When I was making Lisa and Bonnie's purple dresses with the velveteen bodices, I took some photos to share my technique for working with velvet (and corduroy, or anything with a nap). I used to always pin the patterns onto both the velvet and the lining and cut them both out. Then when I tried to put the right sides together, it was always impossible to get the lining to stay in place and match up. Even when it was pre-basted. The nap on the velvet made the lining move, and it would always end up too short somewhere. It was always so frustrating!
So now I don't bother to cut out the lining at all until AFTER sewing. Whenever I need a velvet (or velveteen, or velour) bodice, I usually first trace my pattern onto some lightweight iron-on interfacing. Then I cut out the bodice. Then I place the velvet right side down onto the lining fabric , pin it down, and cut widely around it. Then I hand-baste through the layers along the stitching line. On these bodices, the back seams and neckline get stitched first.. You'll notice that the bodice on the left has moved during basting, and now touches the edge of the lining fabric in one spot. That's not where the velvet bodice was originally positioned. But because there was extra fabric all the way around, at least the velvet is only up to the edge now, and not over it.
So now I don't bother to cut out the lining at all until AFTER sewing. Whenever I need a velvet (or velveteen, or velour) bodice, I usually first trace my pattern onto some lightweight iron-on interfacing. Then I cut out the bodice. Then I place the velvet right side down onto the lining fabric , pin it down, and cut widely around it. Then I hand-baste through the layers along the stitching line. On these bodices, the back seams and neckline get stitched first.. You'll notice that the bodice on the left has moved during basting, and now touches the edge of the lining fabric in one spot. That's not where the velvet bodice was originally positioned. But because there was extra fabric all the way around, at least the velvet is only up to the edge now, and not over it.
With the lining fabric not being cut out yet, it doesn't matter if the velvet walks to one side a bit. After machine stitching, the back and neckline edges are trimmed, the neckline curve clipped, and the bodice it turned right-side-out (left, below) I press it on the back, then trim the lining away...
A perfectly aligned lining!
No more fussing with trying to make a pre-cut lining stay in place when working with velvet!
No more fussing with trying to make a pre-cut lining stay in place when working with velvet!
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