velvet Archives

Dripping in Crushed Velvet // The Ultimate Holiday Wrap Dress

6 February 2019 by Heather Lou Leave a Comment

Our Sew Frosting challenge may be long over but I still have one very special dress to share with you. You might not think of a gold maxi-length crushed velvet wrap dress as a wardrobe staple, but given the number of occasions I found to wear it over the holidays, I would beg to differ. I think it's important to have at least one show-stopping number to pull out for those special nights, something that makes the memories a bit more precious because you felt so good about what you were wearing.

The story of this velvet gown started at Tonitex, one of my favourite fabric stores in Montreal. I spotted this outrageously luxe gold crushed velvet last year and had to have it, despite having no idea whatsoever what to do with it. Crushed velvet gives me intense 90s flashbacks but I found the colour too seductive to resist. When Kelli and I started planning Sew Frosting, I knew this beauty had to get pulled out of the stash and put to over-the-top use. It's a nice companion to my silk velvet Amy Jumpsuit; sometimes you need a little soft nap action in your life.

I knew I wanted to use a vintage pattern for this project. I used to sew from them all the time and kinda missed the challenge of making a totally different size work for me while scratching my head over the instructions. The search on Etsy is always the best part, and I stumbled over this pattern, Butterick 5119, designed by John Kloss. I have another John Kloss in my collection (I used it to make this dress and this dress) and I love his sexy disco designs for knit fabrics. The pattern was about 3 sizes too small, so when our patternmaker Celine had a slow day I asked her to grade it up for me. Knits are so simple to grade, especially when the pattern pieces are as simple as this one. Basically, we just added some width and length through the bodice and skirt. The bodice ended up a bit too long so I did end up recutting the shoulder and armhole to reduce gaping.

While I love this design, the instructions were basically garbage. The wrap neckline runs from the front all the way to the back and the directions were too simply fold and stitch the seam in place. With such a long bias seam, you really need a more stable edge to lay close against the body and prevent gaping. I brainstormed a few solutions and settled on using a hidden bias tape finish. I bought a roll of knit bias tape a few years ago and it was perfect for this application; I stretched it very gently as I sewed it the neckline and then folded and pressed it to the inside before using a long and narrow zigzag to stitch it in place. It's not invisible but it is very stable and I have none of the gaping issues I generally have with wrap necklines.

The construction of this dress is a bit funny. Each side wraps around the body before joining into a skirt at crotch level. The visible wrap on the outside secures with a tie, while the hidden wrap on the inside lays flat against the body. The instructions called for individual hook and eye closures but I figured it would be faster and easier to just secure the edges with bra hook and eye tape. It's not the prettiest on the inside but it's super sturdy.

I ended up leaving the sleeve and skirt hem unhemed because this fabric doesn't unravel and I preferred how clean it looked. As for the ties, I made a facing for them so you never see the wrong side of the fabric. The instructions wanted them hemmed and stitched in place but it would have been very hard to get a nice finish around the curves. You really need to be a bit of a sewing Columbo when you're using vintage patterns, amiright?

The best thing about this dress is how dang comfy it is. It's form fitting but flexible, and I can dance, sit and eat with relative abandon while wearing it. It ended up being both my New Years and studio Christmas party dress, and both nights I felt more glamorous than I have in a long, long time. I miss fancy nighttime Heather. She doesn't make that many appearances anymore, but it's nice to know I have the right dress in my closet when she is called into action.

So that's the story of crushed velvet Sew Frosting dress. An adventure to sew, and a pleasure to see hanging in my closet.

How do you feel about crushed velvet? And does anyone else get as frustrated with vintage sewing pattern instructions as I?

How to Wear a Velvet Jumpsuit

11 December 2018 by Amy Leave a Comment

Amy here. A few weeks ago Heather shared her velvet Amy Jumpsuit and we couldn't stop brainstorming different ways you could style it. When the sun finally blessed us with some decent light, I shot Heather in these looks and we had a really fun morning putting them together. We gave the outfits names as we went along to make each other laugh, but also to make sure we were coming up with various scenarios in which a silk velvet jumpsuit would be a relatively suitable option. We will let you in on our "creative process" so you to can put yourself in our shoes. And yes, changing up the outfit is all about the shoes.

THE FARMER'S MARKET

Give this girl a basket tote, she is ready for the weekend! While your first choice for a SILK VELVET jumpsuit might not be a pair of scuffed Converse sneakers, think again. The 90's were all about mixing evening and athletic wear, and since it is apparently 1995 again right now we thought, "why not?" Add a stripey tee and a cute hat and you are all set for a date at the farmer's market.

THE SAUCY ART TEACHER

Aren't these half-sheer socks fun? While you're all covered up on top why not show a little peek of ankle?! A black turtleneck and a modern statement necklace and you can take this look to work and then right to the art gallery, film festival, or wherever you do your wafting around while looking arty.

