Joining Decorative Cord

Ever wonder how decorative lip cord is joined on pillows?  Where's the seam or the joint?  If done correctly no one should ever be able to tell where you joined the lip cord edges.
I made a really cute pillow for a decorator the other day and it was trimmed with Decorative Lip Cord.  I haven't had time to post the whole tutorial yet, but I thought I'd share a tutorial for applying and joining lip cord.

Joining or marrying lip cord can be intimidating if you don't know how, but with the right tools and the know how you can make fabulous custom pillows with all sorts of creative lip cords.

The key to applying lip cord is a Cording foot.  I have just about every size cording foot for my industrial sewing machine.  I know they can be purchased for most home sewing machines too.   Search the Internet and you should be able to order them on line.

The trick is to use a smaller cording foot than your lip cord.  This lip cord is 1/2 diameter and I'm using a 1/4" cording foot.

I know what you're thinking...."but that will make my lip cord smaller" and in all common sense thinking it would but it doesn't.  What it does is "bite" into the cord just enough to hide the lip tape.  I promise your lip cord will still be a 1/2" lip cord when you're finished.

Dab a bit of glue, I use Aleene's Tacky Glue, on the end of your lip cord.  You don't have to wait for it to dry completely.  In fact it's better if you don't let it dry until it gets had, just let it dry enough that it won't smear all over your fabric.

Find the center bottom of your pillow and place the lip cord 1 1/2" beyond the center bottom.  Start stitching 1/2" or so from the center point leaving approx 2" of lip cord  unstitched.
 Stitch all around your pillow with the cording foot riding up on top of the lip cord.  Clip into the tape to go around corners.
When you get within a few inches of your starting point, pause with your needle down.  Cut the lip cord 1 1/2" past your starting point and dab with glue.

Separate your cord from the lip tape 1 1/2" or so from each end.

Carefully unwind the cord as shown.

Unwind the beginning cord only enough to lay over and join this cord.  If you unwind too much, you will see a gap in your finished cord.  If you unwind too little, your finished cord will look cramped  and uneven.

Making sure the lip tape is out of the way, stitch over the joined/ over lapped cord.

Look how perfectly the cord looks where you joined it.

Not so intimidating any more is it?!   Pin It