Reading Nicolas post today reminded me how bad I am about blogging re work done on an experimental basis which I should be sharing.
Shorly before we finished the book this year I was doing lots of work on velvet for another project and did not relay go into detail re velvet.
To dispel some myths re velvt silk velvet is not pure silk it is silk base cloth and the pile is man made .Therefore when you wish to felt it is the base which is no trouble but the pile can be .
One way to get over this and begin to show design onto your work is to do one more step to the velvet before felting and that is devore work which eats away at the pile of synthetic fibres on the top i.e. the pile.
Devore work hold s a mistaken lot of myths about it and it is not hard at all.
You can be ready prepared Devore paste and basically you paint this onto the top of your stretched out velvet wearing gloves then you allow this to dry.You can speed it up with hairdryer bit please wear amass to do this .
When it is dry then you will iron it under baking paper so you protect your iron this is essence begins to burn away(which is why devore means )the top layer which has the painted paste on .
Now take it over the sink or outside and wearing mask brush away all those dark brown toasted top pile fibres you do not want to breathe these in .Personally I do all this under water in a big bowl then they do not fly around .
Now when you felt you have large areas for the fibres to adher to and your nuno with devore silk velvet will be easier.
It is controlled art form and it is up to you how much you burn away,just enough to make felting easier or large amounts for design work .
here are some images from my design file .Next posts I will cover how to dye this and then use in work .If you look back through my posts the jacket with the knitted sleeves was made using dyed devored silk velvet .
Felt,Stitch and Embellish fibres 