Velvet facts for kids
Velvet is a special kind of fabric that feels very smooth and soft. It gets its unique feel from many tiny, upright threads on its surface, which are cut very evenly. This creates a short, dense "pile" that makes velvet feel luxurious.
Velvet is made on a special machine called a loom. This loom can weave two pieces of velvet at the same time! After weaving, the two pieces are carefully cut apart. Velvet can be a bit tricky to clean because of its soft pile, but modern dry cleaning methods work well.
You can make velvet from many different types of fibers. Traditionally, it was made from silk, which is a natural fiber. Today, velvet is also made from man-made fibers like polyester, nylon, viscose, and acetate. Sometimes, different fibers are mixed together, like viscose and silk. A small amount of lycra might even be added to make the fabric stretchy.
History of Velvet
The art of making velvet probably started a long time ago in a place called Kashmir, around the early 1300s. It was a very special fabric, often worn by important people. For example, in 1399, King Richard II of England even asked for his body to be dressed in velvet after he died.
In Europe, some of the first places to become famous for making beautiful velvet were cities in Italy. These included Lucca, Genoa, Florence, and Venice. Weavers in these cities created amazing velvet fabrics that were highly valued.
Images for kids
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Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric
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Illustration depicting the manufacture of velvet fabric
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Velvet with Medici family symbols, from Florence or Venice, made between 1440 and 1500.
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A cope made of pile-on-pile velvet.
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Ciselé velvet
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Devoré velvet
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Embossed velvet
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Pile-on-pile velvet
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Voided velvet
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See also
In Spanish: Terciopelo para niños
