Velvet - cutting out

[BetsyV]

I am starting on my fancy gown and coat project for a big party in January. Having muddled my way through cutting out the burnout velvet, I now have 6 yards of solid velvet to cut out the gown's skirt and the body & sleeves of the coat.

I am thinking about cutting it out nap side down.

The burnout was very squirrelly, and I did better with it once I decided to just stick the pins into the cardbaord cutting surface, cut the pieces, then put the pins in the traditional way for the marking process.

Burnout was a new experience for me, and I haven't cut out velvet for many years and then only once. Ideas? Thanks!

[babsie]

I had to make 2 dresses recently for a client of mine, one solid silk velvet and the other one a burn-out velvet.
The solid velvet was a nightmare  , but the outcome is so beautiful and after a while I forget that I actually never, never, ever again want to work with velvet. 

I'm cutting out the velvet with the nap down, but I put some sheeting (cotton or poly doesn't matter) unterneath. This prevents the sliding of the velvet on the cutting table. The marking I do either with chalk or thread-tracing. The horror for me is not the cutting out, which works quite smoothly with the sheet underneath, but the stitching process.

Good luck, anyway

[DeniseM]

I cut velvet with the nap side down, but I don't put anything under it and haven't had a problem. Sometimes if you have one of those pads on your dining room table it has just enough texture to hold it in place. But I used my regular cutting table. A alternative is to use a rotary cutter makes a much neater edge if you have a cutting mat. Use lots of pins in the seam allowance and I would finish the edges before sewing, either with a zigzag or serger, to keep the fabric from raveling. Also, baste the seams together before you sew to prevent slippage on the machine. If you have a good walking foot, use it. Any pin or needle marks you put in velvet will stay there, so work within the seam allowance as much as possible. I would mark with chalk for this reason. And make sure you cut the pieces with the nap going in the same direction. I know this sounds fundamental, but believe me, it's easy to mess up. Do you have a needle board for ironing? You really need one to iron velvet to keep from crushing the nap.

Hope all of this helps. Post a picture when your project is done.

[Kathleen C.]

We have pinnable table tops here (I think they're made of homosote?) and when somehting is really woodgey we pin through the selvedges all along the side lengths. That sounds kind of like what you did with pinning the pattern pieces through to the board.
You could do the same thing with weights. A series of fishing weights/washers along the edges would discourage slipping of the yardage. And then I'd pile on additional weights to the pattern pieces for cutting.
And make sure your scissors are very sharp. If you have to push the scissors throught the fabric the fabric will get out of whack again.

Kathleen C.

[BetsyV]

Thanks, everyone! Nap side down it is.

I have sharp scissors (once sliced my thumb open on them!)
I do not have a needle board - I was hoping to get away with using a leftover piece nap up under anything I need to press. It's pretty unlikely I will work with velvet again - just isn't really my lifestyle, as much as I love it.
Walking foot - I may try without and see if I can control the fabric. But I will keep it in mind and go get one if I need it.

[LindaE]

I have sew several pieces of velvet the last few years both stretch and non stretch.  I found it very useful to use  I spray it on each piece then push them together this will hold them while sewing.

I got this tip from a sewing class I went to sorry I do not remember the instuctor. 

This stuff will disappear after a while will not stay on the velvet.

As for cutting you can cut either with nap up or down depending on the look you want I believe it has a richer look when the nap runs up and a softer look with the nap going down.

good luck with you velvet project.