So what even is "velour" ??! No, it's not velvet. It's not french terry. Well, actually, I find it more similar to french terry than velvet as it's 100% cotton in this case. This velour is a lot like french terry but with the loops cut at the end so there is just a luxurious cotton pile. I prefer to put the pile side on the outside but you could flip it and put the knit side on the outside if you'd prefer.
Velour Du Jour is a new deadstock arrival from France and it's safe to say... we are obsessed with it! It does have a perfect ribbing match but please be warned that this rib is very heavy (and still very cool but too heavy for a tee shirt neckband for example - perfect for sweatshirts though).
I'll answer some questions I got on IG about the fabric:
Which side do you sew on?
Either! I find it easer to sew on the knit side and I prefer to have the squishy pile on the outside so you can see it. I did sew some patch pockets on the outside of the joggers I made for my kid and it was a little harder to control/see but it was manageable.
My son was immediately jealous of my set so I whipped him up a quick pair of Joggers by JaykaiCo and shortened the matching rib with my serger. He was THRILLED.
Does a serger work well for it?
Absolutely! Yes, you will want to do a stretch stitch so either use a serger, do a zig zag on your regular machine, or you could even use a stretch thread like wooly nylon or Mettler Seraflex on your regular machine with a straight stitch (my new obsession).
I used Mettler Seraflex with a straight stitch simply because my zig zag is getting wonky on my tired old machine and I recommend hand winding the bobbin, setting the tension to 0, using a 3mm stitch length and of course, sampling on scraps as all machines behave differently!
I also didn't finish my edges as knits don't fray and I prefer the feeling of the plain edges versed serged edges on the inside of my cozy loungewear.
*You will also need to clean your serger after if you use the knife as you will get a LOT of fuzzies from this fabric!
What needle/thread do you recommend?
Try to use a heavier stretch needle. I like stretch 90/14 (the higher numbers mean its a bigger needle) - here's an example from Wawak (not an affiliate but I do like them!). I'd also recommend all purpose poly thread unless you go with the stretch thread route (see info above).
Does it have a nap?
Yes - it technically has a nap and I can feel it if I brush my hand in various directions, but it's going to be hard to tell if you don't follow the nap while cutting.
It's not like velvet where it's going to be SUPER obvious if you ignore the nap (since velvet is so shiny, it will give you away instantly if you ignore the nap and cut in various directions). This fabric is completely matte and I know I mismatched the directions of my cutting when I did my lounge set and I'm sure no one will be able to tell.
If you feel like you want to pay special attention to this, just make sure you are cutting everything in the same direction. Perhaps pin all of your pattern pieces at the same time to ensure this.
Always cut on the grain though! You want your selvedges on the right and left side and the true grain running up and down, that way the degree of greatest stretch is stretching from left to right (and will stretch over your body).
I made the Made-line Tee by Madswick paired with the Lara Loungewear Shorts by Swim Style.
Is it like velvet where you are not supposed to iron it?
Great question! Velvet is usually made of poly, rayon, silk etc so that's why ironing it can damage the fibers. This velour is 100% cotton so you have more freedom. I guess my greatest concern here is you might pre-stretch the fabric by ironing (which happened during my test) so take care not to stretch it out when ironing, but ironing doesn't appear to damage the pile (at least during my test). I managed to make my matching set and son's joggers all without my iron and just pinned and used wonder clips but if you really need to iron things down like a patch pocket, it should be fine to be ironed. See image below. Note that it won't "hold a press" like a woven but it should still help you in combination with pins/clips.
Is the inside itchy?
No, the inside / knit side is smooth and soft like any 100% cotton knit :) I am sensitive to itchy fibers / unnatural fibers and can wear this set I made for days.
What patterns can I use?
So - this part is a lil interesting! This is a 100% cotton (no spandex) knit that has some natural stretch due to being a knit, but without the addition of synthetic spandex, there is no recovery. No recovery means that if it gets stretched out, it won't bounce back into it's original shape until it goes through the laundry. Personally I think this is *amazing* because stretchy spandex-y knits are all over the market and this was a rare gem! But what this means for patterns, is that you need to avoid stretchy body-con style patterns: no leggings, no body-con dresses, no tight pencil skirts etc. We want looser patterns that have some ease in them. The Honeygirl series might work because it was actually designed for a no-recovery 100% cotton knit. A lot of wovens or knits/wovens patterns would work well. Here are my top picks:
Bottoms
Arenite Pants by Sew Liberated
Chanterelle Pants by Sew Liberated
Ninni Culottes by Named Clothing
Lounge Sets
Lara Loungewear Set by Swim Style (I made the bottoms from this set)
Tops
All Around Crew by Matchy Matchy Sewing Club
Made-line Tee by Madswick (this is the top I made)
Made-line Sweatshirt by Madswick
Toaster Sweater by Sew House 7
Gemma Sweatshirt by Named Clothing *80s vibes w this fabric!
Dresses
Camber Dress by Merchant and Mills
Inari Tee and Dress by Named Clothing
Kids
Crewneck Sweatshirt by JaykaiCo
Kid's Joggers by JaykaiCo (what I made for my son and he is a very happy camper).
I think mixing and matching these fun French primary colors is just delightful but you do you! Personally I took home 1 yard of each color (3 yards total) and I still have some leftover after making a top, shorts, and little kid joggers.
Let me know if you have questions!
-B