Velvet Piping For Cushions? The 80 Top Answers

Hello,

Welcome to Crafty Sewing Sew. A craft and sewing blog by Helen Harrison.

I started this blog to share what I’ve learned and learned about sewing, machines and everything in between.

I started my passion for sewing and crafts when I was a little girl and progressed to a degree in historical and performance costume.

Now I spend my time finding the best machines, gadgets, and new projects to try.

wheal

Purchased lacing with “lip”

lacing

Purchased lacing without “lip”

The lipless cord is usually hand attached to the edges of the upholstery with clear thread. This will reinforce the seams but can be time consuming! This trimming is also used as a decorative tieback for curtains.

piping (also single piping)

Slip seat cushion with contrasting single piping

double welt

Double frame on a beautiful upholstered wooden chair

There are many types of cords and welts to buy…

OR you can make your own!

Create your own individual welt/cord

Using a 60-inch metal ruler, cut a strip of fabric (usually at an angle for maximum flexibility) and fold it over the desired size of piping cord. Sew in place and use like a lip cord. If you’re not very experienced (or brave!), in which case you can sew it directly into the open seam of the item you’re working on!

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Here’s finally the long-awaited final part of our SPOTLIGHT ON TECHNIQUE series on decorative trims: piping, piping and cords. First let me explain that there are many opinions as to what, if anything, differentiates piping, piping and cords from one another. I give definitions below: a cord of fabric fibers twisted into a rope and covered with fabric. Can be single or double. It is available in different strengths to achieve different effects. There are also plastic welts for applications that require a waterproof or washable welt.: Decorative, a rope-like trim. Usually done. Can be supplied with or without a lip. The lip makes it easy to attach between two layers of fabric while creating your corded object.: Piping usually refers to garment sewing, while welting refers to home decor. Piping cord is made of cotton or polyester, as opposed to fabric cord. Single piping is the most versatile option, offering a coordinating or contrasting edge along the seams of slipcovers, pillows, cushions, sofas and more.: Double piping offers a coordinating or contrasting edge along the edges of primarily chairs and sofas. It is attached either with hot glue or a special gimp stapler. You can use single welts to make double welts, but it’s easier to use special double welt cords

There’s one small detail that can make all the difference between a homemade throw pillow that looks professional and one that looks, well, homemade: piping.

“Piping” used to refer to what we now call “flat piping”, i.e. “Cords” used to be the term for piping that had a cord inlaid in it, creating the rolled edge you see in the image above. But nowadays that rolled edge with the cord inside is mostly just called “piping” and the same effect without the cord is called “flat piping”.

If all of that is enough to make you want to put your head on a pillow and forget we said something, we don’t blame you. But the bottom line is, piping your pillow is easy – and it will make that headrest look amazing.

How to sew piping on a pillow

Level: Easy

What you need

Pieces of fabric from your pillow

piping

sewing needles

scissors

zipper foot

instructions

1. Prepare your pillow pieces

Once your pillow pieces are cut and an optional zipper has been added, you’re good to go. First, pin the piping to the outside edge of one piece of pillowcase and place it so the seams on the piping line up with the pillow’s seam allowance. Leave a few extra inches where the piping is not attached.

Pro tip: If you’ve added a zipper to one of the pillow pieces, you’ll probably find it easier to sew the piping on the side opposite the zipper.

2. Make a corner

Pin the piping to the pillowcase, making a smooth but tight corner. Cut slits in the piping seam allowance, being careful not to cut the seam holding the piping together. Cut enough slits so the corner sits flat and smooth.

Good to know: It’s basically impossible to get 90 degree corners with piping, so this method gives you a slightly rounded corner.

3. Pin the piping

Once the corner is cut off, pin the piping along the corner. It’s okay if the piping is a little bunched as it will soon fold out to the outside of the seam.

4. Leave the extra piping unfixed

Once you’ve gone around the pillow and gotten back to where you started, there’s still some piping left. Leave those extra few inches unattached.

Pro tip: overlap these piping pieces. The first edge will go onto the fabric and the second edge will stick out from the fabric on the first layer of piping. It is better if this overlap is at the bottom of your pillow.

5. Sew the piping onto the pillow

To sew on the piping, use a regular zipper foot and sew over the seam that is already on the piping. You want to be right on the rounded part. Some machines have optional piping feet, so check with your machine dealer if you can get one.

Start sewing where your two piping ends meet. Begin to sew the piping to the pillow with the piping hanging down from the fabric. Hold the piping as a smooth gradient that slides smoothly onto the fabric.

