
What is a welt cord for upholstery?
Great question! A welt cord is simply a fabric covered cord that follows the seam of a chair cushion, sofa cushion, or pillows. A welt cord helps give upholstery a more finished tailored look. The two types of welt cords are a self-welt & a contrasting welt.
What is welting in upholstery?
Although this detail is mostly decorative, welting also adds extra strength to seams while giving upholstered chairs, sofas, ottomans, and more a tailored look. If you're taking on an upholstery project yourself, you can easily make your own welting to match your upholstery fabric of choice.
What is the best type of Welt fabric to use?
Cotton welt, jute, tissue, plastic and double welt. Best to cut fabric for welt on the bias to ease sewing and prevent waving. 5/32" is the most commonly used for furniture and auto upholstery.
What is welting in interior design?
In terms of features, welting or piping is a fabric-covered cord that is sewn with a fabric lip to insert between pieces. It is made of bias-cut upholstery fabric and is usually used on the edges of arm rests and seat cushions.

What's the difference between piping and welting?
Piping (Also Single Welting): Piping usually refers to garment sewing whereas welting refers to home decor. Piping Cord is made of cotton or polyester, as opposed to tissue Welt Cord.
What is a welt detail?
Single welt is generally machine sewn – either into a cushion: Single, same-fabric welts are commonly used in upholstery. OR attached to a section of fabric and stapled to the frame in tight upholstery: Single-welted front band with matched pattern in tight upholstery.
How do you make upholstery welt?
3:158:32Upholstery Basics: How to Make Single Welt Cording/Piping - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHere's our 5/32 tissue well the first thing we have to do we're not going to use the welt right awayMoreHere's our 5/32 tissue well the first thing we have to do we're not going to use the welt right away the first thing we have to do is to sew our pieces of fabric our strips of fabric. Together.
What is welt trim?
Welt is a decorative piping trim, stitched between two pieces of material, used to finish the edges or to create a raised, rounded seam around the corners of cushions. It can be a matching, complementary, or contrasting color.
What is a welt mark?
Word forms: welts countable noun. A welt is a mark made on someone's skin, usually by a blow from something such as a whip or sword. More Synonyms of welt.
What are seat welts?
The welts are put in where important vinyl panels meet in order to prevent the threads from pulling out. They aren't put in places where you would be sitting on them, instead the vinyl and stitching is doubled up there if there is a join there.
How do you calculate Welt yardage?
Multiply the ADJUSTED CUT LENGTH by the number of cuts needed. If the job is for one window with three cuts (1.5 widths each side) then you will multiply 125 x 3 = 375 inches of fabric, divided by 36 inches which will be 10.4 yards. Round up!!!!
How do you make a double welt for upholstery?
1:205:08How to Make Double Welt Cord - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFirst fold over tightly. Against the cording on the left side. Be sure to push the double cording upMoreFirst fold over tightly. Against the cording on the left side. Be sure to push the double cording up against the fabrics fold edge as it is being sewn.
What is double welting?
Double welting, also known as double cording, is one piece of trim that looks like two rows of piping close together. It's a common finishing element in upholstery and is often used to hide staples and the raw edges of fabric where the fabric meets the chair frame.
What is a welted edge?
What is a welted edge on a pillow? A welted edge tapers and includes a decorative border or trim such as piping or braiding. Piping is a trim or embellishment used to present a finished look on the seams or style lines of decorative pillows.
What is the trim on cushions called?
Cord/braided/rope trim all have a rounded section, often called the CORD, which is attached to a small flat part along the side called the LIP.
How do you finish upholstery edges?
You can achieve a neat upholstery finish on corners and seams in three simple steps: Staple, Fold, Trim. Step One: Staple all the way around your material, stopping about 2 inches from each corner. Make sure that all of your straight edges are securely stapled into place.
What does welt mean in sewing?
A welt is a strip of fabric used to cover or bind one or both edges of a pocket opening. There are two common types of pockets that use welts.
Is a welt a bruise?
