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.