I don't know if you have all of your piecing already done or not, but maybe I can help you or others that are interested in working with velvet. I have sewn velvet for clothing as well as décor items and have found out a few things that have greatly improved the final outcome. Velvet frays horribly, so when you cut it out, use a pinking shears or a pinking blade in your rotary cutter and be sure that your seam allowance is very generous. Do not use too high heat and never press on the right side of the fabric. Consider investing in a needle board for pressing, or borrow one from a sewing friend. Velvet crushes easily from pressing and sometimes the steam holes on the iron faceplate can leave permanent marks on the fabric. Both of these problems can be lessened by using a needle board. I have had a Dritz brand for over 50 years, and it was an expensive notion when I purchased it, but I was even more surprised to see how pricey they are today. (In my opinion, it is worth the investment as it can be used with any fabric that has a nap to it.) Investigate purchasing a used one, just make sure that they aren't damaged, or rusty. It doesn't have to be huge in size, just large enough that the iron does not hang out over the sides of the needled area or you'll get a mark along the edges on the fabric. I hope that something I have said will be of help to someone out there. Working with velvet can be a real learning experience, but the end results are spectacular. Good luck.