A welt is a bloodshot stripe on the skin. They are haematoma, a special form of a bruise. Welts occur as a result of blunt force being applied to the body with elongated objects without sharp edges.
How does a welt form?
Hives are raised red bumps (welts) or splotches on the skin. They are a type of swelling on the surface of your skin. They happen when your body has an allergic reaction to an allergen, a substance that's harmless to most people.
What is a welted shoe?
The welt refers to a strip of leather that is sewn around the perimeter of the upper of the shoe, onto the insole. The outer sole is then sewn to the welt, as opposed to being attached directly to the upper like the Blake stitch method.
What is welting and piping?
Features Of Welting And Piping. In terms of features, welting or piping is a fabric-covered cord that is sewn with a fabric lip to insert between pieces. It is made of bias-cut upholstery fabric and is usually used on the edges of arm rests and seat cushions.
Why use welt cord?
For use, welt cord is used for its durability. Welting is sewn into seams to help fabric withstand daily use since it acts as a buffer for abrasions and restricts contact with sewn seams when placed on the corners and edges of the upholstered pieces.
How are cording and welting different?
How Welting And Cording Are Different In Upholstery. Welting and cording are interchangeable terms in upholstery. They are both sewn into seams to add accents and increase overall seam durability. However, they are different in features, uses and decorative purposes.
Why is cording used in seams?
Cording gives shape and support to welting because it does not have the same fabric lip as welting. This prevents it from being used in seams. As a decoration, welting can create decorative edges on clothing with thin cording inserted inside while cording creates designs on fabric items when made of metallic threads.
What is welting in upholstery?
Piping, also known as welting, is a must-know upholstery technique. To create it, cording is wrapped in fabric then attached as a border for furniture pieces and pillows.
What is welting on furniture?
It outlines the fabric seams along the edges of furniture, helping to distinguish the contours of the piece. Although this detail is mostly decorative, welting also adds extra strength to seams while giving upholstered chairs, sofas, ottomans, and more a tailored look.
How to make a welting fabric?
Step 1: Cut welting fabric. Cut a square of upholstery fabric. We used an 18x18-inch square, but you can cut yours larger or smaller depending on the amount of welting you need. Flip the fabric square over so the wrong side is facing up.
What is welt cord?
Dear Tina, Great question! A welt cord is simply a fabric covered cord that follows the seam of a chair cushion, sofa cushion, or pillows. A welt cord helps give upholstery a more finished tailored look. The two types of welt cords are a self-welt & a contrasting welt. A self welt is when the cord is done out of the same fabric.
What is a contrasting welt cord?
A self welt is when the cord is done out of the same fabric. A welt cord that is done out of a different fabric is called a contrast ing welt cord. Contrasting welt cords add lots of style & pop to your upholstery. I just love to use them!
What is welting made of?
Welting (also known as cording) Welting - or cording - is made from a strip of fabric sewn around a light braided cord. As a finishing treatment, "double welt" is the most common. Double welt is made with two cords.
Can you double welt a frame?
Double welting with a heavy cord can overpower delicate frames - yielding a raised look.
Can a gimp pull fabric?
Gimp can pull away from the fabric under moderate use - even if it is stitched in place. Clothing pulls against the edges of the gimp - like on seat edges, arms, and low backs. Enter upholstery nails. The wider heads of the nails support the gimp. That is their function. Beyond function, the decorative possibilities of upholstery nails has gained them the name "decorative nails". Available in many, many styles, sizes and finishes - they have design possibilities beyond their simple function.
Jute Welt
Very useful for indoor and outdoor furniture. Natural fiber will not rot outdoors.
Fiber Welt
Great for vinyl and all upholstery projects. Other welts are too soft for vinyl. Made of paper. This welt is the most popular because it is economical.
Double Welt
Excellent for hiding staple lines. Not used on cushions, just on furniture.
Boxed Corners
Boxed corners, like the name suggests, are basic squared joints which when observed whole, pose as cubes or cuboid shapes. A decent example is a mattress which almost always sports this kind of joint on its corners.
