quilt, but can be very much a problem in something like a dress or a cape.

Can't wait to see your finished project! Sounds like it will be gorgeous.

I think I'd leave the velvety stretch stuff out. Or maybe save it for binding. or applique after backing it with some iron-on interfacing.

the different naps in the velvet seem like they'd be a blessing if the quilt is more on the "crazy" quilt side.

unfortunately it makes up a large majority of what she gave me. I may try ironing on some fusible interfacing.

Better test first! The fluff often reacts badly to heat necessary to attach the fusible.

OH, just came to me. How about buying some light weight interfacing--non fusible--and carefully pinning a chunk of the stretch stuff to it, then do a sparse meandering quilting stitch over the whole thing to act as a stabilizer and then cut to fit your pattern. You might have to do it do additional quilting over it when completing the quilt.

Velvet is not supposed to be ironed!! It can permanently flatten the fibers. If you send a garment made of velvet it is steamed never ironed.
Most velvets if you remove stitches it will leave a permanent mark/hole where the stitches were.

i have used some stretchy velvets in the past- best to use a stablizer- or foundation- it helps keep the stretch controlled. no reason to not use it- you just have to not stretch it as you are sewing- or you will have ripples. my darling sister tried to use a stretch velvet as a final border on her first quilt- boy did she have a time! it was more of a ruffle- once we took it back off & added a fusable stablizer it worked ok...and i got to be the recipient of her first quilt!

@@ Stupid me, I forgot what a mess a hot iron could make to the nap of any sort of velvet. Not good to use fusible interfacing. Unless you don't mind the secondary pattern a hot iron would make.

I used to press velvet on a nail board -- or a real fluffy towel. The only thing worse than pressing velvet is washing it (what a mess). What I would probably do in this case is see if I could use 505 to spray baste the velvet to a light weight interfacing (spray the interfacing not the velvet). I seem to remember there are several kinds of velvet -- some are synthetic, some are cotton. There was a gal who used to be on some of the craft shows who would iron acetate velvet on stamps -- the result is pretty impressive because the velvet is flattened only where the high parts of the stamp touch the velvet.

I am currently machine quilting the first quilt I've ever done with velvet - but I am using the velvet as the backing, so I haven't had to deal with the directional nap issues, and it is cotton velvet, so where I have had to iron a seam (from the wrong side) it hasn't been a big problem. I must say it looks very luscious! The front of this quilt is a large piece of hand-painted upholstery silk, bordered with cotton batik. This combination is quite a departure from my usual...

Please show us photos of your velvets - I'm dying to see colors!

Alison

Lots of handy velvet sewing tips here - http://www.fashion-era.com/velvets/v...essing_Velvet0

I used to press velvet on a needle board when I made garments. You also need to use a pressing cloth over the back, minimal pressure and a lot of steam to get seams to lie flat. Best to practice first on a piece you don't intend to use. It will be extra work, but I bet the quilt will be beautiful! :-)

i sewed with velvet a lot in my garment making days and you can iron velvet with a needle board or use another piece of velvet as a cushion when pressing.

it was mentioned that it is a stretchy velvet so i am wondering if the fabric is actually velour instead of velvet. the stretch velour that clothes are made from is very forgivable when it come to sewing and pressing it. the velour is often a cotton/lycra blend with a very short nap so it should sew up quite well. you will probably need a stabilizer such as interfacing to control the stretch. do a test drive on a coupla pieces in terms of stablizer, pressing, nap and see what works best for you.

Ahh, Crazy Quilts!!! I would use a muslin to foundation piece the blocks. Stretch velvets usually hold up to being pressed so you could try a fusible interfacing to stablize --- I don't think in the long run that I would use them. I would let her know that the stretch is permanent and might not do well in a traditional quilt like the crazy design. You can mix woven fabric types but to mix woven and stretch is asking for frustration at the very least. I am looking for the place that sells woven velvets --- think they are a JBMartin if I remember ---- velvet and a turkish towel for steaming or a needle board or velvet board --- do they even make them anymore? I really must check into doing some of my grandmother's style of quilts. Thanks for posting on the subject. Good luck with your adventure in velvets and brocades.

update
 

Well, I ironed all the velvet with no problems. Got it all cut up. Started sewing it to the backing fabric. It does need a lot of pinning, it is very slippery. Here is the first panel, she also wanted me to add in some brocade, which is almost too pretty to cut up!
The colors are better than what the pic shows, my cheapo camera does not like bright sunshine.

I think this will go fairly quickly, I sure do miss having a big sewing room with space to spread everything out though.

Why not make a crazy quilt....I would thrown in some satin and lace for good measure....
work on deli paper....and yes us a nailboard....
make sure she knows it will not be washable, in any shape or form and it will be heavy
perhaps more a throw size would be better.

This is what she has requested - NOT a crazy quilt she said - just squares and rectangles, just the fabric she provided.

I would LOVE to make it a crazy quilt, would be much easier.

Just wanted to say I finally finished this quilt and delivered it to my sis. How she is going to keep the hair from her 4 cats off it, is her concern!! When we put it on her bed, I was pleased to see she has the silk crazy quilt (lap size) I gave her hanging on her BR wall. It's nice to be appreciated!!

After quilting for over 30 years and giving quilts to so many people, I finally got to give a bed quilt to my sister (my one and ONLY sister!).

I thought I had a picture but can't find it. It turned out wonderful. I call it Judy's Harem Blanket, it is so lush-looking.

If velvet and brocades are used the quilt will have to be dry cleaned. My DM started making a crazy quilt out of those fabrics and got something on it before she finished the top. She washed it and it had to go in the trash after it dried. She was so sick, she had worked so hard on it.