velvet for making flowers

Velvet fabrics for making flowers

by | posted in: flower iron, flower making iron, flower making tools uk, flower tutorial, handmade silk flowers uk, handmade silk roses, how to make flowers, silk flower artist, velvet flower, velvet orchid, velvet rose | 2

Velvet fabrics for making flowers

Velvet is a luxurious versatile fabric that is used a lot in flower making. Whether you choose to make certain parts of a flower from it or a whole piece, it is good to know which velvet to choose when and why.

velvet pansy tutorial
Velvet Pansy Tutorial

As autumn draws nearer I want to talk about velvet for making flowers. Velvet flowers are great for autumn-winter season and make perfect trims for felt hats too.
Since velvet was introduced for the first time in the Middle East back in 9th century it has always been associated with luxury, nobility, royalty. And indeed it was so expensive in the past that only wealthy people could afford it.

So what is velvet?
Velvet is a kind of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are distributed in an even manner in a short dense pile thus giving a very soft and smooth feel. Traditionally velvet was made using silk. Nowadays velvet is made from cotton, linen, mohair and wool along with silk. Lately, synthetic velvets too are being produced.

velvet gladiolus flower 2In flower making we are only interested in velvets made using natural fibers like silk, viscose or cotton. These fabrics dye well with Procion and other silk dyes and can be shaped with millinery tools.
Velvet is perfect for making leaves (with the use of our Realistic Fabric leaves tutorial ), but whole flowers can be created out of it too. Think roses, pansies, gladioli, daffodils, orchids, camellias and many others.
Very often velvet is used for making flower centres or even for wrapping stems (as we did in CAMELLIA JAPONICA video tutorial)
Most of the techniques for working with velvet are very similar to other fabrics but there are some tricks and nuances that make velvet a little bit more delicate to deal with.
First is colouring. Because of its heavy weight, thickness and pile velvet absorbs a lot of water when being dyed. When left to dry on paper it will also lose a lot of water together with the dye. To achieve a brighter colour with velvet I always recommend drying flower parts on non porous surfaces like glass or plastic.
velvet fantasy flower 4Velvet is always dyed from the right side. Try to be gentle with your brush strokes not to mess up the pile too much.
As you can imagine velvet dries quite slowly too, especially on a non porous surface.
Another thing that can be tricky is shaping.
When shaping velvet take your time and do it slowly, letting the hot tool warm the thick fabric through and mould it into shape.
In most cases velvet flower parts are backed with a thin layer of fabric.
Because velvet has such a gorgeous sophisticated finish I like using lame fabrics for backing to add an extra touch.
Velvet can be backed with satin too.
Like all other fabrics velvet needs to be stiffened before it can be used for making flowers. A while ago I have already described one way velvet can be stiffened (please check out this post to find out how).

cotton velvet

 

The type of velvet I commonly use in my works is made of cotton and has a very short pile.

It dyes well and is easy to work with.
I have a limited quantity of fat quarters of this velvet  as well as different velveteen fabrics currently available in my shop, so if you’d like to try it in your designs, make sure you get one now.
Ah, and the best bit is that this velvet comes prestiffened. It means it is ready to be used either for leaves, petals or a complete flower. To buy a velvet fat quarter please use the button below

 

purchase-velvet-button
press here to purchase velvet fabric

 

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Velvet orchid headdress from my bridal collection

by | posted in: bridal accessories, bridal headband, bridal headdress, couture silk flowers, designer bridal flowers, fabric orchid, silk orchid, silk wedding flowers, velvet flower, velvet orchid | 0

I mentioned before that I am collecting Japanese silk flower making books. Although in many of them you can find some orchids, be it phalaenopsis or Lady’s slipper orchid, one of those books is devoted solely to orchids, different orchids and nothing else, more than 20 varieties. One of the varieties, miltonia, has inspired me to create a bridal piece for my Blanc de Blancs collection. These striking orchids, which are also known as pansy orchids, are characterised by pointy petals and sepals and an often oversized lip.
Here is the photo or some real miltonias:

Being inspired by their unusual shape I created a bridal headband with velvet miltonias.

White orchid headband

 This designer headdress with 3 orchids made of off-white velvet perfectly completes the look of any discerning bride. Because it has a vintage flair to it the orchid headband is ideal for vintage-themed weddings.

I used some of the finest materials to create this bridal piece of headwear: silk and viscose velvet, silk organza, silk dupioni, silk pongee and freshwater pearls.
This white headband is ready to ship but a similar one in other colours can be made to order to match your outfit or a wedding theme.

There are many more different orchids to try and recreate in fabric or leather and no doubt I will be doing that shortly. My next favourite is Lady’s slipper orchid. Do you have any ideas what kind of accessory this impressive and unusual flower can be turned into?