9 Tips for Sewing with Velvet

You may have searched through those beautiful photos of velvet fabric on the internet or looked at it in a store and dreamed of all the things you can sew with it. I know I have! Velvet is a beautiful fabric that creates a luxury look and feel to whatever you make with it!

In this post, I’m going to give you some tips for sewing with velvet fabric so you don’t have to fear it. Honestly, sewing with velvet fabric is not that hard if you can keep in mind these simple tips.

Tip #1: Do Not Iron

This is the most important tip you can know about working with velvet. Please, please do not lay an iron on the knap of your velvet or you will permanently have an iron imprint in your fabric.

Velvet can be made from a variety of materials such as silk, cotton, linen or synthetic fibres. Velvet is a fabric that has a pile. If you touch your iron to it, it can cause the fibres to melt and destroy your fabric.

If the velvet does need some pressing, you can try methods like steaming or ironing on the lowest setting on the wrong side of the fabric with the pile facing a towel to help avoid crushing it. If you do this method make sure you test a piece of fabric first to avoid ruining your entire project.

I prefer to use methods like steaming or finger pressing instead of trying to iron velvet.

Tip #2: Cut At An Angle

When you are sewing with velvet you want to cut the fabric at an angle with the nap of the velvet. This tip is more for high pile velvet as shorter pile velvet won’t be as noticeable.

If you cut the velvet with your scissors straight up and down as you normally would cut other fabrics, it will likely cut some of the pile off at an odd angle. Gently tilt your scissors in the direction of the pile and cut.

Tip #3: Read The Wash Instructions Before Buying Velvet

If you are interested in sewing with velvet consider reading the wash instructions before purchasing the fabric. Velvet can often require special care and you may not be willing to put in the extra effort to maintain it once the garment is finished.

On the other hand, maybe this is not something that will deter you from sewing with the beautiful piece of fabric. This is just something to consider before choosing the velvet you want to sew with.

Tip #4: Consider the Type of Sewing Needle You Will Need

When sewing with velvet you can usually use your regular sewing needle and be just fine however, if you purchase a stretch velvet you may want to consider using a stretch needle specifically designed for sewing with stretch or knit-type fabrics to avoid tearing the fabric and avoid skipping stitches.

Click here to shop size 75/11 stretch needles!

Click here to shop size 90/14 stretch needles!

Tip #5: Shave The Pile Off The Seam Allowance

If you are sewing with an especially think velvet another tip is to shave off the pile on the seam allowance only so you have a smoother surface to work with.

This may not be necessary with every velvet fabric however if you have a spot where you are sewing multiple layers together this may be something useful for you to try.

Tip #6: Hem Your Velvet By Hand

When you hem your garment you will get the best-looking result if you sew the hem by hand rather than using your machine. It creates a much more professional finish and will help avoid flattening the pile along your hemline.

Tip #7: Be Careful When Placing Your Pattern Pieces

When you are sewing with velvet be very careful to lay your pattern pieces out so that the pile is all going in the same direction generally the pile should lay flat when you run your hand down the garment towards the floor.

This may take some patience and a little brain power when laying out your fabric but just give yourself lots of time and think twice before cutting. When buying your velvet fabric I suggest purchasing more than you think you will need because of having to lay all the pattern pieces in the same direction.

TIp #8: Be Ready For A Mess

Velvet is very messy to sew with. You may want to lay down a sheet under your sewing area when sewing with velvet as you will get the tiny little fibers everywhere when you cut the fabric.

You should also consider cleaning your sewing machine right after you are finished sewing with velvet as some of the fibers will likely fall into the sewing machine.

For my free sewing machine maintenance checklist click here!

Tip #9: Lots of Pinning and Basting

When sewing with velvet a lot of people have trouble lining up edges and seams evenly. If this is your problem I would first pin on either end of your seam and then in the middle and then add more pins in between evenly. This will help you ensure your ends match up. I use this technique all the time with my sewing.

Another method to keep your edges lined up while you sew is to baste. If you don’t know what basting is, it is when you stitch with either your sewing machine or by hand but make large stitches that can quickly be removed. Basting will keep your pieces of fabric lined up while you sew and then just remove the basting with a seam ripper when you’re finished with the final stitching.

If this post was helpful be sure to check out my top tips for sewing here! Leave me a comment and let me know if you plan to sew something with velvet and if you have any other helpful tips!