Thread: Making skirt with velvet?

Hi All,

I recently acquired some beautiful fabric from bhuz, and my first idea was to make a circle skirt. I have read somewhere that using velvet is not a good idea for circle skirts because it is heavy......I suppose I can make a trumpet skirt or a simple slit skirt, but the pattern of the fabric is really pretty, and I can just see it in my head how the fabric would flare out while turning and oh I must try! I have 6 yards of fabric, maybe more....

Some of my ideas:
1. Make it trumpet-like, but bottom flares out, I would imagine this would be difficult, esp since my sewing machine skills is still noobie...

2. Make a circle skirt, with panels of the velvet, but have chiffon panels also so as to not make it so heavy. This may look odd unless I pick a good fabric.

3. ????

Suggestions? comments? Past experiences? Please spread your wisdom bhuzzers!

Thanks!

- E

Proper velvet or stretch velvet?

Stretch velvet is lighter weight, and I've seen it used for circle skirts many times. A heavier fabric will often have a nice swish to it. I don't see any problem with using a velvet for a circle skirt, so long as you don't have too much gathering at the hipband, because velvet is quite bulky.

However "real" velvet is often a problem to work with, if you aren't an experienced sewer, because of the pile, which can make seams look a bit unprofessionally finished, and because of the nap (the direction the velvet "strokes") which you need to make sure you match with each piece.

If you are making a full skirt out of regular velvet, consider using a firm waistband instead of elastic (either interfaced with a zipper, or with a non-stretch drawstring in a casing). You wouldn't want gravity and the weight of the skirt to combine into a slowly moving downward disaster during a performance.

Also, don't forget to keep the nap of the fabric going in the same direction when you cut out the pattern. A lot of circle-skirt pattern layouts call for you to flip the waist/side seams back and forth between the selvage edges to conserve fabric, but with velvet, this can create a skirt with visibly alternating sections. (Velvet's nap may make "up" and "down" look like slightly different shades of the same color.)

Finally, use a steamer, not an iron on your seams, unless you have a velvet pin board. Velvet can pack down and shine when ironed improperly.

Thanks for your replies! I have stretch velvet. I held a chunk of the fabric up and around my waist to see how much it weighs, and I'm trying to convince myself it's OK.....I will probably give it a shot! If it doesn't work, I can probably still salvage the fabric to make a choli top or a straight skirt.

Thanks!

If you are not too tall, and the fabric is wide, consider making a quarter circle skirt. You cut a quarter circle from one corner. Or half a circle, if you're not going to get the full length you need out of the width of the fabric. You will need only one seam then, which can be up the front or on one side, with a slit. You'll get nice fullness at the hem and it won't be bulky at the hip.

Stretch can drape beautifully and I am totally in favour of a heavy skirt, so long as it stays up!

I will probably use a non-elastic waistband, since the weight might be a bit heavy, and I don't really like the bunching up of fabric at the waist.

I have been doing some research, how about a gored skirt? Anyone try this with stretch velvet?

Thanks

I would suggest not to use velvet (stretch or not) for circle skirt. It's too much fabric, it will be too heavy and maybe too hot.

You could make a trumpet skirt, a straight skirt or a mermaid skirt with the inserts (the one you were thinking about.)
The straight skirt is fairly easy - especially with a gather is very figure flattering. But since you want the fabric to flair out, you might want to try the trumpet.
The mermaid skirt with the inserts is really just a straight skirt (maybe with a gather for figure hugging effect) and inserting 1/4 or 1/2 circle chiffon in between slits.

good luck!