Friday

Friday Fabrics – Velvet

This gorgeous fabric is an ideal winter warmer and a great way of bring tactile texture into your home. Velvet is a woven tufted fabric where the tufts are cut to create a dense pile. The difference between velvet and velveteen is produced during the weaving process. Velvet's pile is made using vertical lines (warp) while velveteen is created by fill yarns (wefts).

Velvet can be made from a variety of different fibres; silk is the traditional fibre, however it can command very high prices, today's velvet is typically made from polyester, nylon or viscose making it far more affordable. The luxurious fabric is used to make soft furnishings such as curtains and drapes as well as upholstery for sofas and chairs.

                                                               (Image: Lara604)

There are 8 different types of velvet available (9 if you include velveteen):
1. Crushed: This type of velvet is made by pressing the woven fabric down in different directions or by twisting the velvet while it is wet. Crushed velvet is also used to make clothing and was all the rage in the 1970's when both men and women wore crushed velvet trousers (pants).

2. Embossed: Metal rollers are used to heat-stamp the material to produce a pattern.

3. Hammered: Hammering creates a beautiful lustrous velvet which is dappled.

4. Devore: A pattern is created by using a caustic solution which dissolves parts of the velvet.

5. Panne: This is another type of crushed velvet which is made by forcing the velvet in one direction.

6. Plain: Typically made from cotton this type is firmer, it's usually this type of velvet used to make soft furnishings.

7. Silk: The most luxurious of velvets which is softer and has a shinier finish than cotton velvet.

8. Viscose: This style of velvet is more like silk velvet than cotton velvet but considerably more affordable.

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