Rachel Garza, Author at Patterns for Pirates

Top Tips for Working with Velvet

November 22, 2022

Collaborative post provided by Rachel of Always a Project.

If fabric has never made you cry, you’ve probably never sewn with stretch velvet. Ha-ha! That beautifully soft texture can certainly work against you if you don’t understand what you’ve gotten yourself into.

I’m obviously being a **touch** dramatic, but maybe not?

If you’ve never sewn with velvet of any kind, it definitely helps to do your research. And learning from others’ (hi, it’s me!!) mistakes. Here are a few tips and tricks to get you off to the right start!

Nap

One of our favorite things to do is run our hands over the surface of velvet, do you agree? If you notice, when you brush your hand one way, the fibers are smooth and reflective. When you brush your hand in the opposite direction, the fibers stand up and appear darker in color. This is the “nap” or “pile” of the velvet.

When cutting your pattern pieces, it is VERY IMPORTANT to cut pieces with the nap in the same direction – typically fibers laying downward. If you don’t, you’ll encounter a lot of friction when sewing your seams and you’re end result will look like it’s color-blocked, like my pants below.

Don’t be me. Check your nap.

Yardage Requirements

Stretch velvet is heavy so it really works better for simpler patterns. Tops, shorter dresses, simple silhouettes… The more velvet you’re wearing, the more weight that your seams are supporting. Heavy garments will sag and lose shape. It also helps to add clear elastic to your weight-bearing seams.

I once made a dress with a fitted bodice and long, fully pleated maxi skirt out of stretch velvet. It was awful. The skirt pulled down the bodice in the wrong places and the fabric hung like it had given up on trying… it was so sad. And so was I.

Don’t be me. Keep your patterns simple and your seams supported!

Cutting

Because so many of us work with knits, we’re used to cutting our pattern pieces on the fold… or even cutting more than one piece at a time. Avoid layering your fabric at all times when cutting velvet. No matter how you fold it or how many pattern weights you’re using, velvet tends to shift. It’s best to cut your pattern pieces out in a single layer for more accurate cutting.

Velvet tends to shed a lot when you cut it. It’s best to wear a mask so you don’t inhale those fibers. You may not notice it immediately, but it can impact your sinuses.

Don’t skip cleaning up afterwards or you’ll have velvet fibers on e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g until the end of time.

Sewing

Because velvet can be shifty, pins are your best friend. You can use those coveted Wonder Clips, but make sure they don’t leave permanent impressions in your nap. Regardless of preference, use more pins or clips than you usually do to prevent the fabric from shifting.

Use a walking foot. It will help to feed your fabric through without creating tension or stretching.

It helps to baste your seams first. You may need to rip out a section and ease in again to eliminate some wrinkles. Alternatively, you can also use seam tapeThis extra step will ensure your fabric lays as beautifully as you planned.

Start sewing from the bottom of your garment and work your way up. That will help to eliminate some of those draglines that tend to show off.

Avoid topstitching. Your fabric will continue to slide around and you may wind up with puckers in your seams.

Use hem tape before hemming. I only use hem tape when I’m sewing with velvet. It makes a huge difference in the neatness of your hemline.

Pressing

Heat can crush your velvet so press with caution. Use a lot of steam, lower temps, and a pressing cloth on the wrong side of your fabric. This will protect the fibers on the right side.

Or finger press. Or use a clapper (my fave!).

You have options… just don’t ruin your garment with heat!

And remember…

Don’t be afraid of velvet! It’s a beautiful and versatile textile. There is a slight learning curve, but it’s totally worth the effort.

Grab some gorgeous stretch velvet in the shop here or glitter stretch velvet here both on sale through December 3rd, 2022 (11:59PM US Central Time Zone) and get started!

P4P University – Sewing Curves

March 9, 2021

Knowing how to properly sew curves makes a huge difference in giving your garments a more professional finish! There are different techniques, whether you are sewing a convex or concave curve… think neckline versus bust. At the core, the key is all about eliminating bulk and resistance so your curves can lay as designed.

