Embossing velvet

 Just finished writing a new workshop for embossing on velvet for the Thread Studio's online magazine.
Tried a few new things. This technique never gets old for me, it always looks good. Who doesn't love velvet?

Embossed Velvet.

A favorite technique of mine and Dale's is embossing Rae's hand dyed silk velvet using a metallic paint, usually Lumiere by Jacquard or Opulants by KraftKolour. You can use any acrylic paint for this technique. Jo Sonja is fine, so is any artist quality acrylic paint. I prefer a metallic for this because it is well matched to velvet. The look mimics time- aged icons.
Usually embossing velvet is done with a steam iron and just water. It presses the pile down but is not permanent. Using a paint or clear gel medium makes the embossing permanent. The paint acts as a permanent glue. The pin pictured above is a square of silk/viscose velvet, embossed using Halo Pink Gold Lumiere paint and a special polymer stamp from the Thread Studio.

Not all stamps work. Unfortunately wood blocks and rubber stamps wont work. They keep the paint and it wont transfer to the velvet. The stamps we use are good quality, deeply etched. They don't melt under the heat of an iron. I can't vouch for any other brands- sorry. I've tried cheap ones and they distort or melt. I just know that the stamps commissioned by The Thread Studio don't melt, distort and release the paint.
You don't need to have silk velvet or hand dyed for this either. Cotton and synthetic velvet will work too. Remember to use a lower heat setting for synthetic or you can melt the fabric.





First Step requires paint, paint brush, silver foil or palette, velvet, stamp, hot iron and a wooden board. Do not do this on an ironing board or soft surface- it wont work.


Paint the silver foil or palette with your paint, don't have it gloopy or sloppy, the paint will seep into the stamp crevices if you do and spoil the print.
Press your stamp onto the paint surface, turn it over checking that the stamp has paint on it.

Place your stamp paint side up on the board.
Lay velvet pile side down onto the stamp and gently press with hand.




Place iron directly on stamp covered with velvet and press, moving the iron in circular motion. Weird as it sounds, you will know when it is done when you can see the details of the stamp through the back of the velvet. Really ! Make sure you look for that before you peel the stamp off.
Carefully peel the stamp off the velvet, folding the velvet seems to help. Try to pull it away with the direction the pile has been pressed rather than against it.


That's pretty much it.
Points of importance-
1. Any velvet will do
2. Only polymer stamps work
3. it only irons on a hard surface ( no ironing board)
4. Do not, I repeat do not ever, ever, ever apply paint directly to the stamp using a paint brush- ever. It will ruin the image. And the stamp eventually.

Try using more than one colour of paint on the stamp.
Oh and, I would appreciate direct links to the instructions rather than copying. Go ahead and share though.

Rolled Felt Beads

So, select your merino/ wool roving you want for the centre. The thicker the 'rope' the thicker the centre. I've chosen 'Kiss Me' red.


Sort your work space. I have bubble wrap to work on, bubble side up. A bowl of warm water with a bar of soap in it.


The 'rope' of merino is already in a sausage shape so all I do is briefly get it wet and lift onto the bubble wrap where I gently, without pressing, roll it backwards and forwards. This compresses the felt and pushes the air out. It's just like rolling pastry, just lighter. If you press it, you can't roll it.
You will see it begins to compress into a more solid roll.
Lay it onto a bed of merino in another colour. Again, the thickness of the next colour is determined by how much merino there is.

Roll it up in this white layer, as tightly as you can but don't fret. As long as the merino is even, pleats and creases generally felt out. It can be fiddly, you'll get better at it.

Check for thin areas which you can see at the right, patch by applying more white. Roll some more till slightly firmer.
Next colour- grey.

This time I just roll and roll, backwards and forwards, feeling it firm up. ( Sorry about the language)
I put it in warm water to help the felting process along. You can roll it in your hands or onto bubble wrap.

Getting smaller, it's supposed to.

You are aiming for it to be completely firm, it won't be rigid, it's fibre after all.
Mine needed more felting so into a sink of very hot water, then into cold, then into hot.....
When it keeps it's shape, slice how you like with a very sharp blade or knife.





Sometimes, you have to kick your own butt into gear. I needed to make or do something but with limited time, so a roll of felt to cut into beads for a bracelet and earrings. Have a go too, very satisfying and something to add to the stash. The ends of the rolls cut into eyes for Kookie Kritters.