Hooking with Velvet

Arts and Crafts Wall Hanging, 23" x 17 1/2", #6-cut hand-dyed and as-is wool and stretch velvet.  Design adapted with permission from "Bleeding Hear" tile by Motawi Tileworks, Ann Arbor, MI.  Hooked by Dianne Tobias, Davis, CA, 2010.

Velvet! This beautiful fabric adds shimmer to a wool piece. It can be fussy to hook, but the trouble is worth the effort to produce such a unique effect in a piece hooked primarily with wool. 

This article explores the advantages of incorporating velvet into hooked pieces, some challenges of using velvet, a description of various types of velvets, and tips to manage the challenges.

Types and Availability of Velvet

Certain velvets can be hooked on any rug backing, just as you would hook wool; however, I have found that other velvets are not appropriate for hooking. Let’s take a closer look at what velvet is and why it behaves the way it does.

This article is from the January/February 2012 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.