Clip The Seams

The first technique works for curves, like necklines, that require the fabric to spread in an array. It’s simple!

Once you have your pattern pieces stitched together, clip into the seam allowance every half inch or so. Take good care not to snip through your seam!

You’ll notice that the fabric relaxes because the tension in the curve is gone!

To demonstrate, I’ve added a facing to the neckline of the Brunch Blouse. After stitching together and clipping my seams, I turned the facing to the inside of the shirt and gave it a good pressing.

Look at that result!

Grab Those Pinking Shears

Pinking shears can pretty much do it all… they can reduce bulk and relieve tension in your curves. Even more, they stop fabric from fraying!

To demonstrate, I’ve stitched up the front bodice of the So Classic Sundress. This gorgeous pattern features princess seams. You definitely want to reduce the bulk in those princess seams that run right along the front of your bust!

After stitching my pieces together, I trimmed the seam allowance with pinking shears and pressed the seam open.

Here’s the result!

Your Serger is Magic

Once I learned how to gather on my serger, I wanted all the ruffles! It turns out that you can also make small adjustments that will help you to achieve the perfect curved hem on knits.

All you need to know… turn up that differential dial! You’ll want to test on a few scraps to determine how much to adjust the dial.

In this instance, tension is your friend! You want to create slight tension along the raw edge of your hem. That will cause the hem to naturally turn inward and help you to maintain that beautiful curved edge without fighting fabric folds. All you have to do is pin and stitch!

My fabric was a heavier knit so I adjust the differential feed all the way up. A lighter knit wouldn’t require the same adjustment.

Again, once I learned this trick, it changed my relationship with curves! I love it.

I hope you find these techniques helpful! Please drop questions in the comments below and join us in the Patterns for Pirates Facebook Group.

Happy sewing!

P4P University – Grommets

October 16, 2020

Raise your hand if grommets scare you? Have you done everything possible, including skipping that cute drawstring, just to avoid installing eyelets?

I did for years! I even made buttonholes to avoid installing those little metal devils. Buttonholes!

But, I’m here now to show you how truly easy it is to install grommets in your makes. Within the next few minutes, you’ll wonder why you were ever intimidated.

For those who prefer a video tutorial, I’ve got you covered!

If you prefer a written tutorial, read on.

First, the anatomy of a grommet…

You will have your eyelet – that’s the piece that has a post. It will always be on the right side of your fabric. The backside is called the washer. The larger sizes typically have sharp teeth that help to better secure the grommet in place. The smaller sizes often have a plastic ring that sits between the back of your fabric and the metal washer.

Most grommet kits will also come with an anvil (remember the Coyote and Roadrunner from Looney Tunes?!) and a setting tool. It’s important to use the right anvil for the size of grommet that you are setting.

I always iron a bit of interfacing on the backside of where my grommets will be installed. That extra security means that you won’t be replacing a grommet due to your fabric stretching out.

Snip a small “X” where you want to place your grommet, taking care not to make the opening too large. You want it just big enough to push your eyelet post through.

Place your washer around the post of the eyelet. If you are using a smaller eyelet, place the plastic ring under the metal washer.

Set your grommet, face down, on top of the anvil and insert your setting tool in the post with the short end.

Give it a few good whacks with your hammer – four or five should do. As you are hammering, the post is actually folding down over the washer and securing it in place.

And that’s it! You’re ready to install your second grommet. You can feel how tight the fit is around your fabric. If it feels too loose, replace your setting tool and strike it with the hammer a couple more times.

Setting grommets is a wonderful garment-making skill to know and it will unleash even more creative possibilities in your future projects.

If there is any detail that I’ve left out of the written instructions, please do watch the video above. Feel free to reach out to me through the P4P Facebook Group, too. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.

Until next time, happy sewing!

Rachel

Nap

Yardage Requirements

Cutting

Sewing

Pressing

And remember…

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