And then there is . . .

Velvet

Today I came across a box full of velvet pieces. I didn’t think I had ever sewn with velvet, so why did I have a box full of remnants? Then I remembered that, like with the silk, I used to go to a place in Bradford where velvet was manufactured and persuade them to give me a bag of remnants to take back to my textile group in Cumbria. So what did we do with this velvet? Well I suddenly thought and then found another box, this time with pieces of velvet and other fabrics, which had been patterned by using bleach on stamps, and through stencils, to discharge the dye. Each piece was carefully labelled with details of fabric and processes. This would have been part of my portfolio for assessment.

So here – velvet and some pieces printed by discharge. What on earth do I do with it all? 

Velvet is woven on a special loom that weaves two thicknesses of fabric at the same time. Then the two pieces are cut apart to create the pile effect. That’s why, as soon as you cut it, it sheds tiny threads (you can see these on the pieces in the photo. Because of its luxurious feel and look, as well as the high cost of production, velvet has traditionally been associated with the church and nobility. There are many different kinds of velvet – there is some crushed velvet here.