Sewing cording into a seam creates a finished, professional edge that frames a pillow and adds texture

Cording (also called piping) is a rope-like trim made of cord wrapped in fabric. You sew it into the seam between the pillow front and back so the cord sits along the edge and the fabric wraps face outward. The cord itself stays hidden inside the seam. You can buy pre-made cording at fabric stores, or make your own by wrapping bias tape around cord. The process involves pinning the cording to the right side of one pillow piece, sewing it down, then sewing the front and back together so the cording gets trapped in the seam.

This is a beginner-friendly technique once you understand the order of steps. The hardest part is keeping the cording from shifting while you sew, and turning corners without puckering. Both problems solve with pinning and a slow sewing speed.

Key Takeaways

  • Cording attaches to the right side of the pillow front before you sew the front and back together, so it ends up trapped in the seam with the cord facing outward.
  • Pre-made cording comes in many widths and colors at fabric stores; the seam allowance width (usually half an inch) determines which size to buy.
  • Pin the cording all the way around before sewing, and use a zipper foot or piping foot so the needle sits close enough to the cord to hold it securely.
  • At corners, clip the fabric casing of the cording so it bends without bunching, and overlap the cord ends where they meet.
  • Sew the front and back together with a regular presser foot after the cording is attached, using the stitching line you made as your guide.

Gather your materials and choose the right cording

You will need two pieces of fabric cut to your pillow size (usually with a half-inch seam allowance on all sides), cording, thread that matches or blends with the cording fabric, a sewing machine, pins, scissors, and a zipper foot or piping foot. The zipper foot is the most common; it lets the needle run close to the cord without hitting it. A piping foot has a groove underneath that the cord sits in, which can make the work even easier if you have one.

Cording width varies. The most common sizes are half-inch and three-quarter-inch, measured from the outer edge of the fabric casing to the outer edge of the cord. Buy cording that matches your seam allowance width—if your seam allowance is half an inch, buy half-inch cording. This way the fabric casing of the cording will sit exactly in your seam line. Cording comes in solid colors, prints, and specialty fabrics like velvet or metallic. Measure the perimeter of your pillow and add 2 inches to account for overlap at the corners.

Pin the cording around the pillow front

Lay the pillow front piece right side up on your work surface. Starting at the center of one side (not at a corner), pin the cording along the edge with the cord facing outward and the fabric casing aligned with the raw edge of the pillow fabric. The casing should sit in your seam allowance line. Pin every 2 to 3 inches, pushing the pin through the casing and into the pillow fabric underneath.

When you reach a corner, stop about half an inch before the corner point. Clip the fabric casing of the cording at a 45-degree angle (or make several small perpendicular cuts) so it can bend without bunching. Fold the cording around the corner and continue pinning on the next side. Repeat this clipping at each corner.

When you return to where you started, overlap the cord ends by about an inch. Unravel the cord from the fabric casing on both ends, trim the cord so the ends butt together without overlapping, then wrap the fabric casing around both cord ends and pin it down. This overlap should be as flat as possible so it does not create a lump in the seam.

Sew the cording to the pillow front

Attach the zipper foot to your machine and thread it with thread that matches the cording or the pillow fabric. Set your stitch length to 2.0 or 2.5 (slightly longer than a standard seam) so the stitches are visible but find. Position the needle so it runs along the edge of the cord, inside the fabric casing. On most zipper feet, you can adjust the foot left or right to change where the needle sits.

Sew slowly around the entire pillow, removing pins as you approach them. Keep the cord pushed firmly against the edge of the pillow fabric so it does not shift. At corners, sew all the way to the corner point, stop with the needle down, lift the presser foot, pivot the fabric, lower the presser foot, and continue. This pivot keeps the corner sharp and the cording in place.

Backstitch at the start and end of your seam to lock the thread. When you reach the overlap where the cord ends meet, sew over it slowly and carefully—it will be thicker than the rest of the seam, so your machine may need a moment to pull the fabric through.

Sew the front and back together

Remove the zipper foot and attach your regular presser foot. Place the pillow front and back right sides together, with the cording sandwiched between them. The cording should face inward toward the back piece. Pin around all four sides, placing pins perpendicular to the edge so they do not interfere with the presser foot.

Sew around the pillow using the stitching line you made when you attached the cording as your guide. This ensures the cording stays in the seam and does not get caught in the new stitching. Use a standard stitch length (2.0 to 2.5) and backstitch at the start and end. Leave a 3 to 4 inch opening on one side for turning and stuffing.

Trim the seam allowance to about a quarter inch all the way around, cutting close to (but not through) your stitching. Clip the corners diagonally so they turn smoothly without bunching. Turn the pillow right side out through the opening, push the corners out with a blunt tool, and press the seams flat with an iron. Stuff the pillow, then hand-sew the opening closed with a ladder stitch or whip stitch.

Troubleshooting common problems

If the cording shifts while you sew, you pinned it too loosely or the cord is not pushed firmly against the pillow edge. Stop, repin that section, and sew again. If the cording puckers at the corners, you did not clip the fabric casing deeply enough. Clip a bit more and resew that corner. If the cord itself is visible in the finished seam, your needle was too far from the cord when you sewed—the fabric casing did not get caught in the seam. This is usually only visible on the inside, so it does not affect the look of the pillow.

If the overlap where the cord ends meet creates a visible lump, trim the cord ends shorter so they do not touch, or stagger them so one end sits slightly ahead of the other. Wrap the fabric casing smoothly around both and pin it flat before sewing. If your machine struggles to sew through the overlap, hand-sew that small section with a needle and thread instead of using the machine.

Making your own cording if pre-made is not available

You can make cording by wrapping bias tape around cord. Buy bias tape (usually half-inch or three-quarter-inch wide) and cord (available at fabric stores in various thicknesses) separately. Lay the cord along the center of the bias tape on the wrong side, fold the tape around the cord, and sew close to the cord using a zipper foot. This creates homemade cording that works exactly like store-bought.

Homemade cording lets you match the fabric perfectly or use a print that coordinates with your pillow. It takes extra time but costs less than pre-made cording, especially if you need a lot of it or a color that is hard to find. The sewing process is the same whether you use homemade or pre-made cording.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use regular presser foot to sew the cording on instead of a zipper foot?

You can, but it is harder. A regular presser foot is wide and sits far from the needle, so you cannot sew as close to the cord. The cording may not be held securely in the seam. A zipper foot costs five to ten dollars and makes the job much easier, so it is worth buying if you plan to sew cording more than once.

What happens if I sew the cording on the wrong side of the pillow fabric?

The cord will end up on the inside of the pillow instead of framing the edge. You would have to remove the stitches and start over. Always pin and sew the cording to the right side of the pillow front piece before sewing the front and back together.

Do I need to wash or pre-shrink the cording?

If your pillow fabric is pre-washed, wash the cording too so it shrinks at the same rate. If your pillow fabric is not pre-washed, you do not need to wash the cording. Mismatched shrinkage can cause the cording to pucker after the first wash.

How do I sew cording on a curved pillow or one with an unusual shape?

Clip the fabric casing of the cording more frequently on curves—every inch instead of every 2 to 3 inches. The more clips you make, the more the casing can bend without bunching. Sew slowly and keep the cord pushed firmly against the edge as you go around the curve.

Can I add cording to a pillow that is already sewn?

Not easily. Cording must be sewn into the seam before the front and back are joined. If you want to add trim to a finished pillow, hand-sew a trim or ribbon to the edge instead, or use fabric glue designed for sewing projects.