Sewing cording on by hand works best for delicate fabrics and curved seams; a machine does it faster on straight edges

Cording — a rope or cord wrapped in fabric — adds a finished edge to pillows, cushions, and garment seams. You can attach it by hand using a ladder stitch for an invisible seam, or by machine using a zipper foot to stitch close to the cord itself. Hand sewing takes longer but gives you control over tension and works on any curve. Machine sewing is faster and holds up better to washing and wear, but requires a straight or gently curved path.

The method you choose depends on your fabric weight, the project's end use, and how much time you have. A decorative pillow cover that will sit on a shelf can handle hand stitching; a cushion cover that gets sat on needs the durability of a machine seam.

Key Takeaways

  • Hand sewing cording uses a ladder stitch to close the seam invisibly, and works on any curve or delicate fabric.
  • Machine sewing requires a zipper foot and stitches the cording down in one pass, making it faster and more durable.
  • Cording must be pinned or basted in place before you sew, or it will shift and bunch.
  • The seam allowance where cording sits should match your pattern — usually 1/2 inch — so the cord sits exactly at the edge when the seam is sewn.
  • Turning corners and joining cord ends are the two steps most likely to go wrong; both require planning before you start stitching.

Hand sewing cording with a ladder stitch

A ladder stitch closes the seam so the stitches are hidden inside the fold of fabric. This method works on any curve and puts no strain on the cord itself. Start by pinning the cording to the right side of one fabric piece, with the cord sitting exactly on the seam line. The fabric wrapper of the cording should face outward; the raw edge of that wrapper should align with the raw edge of your fabric piece.

Hand-stitch the cording down using a running stitch or backstitch, sewing through the fabric wrapper and into your fabric piece. Stitch close to the cord — about 1/8 inch away — so the stitches stay hidden once the seam is closed. Use thread that matches the cording fabric, not your main fabric. Once the cording is stitched to one piece, pin the second fabric piece on top, right sides together, and stitch around three sides using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Leave one side open for turning.

Turn the piece right-side out through the opening. The cording now sits between the two fabric layers, visible only at the edge. Close the opening using a ladder stitch: bring your needle up through the fold of fabric on one side, cross to the opposite side, and slide the needle inside the fold for about 1/4 inch before bringing it back out. Repeat along the entire opening. The stitches disappear into the fold as you pull the thread snug every few stitches.

Machine sewing cording with a zipper foot

A zipper foot lets you stitch close to the cord without the presser foot hitting it. Pin the cording to the right side of your fabric with the cord sitting on the seam line, raw edges aligned. Attach the zipper foot to your machine and position the needle so it stitches right next to the cord — not through it, but as close as the foot allows. Stitch the full length, removing pins as you go.

Once the cording is attached to one piece, place the second fabric piece on top, right sides together, and stitch around the perimeter using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. The zipper foot again lets you stitch close to the cord without hitting it. Leave a 3- to 4-inch opening for turning. Turn right-side out, press lightly, and close the opening by hand using a ladder stitch or by machine if the opening is on a straight edge.

Machine stitching holds up better than hand stitching through repeated washing and use, making it the better choice for items that will be handled often. The trade-off is that you cannot easily navigate tight curves or corners — the foot may jam or the fabric may bunch. For projects with many curves, hand stitching or a combination method (machine stitch the straight sections, hand stitch the curves) works better.

Preparing and pinning cording before you sew

Cording comes in many widths and fabric coverings. Measure the perimeter of your project and buy cording that length plus 2 to 3 inches for joining the ends. Pre-shrink the cording if your project will be washed — soak it in hot water, lay it flat to dry, and let it cool before using. Shrinkage varies by fiber content, so test a scrap if you are unsure.

Pin the cording to your fabric with the cord itself sitting exactly on the seam line. The fabric wrapper should face outward and its raw edge should align with the raw edge of your fabric piece. Use pins every 2 to 3 inches, and more often on curves to prevent shifting. Basting — a long, loose machine stitch — holds cording more securely than pins alone, especially on curves or if you will be handling the piece before final stitching.

Turning corners with cording

At a corner, the cording must bend sharply, and the fabric wrapper will bunch if you do not clip it. Stop stitching about 1/2 inch before the corner. Make small cuts — called notches — into the seam allowance of the cording's fabric wrapper, cutting toward the cord but not into it. Space the notches 1/4 inch apart. These cuts let the wrapper fold without puckering.

Pivot your work at the corner, fold the cording to follow the new direction, and continue stitching. The notches will open slightly as the corner bends, and the wrapper will lie flat. If you are hand stitching, make the notches before you begin, then stitch slowly through the corner, taking smaller stitches to hold the wrapper in place as it bends.

Joining cord ends neatly

When you reach the point where the cord ends meet, you have two options: overlap them or butt them together. Overlapping is simpler but creates a visible bump; butting them is less visible but requires more care.

To overlap, leave 1 to 2 inches of extra cording at the start. When you reach the end, lay the finishing end over the starting end, trim so they overlap by about 1 inch, and stitch through both layers. The overlap sits inside the seam and is hidden once the project is closed.

To butt the ends, trim both ends so they meet exactly with no gap or overlap. This works best if you hand-stitch the cording down first, then stitch the fabric pieces together — the fabric seam holds the cord ends in place. If you are machine stitching, butt the ends and stitch across them carefully, making sure both ends are caught by the needle.

Choosing between hand and machine for different projects

Hand sewing is the right choice for delicate or lightweight fabrics, projects with many curves or corners, and pieces that will not see heavy use. Pillows, wall hangings, and decorative garments benefit from the control and invisibility of hand stitching. The downside is time — a large pillow cover can take an hour or more to stitch by hand.

Machine sewing suits sturdy fabrics, straight or gently curved seams, and items that will be washed or handled often. Cushion covers, tote bags, and upholstered pieces hold up better to machine stitching. If your project has both straight and curved sections, consider stitching the straight parts by machine and the curves by hand — this saves time while keeping the curves neat.

A hybrid approach also works: machine-baste the cording in place, then hand-stitch it permanently using a ladder stitch. This gives you the speed of machine basting and the durability of hand stitching, though it requires two passes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sew cording on after the seam is already closed?

Yes, but it is harder and less durable. You would stitch the cording to the finished edge using a ladder stitch or whip stitch, which means the stitches are visible on the outside. This works for adding cording to an existing piece or for a decorative effect, but it does not hold as well as stitching the cording into the seam before closing.

What if my cording is too thick for the zipper foot?

Use a cording foot (also called a piping foot), which has a groove underneath that lets thicker cord pass through without jamming the presser foot. If you do not have one, hand-stitch the cording instead, or stitch it down using a regular presser foot positioned to the side of the cord, accepting that the stitches will be slightly farther from the cord than ideal.

How do I keep cording from shifting while I sew?

Pin or baste it in place before final stitching. Basting — a long, loose machine stitch — holds better than pins alone, especially on curves. Remove the basting stitches after you have finished the final seam. If the cording still shifts, you may be pulling too hard on the fabric as you feed it through the machine; let the feed dogs do the work and guide gently with your hands.

Do I need to pre-shrink cording?

Only if your finished project will be washed. Cording shrinks at a different rate than most fabrics, so if you do not pre-shrink it, the cording may pucker after the first wash. Soak it in hot water, lay it flat to dry, and let it cool before using. Test a scrap first to see how much it shrinks.

What thread should I use to hand-stitch cording?

Use thread that matches the fabric wrapper of the cording, not your main fabric. This way, any stitches that show will blend with the cording rather than stand out against your main fabric. If the cording is a solid color, a neutral thread like tan or gray works if an exact match is not available.