de Le Cuona | Vienna Velvet – Arabesque

Vienna Velvet is a cotton velvet with a dense, even pile and a soft, slightly matt face that lies quite differently from the glossy, light-catching velvets made from synthetic or viscose yarns. Cotton gives it a drier, more settled look and a weight that hangs and sits well. Arabesque is a colour that moves between tones as the pile is brushed one way or the other, which gives a large surface a quiet depth and stops it reading as a single flat block of colour.

The cloth is 100% cotton and 140 cm wide, with an abrasion rating of 100,000 Martindale rubs, which is a very high figure and puts it comfortably in the category of fabrics that can be used on seating that gets daily use. It is a plain velvet with no pattern repeat, so there is no matching to plan for. The reference is VIE13, supplied by de Le Cuona, and it is sold by the half metre, with a minimum of 0.5m, which makes it easy to order a small amount for cushions or a sample length.

We would use it on a sofa or a deep armchair where the pile can show its depth, and on curtains in a living room or bedroom where a heavier hanging cloth helps with draughts and sound. It also suits a banquette or dining chair seats, given the rating. For a pairing, we would put it with a relaxed, unbleached linen and a simple weave on the window, so the velvet has contrast in texture rather than in colour.

Velvet needs the pile to run in the same direction on every panel, so tell your upholsterer or curtain maker to cut with the pile running consistently, usually downward on curtains and upward on seat backs, and to check this on every piece before sewing. Cut all of your length from the same dye lot, and add a little to your estimate for the extra wastage velvet involves. Line curtains in this cloth, which helps them hang and protects the pile from sunlight.