Selecting the Right Cording Foot

By A Mystery Man Writer

Last updated 15 Jul 2024

DetailsAre you looking to make your own piping, but aren’t sure if the piping cord and your sewing machine foot are compatible? Selecting a cording foot and accompanying piping is not an exact science, but there are a few general principles that will help get you close. At the end of this article, we’ll share our personal recommendations for which feet work best with each piping cord we offer.In general, we recommend using the same size cording foot as the piping you’re hoping to sew. This works for most firm piping cords. However, if you’re going to be using a soft piping cord like our Polyester Braided Piping (#106716), then we recommend sizing up a foot. These softer cords can get crushed by the foot, which causes your sewing to wander. A larger foot will prevent this.For the Fabricator® Sewing Machine, we offer cording feet in three sizes: 1/8, 1/4 and 3/16 inch. The Ultrafeed® and Leatherwork® Sewing Machines feature piping tunnels built into their standard presser feet. The Ultrafeed LS model, as well as the Leatherwork machine, features a 1/4-inch piping tunnel, while the LSZ model features only a 5/32-inch piping tunnel. To sew larger piping with the Ultrafeed LSZ, you can upgrade to the Cording Foot Set for Larger Welting (#104854), which works for piping up to 1/4 inch.We also carry extra-large welting cords that are 1/2 inch to 1 inch in diameter. Since there aren’t cording feet large enough to feed these cords through the foot, we recommend using a roping zipper foot. This foot will let you sew close to the piping for a tight fit of the fabric around your cord.To make the decision a little easier for the piping cord that we carry here at Sailrite®, we tested each one and put together this quick reference recommendation chart of our results.Cording Foot RecommendationsPart NumberNameRecommended Foot#106716Polyester Braided Piping 9/32"1/4" Cording Foot#122483Medium 1/4" Welting Cord1/4" Cording Foot or Zipper Foot#106730Polyester Braided Piping 3/16"1/4" Cording Foot#122483Medium 1/4" Welting Cord1/4" Cording Foot#122444Medium 5/32" Welting Cord3/16" Cording Foot#105599Foam Piping/Welting Cord 5/32"3/16" or 1/4" Cording FootVariousPrefabricated Vinyl Welting1/4" Cording Foot#122456Medium 1/2" Welting CordZipper FootYou can learn more about all the different piping options we offer at Sailrite in our guide, “Selecting the Perfect Piping” (#300028XHT).