Fabrics 101: Embroidering on Velvet

Velvet is a very soft and luxurious fabric to embroider on. Find our best tips for embroidering on velvet in this helpful tutorial, including hints for hooping, stabilizer, and more.

Project Needs & Notes:

- Velvet
- Medium-weight cutaway stabilizer
- Temporary spray adhesive (Gunold KK100)

Designs featured in this tutorial and video include:

J4837, Couture Dress Form - Little Black Dress
J2908, Shoes Fashion Silhouette Square
J5294, Flower Cameo - Gerbera Daisies

Velvet comes in a variety of styles. Some has a high nap, others a low nap. Velvet can be stretchy, or relatively stable.

When choosing designs to embroider onto velvet, choose designs with medium complexity.

Avoid light designs with running stitches, like Redwork, vintage, or toile. The light stitches will likely disappear in the nap of the velvet.

Generally velvet should not be hooped, as the hoop can crush the nap.

Instead, spray a piece of medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive.

Hoop the stabilizer firmly. Smooth the velvet on top.

Add a piece of lightweight water-soluble stabilizer (like Sulky Solvy) to the top. This helps to keep the stitches from sinking down into the nap.

Pin all three layers -- cutaway stabilizer, velvet, topping -- together.

Place the pins very close to the sides of the hoop so that the needle doesn't hit the pins while embroidering.

Attach the hoop to the machine and embroider the design.

A size 11 or 75/11 embroidery needle is fine choice when working with velvet.

After embroidering, trim the cutaway stabilizer away from the back.

Tear the lightweight water-soluble stabilizer away from the front, too.

This fabulous shoe bag uses velvet to create an extravagant look.

See how to make the bag in this free tutorial.

Velvet is also a popular fabric to use for Christmas projects, like this elegant ornament.