Olympia Handwoven Silk Velvet Ikat Throw Pillow Cover, 16 x 24 inches

The Olympia pillow cover overlays geometric lines in golden yellow, copper, black and blue on a silver-sage ground. Handwoven ikat starts with dyed yarns, and the 100% silk velvet cover shows the blurred pattern edges that result. Silk velvet is a textile, and textiles are a touch sensory experience.

Silk’s smooth, filamentous structure produces a fluid glide across the skin, generating micro-movements that feel continuous. This glide comes from the fiber’s long, uniform strands, which reduce friction and let the fabric shift quietly with the body. Many people describe silk’s movement as effortless because it follows contours without catching or resisting. Cutaneous low-threshold mechanoreceptors register these fine movement patterns and relay them through the dorsal column pathways, where the brainstem organizes them as smooth, uninterrupted contact (Abraira & Ginty, 2013). Research by Olausson et al. (2014) indicates that smooth, soft touch, akin to silk, can aid anxious or overwhelmed people in feeling more grounded.

Details

• Material: 100% silk velvet
• Technique: Handwoven ikat
• Colors: Black, Blue, Yellow, Silver, Copper, Sage
• Size: 16 x 24 inches (41 x 61 cm)
• Weight: 5.3 oz (150 g)
• Insert: Not included

Pairing Note

Textiles provide tactile grounding by activating the skin’s mechanoreceptors to produce calming physical feedback (McGlone et al., 2014) and ease tension (McEwen, 2007). Visual: People often look at color, pattern, and form while touching fabric. The eyes help the brain understand what the hands are feeling (Lakoff, 1987). When the visual cue matches the texture, the sensory cue helps the brain process the experience more efficiently, making the experience clearer. This visual-tactile pairing creates a small resonance of emotional steadiness (Juslin & Västfjäll, 2008) and strengthens memory through familiar sensory combinations (Herz, 2016).