Welcome to the day-after-Christmas edition of the fabric of the week, and what more perfect fabric for a the winter holidays than velvet? Each and every one of you know velvet, but perhaps not how it is made, or the many velvet variations and similar fabrics (under See also below).

As usual, I am pulling this from the VFG Fabric Resource:

Velvet

Sumptuous fabric with a soft pile, velvet is constructed with a plain or twill weave back with one set of warp and one set of weft yarns. An extra set of warp yarns forms the pile. Velvet is now usually constructed by weaving two cloths together with pile ends connecting to both surfaces. The two are cut apart to give two pieces of velvet (double-cloth method). It may also be made by wires which lift and cut the pile.

Velvet may be treated and varied in a number of way—including embossing, crushing, burning out—and can be made to be water- and crush-resistant. It is made of silk or manufactured filament fibers. If made of cotton it is called cotton velvet.

The name velvet stems from the Latin vellus, or hair.

Uses: Suits, coats, dresses, evening wear, shoes, hats, trim

See also:
burn-out velvet, chiffon velvet, ciselé velvet
crushed velvet, dévoré velvet, façonné velvet
nacre velvet, panne velvet, tapestry velvet
velour, velveteen