Knife-edge Corners
A knife-edge corner has a sharp-edged facade and can either look like the point of a knife or the cutting edge of a knife. An example of a knife-edge is what is commonly found on the edges of bed pillows, throw pillows and bask rest cushions.
Rounded Corners
This type of upholstery corner needs no description it is simply a circular edge. It is nonetheless, the most difficult to craft to perfection. While tiny imperfections pose no real aesthetic challenge, a perfectly made rounded corner will instantly grab your attention unconsciously.
Pleated or gathered corners
This is not actually a type of corner as much as it is a kind of motif or decorative design for a corner. Pleats or gathers can be found where there is no joint as well.
What is upholstered cotton?
Upholstery cotton comes as a roll and is typically sold by weight. There is a 100% natural which is an off-white color and has brown flecks which are actually part of the plant. You have probably seen this product when tearing down older antique pieces. Newer furniture is not apt to have cotton at all. In newer furniture you often times see low-density foam used as padding. Foam is another topic which we will hit on a bit later. I like synthetic cotton which looks much the same as the natural except it is pure white and not a natural product but man-made. I like the feel of and working with the synthetic but both are good products. Cotton is used for padding and adding comfort to your upholstered pieces. You may also have seen the straw, horsehair, and other organic fibers when you’ve completed a teardown. Using cotton will give you a great finished product without the need of using the straw and other fibers in your piece. Heck, I have even seen old clothes used for padding in older pieces.
Why do you want to be sure when you upholster?
When you are upholstering you want to be sure and use the items the way they were intended to be used to ensure you have the strength where it is needed. You don’t want to have an oops when the seat falls out of a chair because someone used the wrong webbing.
What is polyester used for?
A loose form such as you would use in pillows is typically sold by the bag and often times by weight. This loose poly is fluffy, white and very soft to touch but when used in a pillow form is very supportive. Another option is a stitched from where the poly is lightly stitched to a fabric called accord. In this case, the poly is very silky feeling yet quite strong, this is commonly used to wrap cushions to give the appearance of a feather cushion. The poly that is most often used as a padding for upholstery is a
What is welt cord?
The cotton welt cord is a great product for slipcovers and pillows especially if the end product might be washed. When purchasing a cotton welt cord be sure to get the one that is in a net and not the one that is strands wrapped together with no net.
What is the best poly for upholstery?
The poly that is most often used as a padding for upholstery is a bonded Dacron. This poly is thermally bonded making it very strong. Again, this comes on a roll and is 54”W and is typically more durable than what you might find in a craft store.
What is a loose pillow form?
A loose form such as you would use in pillows is typically sold by the bag and often times by weight. This loose poly is fluffy, white and very soft to touch but when used in a pillow form is very supportive. Another option is a stitched from where the poly is lightly stitched to a fabric called accord.
What is sagless webbing?
The Sagless (also known as Polypropylene) saves you time as you are attaching one piece where having enough jute webbing to cover an area takes several strips , therefore, is a bit more time-consuming. You can also purchase polypropylene in webbing form very much like the jute webbing.
What is piping on pillows?
Piping is the word most commonly used when referring to cording on pillows.
What is the fabric of the Premier Prints Embrace throw pillow?
This throw pillow features a braided welting in Sunbrella Vellum that coordinates with the main fabric choice of Premier Prints Embrace in Artist Green and Slub.
What is cording made of?
Technically, cording is made with cord. This cord is a thin, round cotton rope, which comes in various thicknesses. It can be metallic or tinsel, fabric, stretch or elastic, string, thin or twisted. They come in a variety of widths and colors.
What is cording in cushion?
Cording is the most general term. As a decoration, cording gives a new look to a cushion by outlining the shape of the cushion. It emphasizes the silhouette, and it creates design. As a function, it protects the cut edges and the seams of the fabric a cushion is made of and adds extra strength to a seam. Technically, cording is made with cord.
