Evening star., 1953-11-13
SeWinq
on
Velvet

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these are some of the helpful
hints.
/. What type shall l buy?
This is one of the most i'm
portant questions to ask of your
salesgirl or retail store clerk. Buy
only the type required for your
particular garment as different
types make different costumes.
Here it is in a nutshell: For gar
ments where rubbing occurs, as
in dresses, coats, hip-length
jackets. use fast-pile velvets
only. Your store will tell you
which is fast pile. In fact, most
manufacturers mark their vel
vets for your benefit.
If you are making hat, stole,
easy fitting bolero, you may use
non-fast pile: the velvet weave
where the pile is not guaranteed
fast.
Stiff purses and belts should
be made of fast pile velvet
WeaveS.
2. How shall cut the velvet?
Choose a pattern with a mini
mum number of seams and
darts.
Lay the velvet with the pile of
each side in the same direction
because if the pile runs in two
different directions each pile will
have a different sheen. Velvet
differs in sheen in the direction
of the pile and the way the light
strikes it: colorS differ; weaves
differ. Therefore if you would
have your garment all of the
same glow, be certain that the
pile is all in one direction. Best
way to find the direction is to
run your finger lightly back and
forth over the pile. The direc-
ton of the most SmoothneSs,
least resistance, is the direction
of the pile. In most garments.
the pile will be upward, i.e., run
from hem to neck.
Hold pattern tissue in place
with slim sharp pins or needles,
rather than ordinary pins. Make
all pattern markings with chalk
or silk thread on the wrong side.
3. How should velvet be
stitched?
Go to your nearest sewing ma
chine instruction shop and ask
for the needle for stitching velvet.
In general a fine needle and a
longer stitch should be used. For
some work an ordinary stitch is
allowable, but a fine stitch only |
serves to weaken the seam. Use
No. IL needle, or finer, 1912 |
stitches per inch normally. Ad-
just the bobbin and needle thread
tensions until puckering has dis
appeared. The trick of sewing |
velvet is to work in" the seam,
to hold the top ply, and to work
in the bottom ply. Use silk thread
for stitching.
Important for stitching velvet:
Looser tension is required when !
sewing by machine on velvets,
just as in all deep pile or bulky !
fabrics. This is achieved by un- |
winding the knob above the |
needle (its position varies with
the make" of machine), thereby
raising the presser foot beneath
the needle. Some manufacturers
recommend also loosening the
tension of the bobbin thread. For
a neater stitch, it is suggested
that the fabric be fed into the
machine slowly.
4. What about pressing?
First choice is the use Of a
velvet board which has small
needles projecting upward from
a canvas-covered surface. Place
the fabric, pile face down, on
the needles and gently steam
press on the wrong side with a
warm iron, using a minimum of
steam If you do not have
needle board, a steam iron or tea
kettle will remove the creaSeS just
as well. Stand the iron on end
and cover it with a damp cloth.
Hold the fabric lightly. and run
the wrong side of the fabric
against the covered iron or
against the steam of the steam
kettle. Allow the garment to dry,
and then brush lightly with a
bristle brush.
5. Remove dust or lint:
Remove dust or lint with a soft
brush after each wearing. Rain
spots can usually be rubbed away
with a small scrap of matching
dampened fabric.
6. To remove mating:
Frequent steaming is best to
remove mating, preferably by
hanging in the bathroom over
steaming hot tub. Close the
bathroom door and window to
keep the steam inside as long
as possible.
When not being worn, turn
garments inside out and hang
from the waist.
C->:-I NIL