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How To: Make Double Welt Cord

by on Feb 27, 2009

What is double welt cord, you ask? It’s the nifty side-by-side cord covered with fabric and attached to cover the cut edge of fabric and staples. Furniture often has wood trim where the upholstery comes right up on a lip of wood and is stapled in place. The staples and cut fabric edge need to be covered. You can buy “gimp” from a fabric store (no relation to the Pulp Fiction Gimp), or you can get a polished, professional look by using double welt cord. The cord in this lesson is sewn using a sewing machine presser foot made specifically for double welt cord, but I’m sure a clever seamstress can figure out how to make it work with the wide array of presser feet that come with most machines. Double welt cord can be purchased at DIY upholstery supply sites, or you could buy a couple of yards from an upholstery shop. I’ve tried to make it out of single welt cord and it’s a difficult task, indeed.

created at: 2009-02-27

What you need:

  • 2 1/2″ strips of fabric cut on the bias
  • scissors
  • sewingmachine
  • double welt cord
  • staples or glue gun
  • a sewing machine foot that can stitch right down the center of the double cord

How you make it:

1. Cut 2 1/2″ strips of fabric on the bias, stitch together as shown to make a long bias strip of fabric.

created at: 2009-02-27

created at: 2009-02-27

created at: 2009-02-27

2. Place the double welt cord on the right edge of the wrong side of the bias strip leaving enough fabric on the right to fold over on top of the welt cord. Begin stitching right down the center of the double cord. As you are stitching, keep pulling the fabric tightly around the cord so there is not slack.

created at: 2009-02-27

3. Now roll the stitched cord over one more time and stitch down the center of the cord again. This will completely enclose the double welt cord in fabric.

created at: 2009-02-27

4. With sharp scissors, cut the remaining fabric off of the back side of the fabric covered cord.

created at: 2009-02-27

created at: 2009-02-27

created at: 2009-02-27

5. Now your covered double welt cord is ready to hot glue in place to cover a cut fabric edge and staples. It’s a professional finish to your hard work.

created at: 2009-02-27

 

 

 

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