Silk velvet= 80% Viscose (pile) and 20 % Silk (backing).
These velvet fabrics are gorgeous but terrible to sew! Here are a couple of hints:
1) Spray the backing liberally with hard-to-hold hairspray (it doesn't show on the right side and will disappear after a while). Let dry thoroughly. Now you can mark the pattern more easily.
2) Stitching the seams is a torture - the layers won't stay together but slip up and down, due to the raised pile. Hand-baste along the seamlines and then press the pile along the seam allowance from the right side, so the pile is well flattened. It is quite easy to do. Now you can join the layers and stitch the seam with relative ease!
Panné velvet = 60% Viscose (pile), 40% Polyester (backing)
This velvet is wonderful to work with, due to the flattened pile. The quality is superb, the colors gorgeous. The texture is light-weight, drapey but the backing is firm and non-stretching.
All Fabrics: Minimum 50 cm