I bought this blue velvet 60s dress off Trademe before Christmas. It took a couple of weeks to arrive and when it did I was away for Christmas. This meant it sat for two weeks scrunched up in a courier bag. It was really creased down the front when I opened it but I managed to get quite a few of the creases out by hanging the dress up in the bathroom when I had a shower. There is still a big crease down the front though. I'm not sure how to get it out because I don't have a clothes steamer. I guess I'll have to take it to a dry cleaner but I'm scared they might ruin it if they don't have a lot of experience with vintage clothes.
That's a beautiful dress! I don't really have any experience with velvet, but could you try gently pressing it inside out with a warm iron, like corduroy?
ReplyDeleteThanks! I have tried doing that before when I was sewing something velvet and I managed to ruin a piece of the fabric (luckily it was only a small piece and I had extra).
ReplyDeleteI thinks few more sessions in the bathroom with the shower steam should get the crease to drop out, some irons steam when you push the button at the top, just hang as normal and then hold the iron in front of it ( not touching) pushing the button so the steam releases.
ReplyDeleteHope this helps
XX Rosina Lee
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try using the steam button on my iron.
ReplyDeleteYou look amazing! You should wear nothing but blue velvet for the rest of your life.
ReplyDeleteGreat dress. And I'll be posting your book this week ... I was away for work last week and 'real life' was temporarily on hold.
ReplyDeleteBack when I was a teenager, we used a "needleboard" for ironing velvet. It was a little miniature "bed of nails." You put the velvet nap side down on the needle board and hover the iron over the wrong side. I did a quick internet search and couldn't find anyone still selling this notion. I'm not that old!!
ReplyDeleteI did read a "how to" that suggested using a second piece of velvet instead of the needle board. Sounds like a good way to end up with two pieces of crushed velvet... but worth a test try on some scraps.
I don't think steaming is going to take the crease out. I agree that you really can't trust the dry cleaners to know how to deal with vintage fabric. It's really a beautiful dress.
I've read about the needleboards but I have never seen one. Maybe it's because real velvet isn't used that much in clothing these days.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion, I will try with some scrap velvet first and see how that goes.
What an adorable hat! it looks great with the beautiful velvet dress!
ReplyDeletewww.thejoyoffashion.blogspot.com
The dress is very beautiful, like that asimetric detail.
ReplyDeleteI have a crush on velvet dresses this winter. I never thought velvet could look good as a day- wear, but i found one beautiful Velvet dress at"Lindex" in autumn and then started changing my mind, even made one dress myself.
This dress is great!
ReplyDeleteHahaha I would have just ironed it! I think it'll be fine if you take it to the dry cleaners to get steamed. That is such a magnificent dress. I am seething with jealousy!
ReplyDelete