One of my favorite threads, I love working with Very Velvet. If you aren’t familiar with this Rainbow Gallery thread, it is a velour thread that comes in two colors. I used it for the trees in the mission pictured above. You can see all the colors available in one place at the Needle in a Haystack site.
The construction of this thread is chenille. That means it has a core thread with other threads set into it at right angles. This construction is used for dense or furry threads.
In order to thread Very Velvet easily, either strip the end a bit to make it easier to thread or use a larger needle.
In the past I recommended using a larger needle, short lengths, and parking your thread at one point along the tail. That’s because, until recently. the thread would wear at the needle’s eye. I’d also find bits of fuzz that had come unattached in my needlepoint.
It was not always the easiest thread to use.
But, happily Rainbow Gallery has made changes to this thread to make it so much easier to use. Recently I’ve been using it on several projects, four different colors in all. Although I still strip the end of the thread to get it into the needle, the current thread is very sturdy.
I can use regular stitching lengths and my normal needle. There are no bar spots anywhere along the tail and I haven’t seen a bit of random fuzz.
I’m excited because these changes make a great thread even better!
If you have avoided Very Velvet or Petite Very Velvet in the past, pick up a card at you LNS and try it again — you’ll be a convert!
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Diane Gasior says
Hi Janet. I’m glad to read your post about Very Velvet, though the one thing that still bothers me about VV is the way it’s wrapped around the card. It cuts into the thread leaving marks and when you are trying to do long stitch it does not make for a pleasing look on your canvas. Any ideas as to how to cure this?
Diane Gasior