THE FASHION PURITAN

When in doubt: crisp white shirt, simple modern earrings and shiny oxfords. Play up the dressy factor while keeping the colour palette super clean and minimal. This look is so pulled together, but you are still wearing a roomy silk velvet jumpsuit (aka the equivalent of a hug).

So there you have it. So many options! We are gonna get through this winter together y'all, one outfit at a time.

Tips for Sewing with Velvet: How to Sew Velvet Tutorial

4 December 2018 by Amy Leave a Comment

Hi there! Amy here, just popping in to talk about the joys of velvet. As George Costanza admitted, "I would drape myself in velvet if it were socially acceptable." Me too George, me too. Velvet is so luxurious and glamourous and feels so good to wear. It also reflects light in beautiful ways, so even a simple garment sewn with it looks incredibly rich and expensive. That said, velvet can be a finicky beast, so we've rounded up our hard-learned lessons about how to sew velvet (see Heather's crushed velvet gown and silk velvet Amy Jumpsuit for inspo!) May this make all your adventures sewing with velvet an absolute breeze!

CHOOSING A PATTERN

The most important consideration when sewing with velvet is the pattern you'll be using. Here are our tips!

Choosing a Beginner Friendly Pattern for Velvet

If this is your first time working with velvet, go simple. Skip things with complicated seams, numerous darts or heavy facings or seams.
Avoid anything with topstitching! Buttonholes especially can be tricky to sew. Invisible zips and loops & hooks are the best choice for closures.
Look for designs that drape - this will give you the most bang for your buck in terms of highlighting the beauty of the fabric. That said, a more structured cotton velvet like the one we used for our Jasika "evening" blazer are also beautiful.
Make sure to consider the nap! Running it down the garment will give you better wear, but running it up looks richer and more saturated colour-wise. Either way, make sure all your pieces are cut in the same direction.

CUTTING, MARKING AND INTERFACING VELVET

It is crucial you cut velvet in one layer because velvet can be so shifty. If there are any pieces you are supposed to cut on the fold, trace it onto paper and mirror it as I did above. You can use tissue paper under the fabric on top of your mat to move the pieces around more easily. It also makes clean up easier since velvet sheds! Speaking of shedding, having a little vacuum handy to clean up your space is a great help.

Trace the pattern or make your markings on the wrong side of the fabric. Use disappearing fabric ink; chalk can leave marks if pressed too hard. Better yet, tailor's tacks are excellent since they mark both sides of the fabric- be sure to use a sharp needle and silk thread. When cutting, use a nice sharp rotary cutter. Since velvet is so shifty its best to avoid using scissors to minimize the amount it moves around. Finally, try to use sew-in interfacing (silk organza is ideal). If you must use fusible interfacing, use another piece of velvet or a velvet board underneath your fabric pieces when you are applying it because again, shifty.

AVOID VELVET CREEPING

Creeping (as the saying goes) is not stalking your ex on facebook (news to me!) It instead refers to what happens when two fabrics do not stay even under the presser foot and start sliding apart. Save yourself time with the seam ripper by hand basting first. It takes a bit of extra effort but trust me: it's worth it. A few sources suggested spray adhesive but we haven't had luck with this. Heather tried this on her seam allowances while protecting her fabric with a piece of paper but the glue spit out all gummy and nearly gave her a heart attack. Wonder tape, on the other hand, worked WONDERS. Put it right in the seam allowance and sew just next to it. Bonus sewing guide! You can also use vertical pins with sharps pointing toward the machine so you can pull them out at the last second.

TIPS FOR SEWING WITH VELVET

When it's time to get sewing, here are our top tips:

Use universal or sharp machine needles (sizes 70/10 or 80/12)
Use silk thread is for basting, and switch to a fine polyester thread for the final seams (silk is not very strong)
Always, ALWAYS test before you go to sew your garment with scraps. You may find you need to make adjustments, and it's better to discover that before you mangle your cut pattern pieces.
If you're able to adjust/reduce the presser foot tension, this will avoid smooshing the nap and leaving marks.
Use a walking foot, Teflon foot, or roller foot (test for marking) to help the layers slide evenly under the foot.
Hold the fabric taut as you sew and "marry the nap" by first proposing marriage (JUST KIDDING); rub the velvet layers together to combine them and keep them from, you guessed it, creepin'.
Put the velvet side down when sewing to another fabric.
Stitch in the direction of the nap where possible.
Try finishing raw seams with serging or a zig zag stitch for a finish that won’t add bulk to your seams. Avoid french seams since they are bulky and very tricky to sew.

