Silk Velvet

About our silk velvet

• Silk and rayon. 18% silk and 82% rayon, with a soft, low-sheen pile and a fluid drape.
• 198 gsm and 135 cm wide. Weighty enough for jackets, soft enough to drape.
• Three looks. Plain silk velvet in black, midnight, gunmetal and ivory; metallic silk velvet in champagne, with a subtle shine; and ruched silk velvet in ivory, with elastic ruching.

Which silk velvet?

What to make with it

• Evening dresses and gowns
• Jackets, blazers and wraps
• Pants and skirts
• Bridal wear and winter weddings
• Cushions and soft furnishings

Cutting

• Cut as a single layer, pile side down, and never fold it and cut double.
• Velvet looks lighter or darker depending on which way the pile runs, so cut every piece with the pile running the same way. Pile running up the body gives the richest colour.
• Use pattern weights, or pin only inside the seam allowance, as pins can mark the pile.
• Mark on the wrong side with tailor's chalk.

Sewing

• Use a fresh needle (size 80) and a good-quality polyester or mercerised cotton thread.
• Velvet layers creep as you sew, so tack seams by hand first, or use a walking foot. Sew in the direction of the pile.
• Lighten the presser foot pressure if your machine allows it, and use a slightly longer stitch, about 3 mm.
• Line jackets and dresses with silk habotai or sandwash satin, so the velvet slides on and off easily.
• Avoid topstitching, which flattens the pile.

Hems

• Hand-stitched hem. Finish the raw edge, turn the hem up once and sew it by hand with a loose catch stitch, catching just a thread so nothing shows on the pile.
• Faced hem. On a curved hem, or to cut bulk, face the hem with a strip of silk habotai instead of turning the velvet up.

Pressing

Never press an iron onto velvet: it flattens the pile. To open a seam, lay the velvet face down on a needle board, a spare piece of velvet (pile side up) or a thick towel, open the seam with your fingers and steam it from the reverse, holding the iron or steamer well clear so only the steam touches it. Hang the finished garment in a steamy room to relax creases. See our fabric care guide.

Questions