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What is welting? Here’s how to make it a DOUBLE and how to USE it!

by Elaine Theriault

It’s the final day of our discussion about piping and welting. How quickly the week passes when we’re having so much fun. I hope you had a chance to try turning a corner using piping or creating a seamless join – it’s so easy! This week, I used the Husqvarna Viking Opal 670 to make my samples. I had such great fun with this sewing machine. The tension is superb, and it performs above and beyond.

A white sewing machine with teal and black trim; Husqvarna Viking Opal 670

Husqvarna Viking Opal 670

Even though I’m mostly a quilter, I love to play with the accessory feet for my Husqvarna Viking sewing machines. Why? It expands my options for creativity, and we saw how fantastic the piping was as an accent around the binding or as a pop of color between various sections of a table runner.

And imagine the possibilities if you’re making a fidget quilt or a child’s activity quilt. The piping can add texture to a fidget quilt; different piping diameters can help a child learn the difference between small, medium, and large. Or create blocks with varying numbers of piped seams to help a child learn to count.

The more I experiment with sewing machine accessories, the better I handle any design challenge that comes my way.

Today, it’s all about welting. I puzzled over this term for the longest time, and as I said earlier this week, it’s really another word for piping, but welting is often referred to in the furniture world, while piping is for garment sewing.

Earlier this week, I used the Single Welt Cord Foot to make piping with a thicker cord, and today, I’m using the Double Welt Cord Foot.

I had difficulty finding someone with furniture with double welting as trim, but my friend Helen has a dining room chair with double welting around the bottom.

An upholstered chair with wooden legs and double welting trim where the light brown fabric meets the wood

A chair with double welting as trim around the edge of the upholstery

Here’s a closer view of the welting. In furniture, it acts as a trim to tidy up the edges where the upholstery meets the wood.

A wooden chair with a light brown fabric seat and double welting where the upholstery meets the wood

A close-up of the double welting used on the chair

I’m not planning on upholstering any furniture soon, so why do I want to use the Double Cord Welt Foot?

Let’s start by looking at how to make the double welt as there are two different methods, and they each have a unique way of attaching them to the project.

While shopping for some cord the other day, I came across a piping cord used specifically for furniture called T-Braid. The fiber content is paper, so you wouldn’t put it in an item to be laundered. It’s a great example of why we need to know the fiber content of what materials we plan to use and the end-use of our project!

Method 1 for making a Double Welt Cord

Take two lengths of cord and a wide strip of your piping fabric. The piping fabric is prepared the same way as for other piping methods – cut the strips on the bias (for curves) and join them with a diagonal seam, which is pressed open. The fabric strips should be somewhat wide (about 2”), and you’ll trim the excess fabric away before using the double welt.

Lay one of the cords inside the fabric strip and fold the fabric around the cord. The fabric should cover the cord with an excess on the right-hand side, equal to the diameter of the cord.

A length of white cord inside the fold of a blue fabric; Husqvarna Viking Opal 670

Inserting the first cord when making a double welt cord

Then position the second cord beside the first, ensuring the cord sits on top of the excess fabric, with the raw edge tucked in.

Two lengths of white cord with one wrapped in a blue fabric in front of a metal presser foot on a sewing machine; Husqvarna Viking Opal 670

Adding the second length of cord to make the double welt cord

Then flip both lengths of cord over (to the right), so they’re both inside the fabric with the excess fabric to the right.

Two lengths of white cord inside blue fabric under the metal presser foot of a sewing machine; Husqvarna Viking Opal 670

Both welt cords inside the fabric strip

Thread the Opal 670 with a matching thread in the top and bobbin and attach the Double Welt Cord Foot. Position the two cords within the two grooves on the underside of the foot. I set the stitch length at 2.5.

Two lengths of cord inside a blue fabric strip under a metal presser foot on a sewing machine; Husqvarna Viking Opal 670

Preparing to stitch the double welt cord

You can use the FIX function to secure the start and end of your double welt. With the Double Welt Cord Foot, getting a beautiful even stitching line is easy.

Two lengths of cord stitched inside a blue strip of fabric

An even line of stitching between the two lengths of cord

Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut the excess fabric strip away, leaving a raw edge on the underside of the double welt.

A tube of blue fabric with the excess at one end partially trimmed

Trim the excess fabric away using a pair of sharp scissors.

The double welt is now ready to attach to your project. Gluing the double welt to the final product is the most common way of attaching the double welt to furniture. You can also use staples between the two cords; however, the staples may show, so the industry prefers the glue method.

So, if you happen to be restoring a piece of furniture and want some decorative trim to conceal those rough edges, it’s super easy to make a double welt and apply it!!

And remember, the cording used for double welt is stiff and not appropriate for garments, and be mindful of the paper version!

Two lengths of white cord encased in a tube of blue fabric with a line of blue stitching in the center

The double welt ready for application

Method 2 for making a Double welt cord

There’s another way to use the Double Cord Welt foot, and this one allows you to sew the double welt to your project. You can use the double welt on home decor items such as cushions, or on garments where it’s often used on the edge of pockets, or applied to the strap of a purse or handles of a tote bag. And, I’m sure there are other places you can use the double welt as a decorative trim.

Start with a wide strip of fabric and two lengths of cord. Position the two cords side by side inside the fabric strip with the excess to the right. Notice the big pieces of tape – those tame the ends of the cording.

Two lengths of white cord inside the fold of pink fabric with blue painter’s tape securing the ends of the cord; Husqvarna Viking Opal 670

Inserting the two lengths of cord side by side inside the fold of the fabric

I used the Single Welt Cord Foot to sew alongside the right-hand cord to encase both cords in the fabric. Keep the fabric relatively taut around the cords, but not so tight that the cords bunch up onto each other.

Pink fabric with two lengths of cord inside under a metal presser foot on a sewing machine; Husqvarna Viking Opal 670, Husqvarna Viking Single Welt Cord Foot

Using the Single Welt Cord Foot to stitch a tube around the two lengths of cord

This is what it looks like after the first line of stitching.

A tube of pink fabric with excess on the right stitched with gray thread and two lengths of white cord inside

The first seam of the double welt

Next, trim off the excess seam allowance.

A tube of pink fabric

The excess fabric trimmed away

Roll the seam allowance to the back while being very careful to keep the two lengths of cord side by side.

A tube of pink fabric

The seam allowance is rolled to the back

Attach the Double Welt Cord Foot to the Opal 670 and use threads that match your welt fabric. Position the double welt on your base fabric. Place the two cords in the grooves of the Double Welt Cord Foot and stitch down the middle.

A tube of pink fabric on a purple fabric with a metal presser foot on the sewing machine; Husqvarna Viking Opal 670, Husqvarna Viking Double Welt Cord Foot

Stitching the double welt to the base fabric

And there it is – your double welt! Isn’t that so much fun! And it was super easy to do.

A pink fabric tube with two ridges stitched to a purple fabric

The double welt stitched to the base fabric

The softer the cording you use, the more flexible it is, and you can stitch some gentle curves.

I have to say, I had a lot of fun this week learning all about piping, welting, cord, and how easy it all is to make with the Husqvarna Viking Opal 670 and the various piping and welt feet. I know I’ll use my piping and welting presser feet more. It’s a fast way to make decorative trim for any project. If you prefer to purchase your piping, it will take even less time!

Be sure to dig out your piping feet and see what you can create. Share your photos – we’d love to see them.

Thanks for following along.

Have a super day!

Ciao!!!

This is part 5 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 4: Piping around corners and seamless joins (EASY tutorial)

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