PRESSING VELVET

Be sure to trim and grade your seams to make them less bulky. When pressing, only use steam on the fron. Don't touch the iron to the right side of the fabric if you can possibly avoid it since it will crush the nap. If you must press open seams, these velvet boards are great. They are small and kinda pricey so we would only suggest tool this for true velvet lovers (also be careful when moving your velvet around - it has a tendency to get caught on the little needles!) You can also press when needed by wrapping your ironing board or pressing aid in upholstery velvet (mohair is recommended) or a dense towel.

HEMMING VELVET

Before you get started, hang the garment on your dress form to relax for 24hrs before hemming. We recommend a single-fold, blind-stitched hem sewn by hand (as shown above) for the most least bulky finish. You can see we serged the hem first to reduce fraying.

STRETCH VELVET TIPS

If you're sewing with stretch velvet, we have a few additional tips for you!

Use ballpoint needles and a stretch stitch or zig zag stitch on your machine.
If you are sewing stretch velvet using your serger, adjust your differential feed to ensure your stitch stretches adequately.
Your stitching should allow for the same amount of stretch as the fabric itself.

So there you have it. Have I scared you? I hope not. Please let us know if you have any other hot tips! We are all ears.

Sew Frosting: My Velvet Amy Jumpsuit

27 November 2018 by Heather Lou Leave a Comment

The deadline for our Sew Frosting Challenge is around the corner (Friday to be exact) and I am coming in just under the wire with my second Frosting project (here's my first), this insanely luxurious and swishy Amy Jumpsuit in silk velvet. Yes! Silk! Velvet! Is! A! Thing!

Of course, I'm not entering the challenge but I would have kicked myself if I didn't meet a deadline I created. Last week I forced myself to block some sewfrosting time into my workday even though it was a crazy busy week. I broke every step down into bite-size chunks and then added them to my daily to-do list; since it was in my agenda, I actually did everything in a timely manner, and I realized this might be a good strategy in general when I don't have the time to dedicate a full day or weekend to something I'm working on. I respond well to things that need to be checked off.

I managed to get everything done in time to take pictures on Friday, despite how insanely dark and gloomy it was in the studio. The velvet is much more textured and "crushed" looking in reality but it's quite difficult to capture in photos.

I don't know why I decided I had to have a velvet Amy at all costs; I think it might have been due to how much velvet we're seeing this season. I've been seduced by its rich texture, and believe it or not, this is the first time I've ever sewn with it! The silk silk-rayon velvet I used came from Mood; I had originally ordered a lighter, more sage-y colour but they called me and told me it was out of stock. After pouting for a bit I chose this stuff instead. It's got a gorgeous drape and is ever so soft and sumptuous, but I do wish it wasn't quite so dark. I found the listing pictures to be a little deceiving when it arrived.

Sewing velvet is a bit of a beast. It is super shifty because you have two napped surfaces pressed together; they basically want to run in opposite directions (like me whenever I see an ex-boyfriend). After a bit of research and trial and error, I discovered the quickest and easiest solution is just using Wonder Tape to anchor the seams together before stitching. If you don't have any wonder tape around, hand basting works well too, but obviously takes a bit more time.

The biggest thing to keep in mind when sewing velvet is not crushing the nap! This makes pressing a delicate art. I purchased a velvet board specifically for this reason, and while it was GREAT for letting me press seams without leaving marks, you have to be uber careful when moving the fabric around. I snagged it quite a few times on the super sharp needles. I will just say that there are quite a few areas that are secretly interfacing on the wrong side and leave it at that. If you don't want to spring for a velvet board, pressing on another piece of velvet or a towel allegedly protects the nap as well.

I lined the straps and bodice with some rayon bemberg I had lying around; velvet on the inside would have been a bit much. Since the lining is so light, it really wants to flip out so I am going to go hand tack the seams in place using some invisible stitches. I also omitted pockets to save some time; it's not the kind of garment I would want to stuff my hands into anyway.

I was a little bit nervous about sewing Amy in a heavier weight fabric, but I can honestly say I LOVE ITTTTTTT! The weight of the velvet gives it a nice swing and heft, while also still be drapey enough to create some shape. I feel like a beautiful holiday angel in this thing and I know it's something I am going to turn to again and again. Worn like this, it feels quite evening, perfect for a fancier holiday or New Years eve party. However, I feel like it could go a lot of different ways based on how it's layered, so we are working on a styling post with a few different options.

Naturally I'm wearing it with my Sewist necklace; lately, I've been layering it with a gold pendant I got in Stockholm. I'm a minimalist when it comes to jewelry and this is my ideal necklace situation when I want to make a more delicate statement.

What do you think of this velvet Amy? And have you had any crazy velvet sewing adventures you'd like to share?

Details: Amy Jumpsuit in silk-rayon velvet, Sewist necklace, Lipstick: Pat McGrath Obsessed, shoes: old H&M