6. Stitch around the corner

When you reach the corner, sew slowly, making sure to line up with the stitching on the piping. Leave the piping for a smooth, slightly rounded corner. Reduce your stitch length if you can – shorter stitches will give you more accurate curves.

7. Overlap the ends

When you’ve sewn all the way around, take the unpinned extra piping at the end and overlap it with the first piece of piping. You want to create a small “V” where the two ends meet.

8. Cut off the ends

Cut the extra piping at the beginning and end to match the edge of the fabric.

9. Add the second layer of fabric

Lay the second layer of fabric on top of the first, right sides together. Align the outside edges and pin them around the pillow.

10. Unzip the zipper

If you have a zipper in your second layer of fabric, unzip it a bit so you can get inside the pillow after sewing. Make sure to pin the two layers of the zipper together well so they don’t separate while sewing.

11. Sew the pieces together

Still using your Zipper Foot, sew the pillow pieces together on the seam allowance. This should keep you in line with the edge of the cord in the piping and the stitching on the piping. When you get to the overlap, sew right over it as if it were flat.

Pro Tip: Just like when sewing on the piping, be extra careful at the corners. When you reach one, keep the seam smooth and make sure it sits squarely against the piping. If it helps, use your fingers to help hold the foot firmly against the piping as you sew around the corner.

12. Cut off the corners

Once the layers are sewn together, trim the corners for easy turning right side out without adding too much bulk.

13. Trim the zipper

If you have a zipper in the top layer, cut off the excess piece of it on both ends of the zipper tape. (Don’t cut with your nice pair of scissors if there are pieces of metal that need trimming.)

14. Turn it off

Turn the pillow right side out. The finished piping overlap will look like the picture above – nice and neat.

Calculate the width of the strips of fabric you plan to use to wrap the filler. The strips are cut on the bias, meaning you’re cutting the fabric at a 45-degree angle to the straight side edges, reveals the online fabric store. Add double the seam allowance to the circumference of your cord. Calculate the circumference by multiplying the diameter of the cord by 3.14. In this case, the 1/4 inch cable is just over 3/4 inch in circumference; Add the numbers and round up. For example, if your seam allowance is 1/2 inch and your cord circumference is 3/4 inch, the result is 1 3/4 inch, which rounds up to 2 inches for the width of the strips you need to cover the padding piping cord.

In the Middle Ages, if you were aristocratic, you would have owned a chair with a welted cushion, and it would have been exquisite. At the Spanish court, only those honored were allowed to sit on chairs with elaborately decorated cushions with piping. And in France, in the church, the most privileged were allowed to kneel behind the king on a welted cushion.

We can say with certainty that welted cushions have not lost their function or appeal to this day. Today, cushions are both accessories and seating comfort. However, functionality should not determine the style of your pillow! Dress it up with piping.

What is bulge? Nice that you asked. Piping is usually synonymous with cords or piping. There is a technical difference, but most people and companies use these words interchangeably.

Cording is the most general term. As a decoration, the cord gives a pillow a new look by outlining the shape of the pillow. It emphasizes the silhouette and creates design. As a function, it protects the raw edges and the seams of the fabric that makes up a pillow and adds extra strength to a seam.

Technically, the cord is made with cord. This cord is a thin, round cotton rope that comes in a variety of strengths. It can be metallic or tinsel, fabric, stretchy or elastic, cord, thin or twisted. They are available in different widths and colors. Cording is technically an undecorated circular cord of natural fibers used to create a rounded shape that gives the pillow a three dimensional quality. Many interiors experts refer to piping as cord because of the cord inside.

Most often you will find the word “piping” used by decorators when referring to those piping or cords found on cushions. Keder is the word most commonly used when referring to the cord on pillows. Whatever you call it, the end result is that the product increases the durability of the seams and supports the overall strength of the pillow itself.

Piping, cords, piping: they are a breath of fresh air that gives pillows and cushions a unique style. Cover your cushions and cushions in a matching or complementary fabric. Use the piping as an accent or to define the shape of a pillow, from a square to a rectangle to a star and everything in between. You can use color in the cord to emphasize or emphasize a specific color in the main fabric of your decor. Throws, bedspreads and tablecloths can also be decorated with piping.

Choose your piping for functionality first, then for looks. Thick cords look better on pillows, while thinner piping usually looks better on pillows. Whatever your choice – thick or thin, light or muted – cords give cushions, cushions, bedding and tablecloths that professional finish we all desire.