Simple Sew: Double Welt Cord
December 22, 2010
Last Sunday I went in search of double welt cord. I’m in the middle of reupholstering a chair, and I was seeking this specialty trim to hide some staples. I read somewhere that you need double welt cord to make double welt cord trim, but I have since learned this is not necessarily the case. My day started like this:
As I browsed the local fabric store, I realized they had no such thing as double welt cord in stock. Wrenching my hands, wondering what to do, nervously pacing back and forth, I paused next to the upholstery supplies. It was then I heard from behind me, “Whatcha looking for Hun?” I thought at first this was some bored sales clerk, but then I realized by the way she said ‘Hun’ she was, in fact, a well intentioned stranger. A stranger I shall dub ‘Saint Seamstress’ for reasons which will be revealed.
I’m prone to striking up conversations with strangers, so I related my dilemma, wholly expecting her to shrug her shoulders, say “I dunno” and walk away. When I explained I was in the middle of reupholstering a chair, and I needed to trim the edges to hide the staples, she immediately said, “Have you thought of using gimp?” Gimp? Gimp! I knew I had encountered someone who speaks upholstery language!
So I tackled her to the ground and made her answer all my questions under extreme duress.
I kid. No, I explained I didn’t want to use gimp this time, like with this bench, rather I wanted that polished double welt cord look you see on high end upholstered chairs. I started rattling off questions and then I hit the jackpot.
This lovely woman stood there unshaken at my brazen unending questions. “Am I insane to reupholster with velvet? Velvet is so fussy and temperamental, always prone to puckering. Is velvet really the diva of fabrics?” “How do I round this corner with my piping (pointing to the old smoke scented foam seat)?” Where can I find inexpensive quality foam in this town?” And the ultimate question: “How do you make double welt cord trim?”
She shared all her secrets, tips and tricks with a smile on her face. Don’t you love when experienced professionals share their knowledge with the world for freeeeeeee? Why didn’t I get her name? Why didn’t I give her my name? Why didn’t I snap a photo of us with my phone for me to remember this blessed soul for all eternity (and then of course add to this post)? Why God whyyyyyyy????
Sewing Your Own Double Welt Cord
Start by cutting your fabric on the bias, then sewing it together to form one long strip. Make sure you have about 2” width of fabric to form your cord casing. ‘On the bias’ simply means cutting ‘on the diagonal’ so that your threads criss-cross and therefore bend around the turns better. At least, that’s my amateur definition. Someone much smarter than me with more experience figured that out a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.
With your zipper foot, sew your first layer of piping by stitching your cord into your casing.
Switch your machine foot back to standard, and insert a second layer of cord. Flip over and pin your fabric to hold your second cord in place.
Sew slowly right over the top.
Trim your excess fabric when done.
Just be careful and sew reaaaaallly slow or you’ll end up with one of these:
Like I did.
Anyway, long story short, I made my own double welt cord trim.
Saint Seamstress, wherever you are, I love you. I want to adopt you into my family and make my stroganoff meatballs just for you. I love you because you didn’t look at me cross-eyed when I wanted to reupholster my chair in velvet. Because you taught me where to buy cheaper quality foam in my town, and how to DIY me some double welt cord trim. And most importantly, you reminded me of the kindness of strangers. All is right in my universe.
If you’re still scratching your head, wondering what the heck I’m talking about or why would I torture myself in this double welt endeavor, it’s because I’m trying to finish this cane chair.
And as all upholsterers know, double welt cord is the major forgiver of sins. Otherwise known as the trick used to cover up all those unsightly staples and tacks so you can make your chair pretty once more.
If I lost you at piping, or if this entire post about double welt cord just scares the hell out of you, do what Linda did and pay someone else to do it for you. That works too.
Questions to ponder:
Is velvet really the diva of fabrics? How would you attach the double welt to this chair, with fabric glue or hot glue? Is Christmas really three days away? Help please.
.
Tags: double welt cord, simple sew
Love velvet! Just ordered some regular and crushed for a sofa/loveseat I am about to reupholster!!
What did you use to attach the double welt cord to the chair?
Love this post. The kindness of strangers is so surprising to us nowadays, I wish it wasn’t so. I also met a lurvely lady in Walmart a few weeks ago and she taught me all about sewing machines and buying them from the Goodwill instead of Walmart. She was so sweet and ended up telling me her life story. Oh the craziness of us stay at home mamas – we’ll talk to anybody!
Hi. Thanks for the post. I have a question for you though, about double welting. How did you join up the 2 ends of the double welting once you went all the way around your chair back? I have been struggling with this problem for months and have not been able to find any good answers.
thanks!
Hi Melissa! I hope I can explain this properly in writing. What you do is when you start applying the welting, leave an inch or so unattached to the chair frame, open up the stitching so that you have some of the fabric that you can wrap around the other end of the welting. Ideally when you sew the strips you leave an inch or so of the fabric strip before you start sewing but you can pick it apart if it’s too late for that. Attach it all around but when you get to where you started from, don’t fully attach that end either. Then what you do is make sure the 2 cords will touch, trim away any excess cord and then take your fabric from the beginning, turn the edge over to hide where it’s cut and then wrap the fabric around the end piece so that the extra fabric from the beginning hides the unfinished end of the piping & then secure it to the fram. I hope this explanation makes sense!
[...] a lovely tutorial on sewing double-welt cording with a standard presser foot, zipper foot and single piping from [...]
So let’s see the finished chair!!!
You just answered a 5 year old question for me! I didn’t know double welt cord existed-as an interior designer by trade I’m kind o ashamed to say that, but I didn’t. I’ve been wanting to add welting to a chair I picked up at a yard sale fo 5 bucks. It has a beautiful royal blue velvet fabric, but whoever upholstered it left foam and staples showing at the edges. So, it seems that double welt cord would be just the thing I’m looking for! Any ideas on where I can actually by this? I don’t have a sewing machine (nor would I know how to make it if I did), so I would definitely prefer to buy it already made. If you have any suggestions I would truly appeciate it! Thanks a bunch!
Great tutorial! It came in handy on a recent project & I referenced it in my most recent post at http://www.atelierbe.com/1/post/2011/11/annie-sloan-louis-chairs.html
Thanks!
jess
Aha HA!!! A year after your last comment and here I am saying this is just what I needed! I have a lovely velvet covered chair that cost me ‘nada’ and I was painstakingly wondering what to do with it when I reach this step! Perfect! …Actually, come to think of it.. I have 2 more chairs that I have hidden away in my “later” storage space wanted to re-do and this will make my life so much more pleasant! And these chairs will shine! Thank you !
And one day later (Nov. 18th) I am looking at your instructions as I am pondering making my own double cording for a cornice board. What size cording do you suggest?
Thanks!
Bonnie
Hi Bonnie, I forget what size I used and I’m all out right now…. hmmm. The best description of width I can think of is a small green pea, does that sound crazy? I’ll take a peek when I’m at the fabric store this weekend to get you a ‘legitimate’ size!
Kate
[...] won’t re-write the book on this one. I used this tutorial, and found it worked really [...]
Absolutely awesome. Followed your instructions and it worked perfectly…and no broken needles! Also instead of buying welt cord from haberdashery shops I bought some blind cord from the local hardware store! Much cheaper and easier to get…and worked a treat. Not sure though if there might be long term problems doing this! Now I just need to figure out how to attach it to the chair.
awesome Not sure though how to finish or attach the cord to finish the chair.
HI Osiris, I ended up using hot glue, it worked great!
Kate