How do you make cording with profits?

[baileyuph]

Old issue for sure, but maybe a fresh review that incorporates new thinking on how to do a good job of making/installing cording with efficiency - and to maintain profits is justified.

What spurred my review of the cording fabrication issue is a rather large job of fabricating box zippered cushions, that is an order was just placed.  A rather big job.

Quality and efficiency are equally strong in my thinking -- doing the best job possible but being able to pay the bills at the end of the day are equal requirements -- you know the rest or will find out, smile.

This is a woven fabric project no vinyl or premade welting required.

To this end, share your tips that work well for you in the following steps:

    talk to your pattern layout, you know bias or not -

    are cutting lines drawn on the fabric or is there a different technique for accuracy -

then,

    logically cutting follows; is the technique automated or manually done with shears.        
    Equally important, particularly on larger projects, question is - is all your cording preparation done  at the same time (we have projects where over 25 yards of cording is required - often is part of the driven focus on time and quality).  What system works best for you is the quest, it is expected to vary among business practices.

In a normal fashion, the cording must be incorporated into a seam and there are a number of different approahes to do just that; for example, cording made, then attached to upholstery component(s), then finally into the final layered seam -- one, two, or even three sequences?

Like emphasized, the idea is what works in maintaing seam accuracy but --- accomplished in an efficient manner as practical?

Like admitted, old subject but maybe a review to refresh on equipments and techniques could be beneficial, some could be new.

Thanks for your ideas,

Doyle

[kodydog]

Hi Doyle,

I'm glad you brought this up.  

My wife always sewed the cushions until her hands started bothering her. About 2 years ago she started showing me how to do it. And because I was already familiar with the sewing machine and flat sewing I picked up the process quickly. The first year I did a cushion here and there but now I do all the sewing. Shes a good teacher.

When it comes to sewing cushions I'm still learning. I'm slow. It takes me twice as long as Rose. About 45 mins per cushion. But when I'm done they look just as good as hers. IMO.

The one thing she demands is a nice even boxing and corners that match. And because I'm a beginner she showed me a trick for making perfect boxing. It adds a few minutes to each cushion but well worth it.

After the welt is sewn to the top panel and the zippers are all sewn, I take the cut boxing and lay it flat on the table. Wrong side up, as straight as possible. I take a sharp pencil or tailors crayon and mark a sew line. If the cushion finishes at 3-1/2 I mark two lines 3-1/2 inches apart the entire length of the boxing fabric.

When sewing I keep my eye on this line and it makes a perfect boxing every time.

A lot of shops like to cut the zipper double width. I have a hard time wrapping my head around this waste of fabric. I do cut my zipper pieces about 1" wider than necessary. I sew the the zipper on then go back and cut them down to the correct size.

Like I said I'm still learning. This process may seem time consuming to many but until I get quicker it works for me.

Would love to hear other theories and tips.

Ed 

[bobbin]

A custom shop, I make welting for each job.  I prefer to use bias cut welting.  I mark the goods and use (sharp!) shears or my hot knife (acrylics).  I prefer to join the cuts rather than forming the "loop" and then cutting along lines to get the "continuous" run.  My machines have tack/trim so backtaking and cutting every segment is not an issue.  I also overlock my welting; easy with a high speed overlock machine. 

I don't prestitch welting over the insert, either, this makes it easier to clean finish the start/finish of the welting on each piece.  I consider this an important part of "custom" work and the time to accomplish this step is part of my labor estimate. 

I do all my cutting at once (duh).  I do all  my set up work at once (duh, again).  I move from one machine to the next in a logical pattern and frankly, the biggest time hog I have is cutting!  Assembly is a swift, accurate, and the easiest part of what I do. 

[MinUph]

 I marked out welt cord with chalk or pencil for many years. Don't know why I just did. I find marking it just takes to long and is not necessary. The reason for marking my old way was to have an even edge that would give me my 1/2" seam allowance but I always look at where the needle will be landing so this just didn't make sense any more. So now I just cut the welt without marking it weather on the bias or across/up the goods. After a short time it is pretty close to being as good as marking but much quicker. It is all hidden so there is really no need for such precision in marking. I call this over engineering (in a way).
  When I sew the welt to say a cushion top, I will sew it on the top not sewing the welt up first as this just invites thread showing and adds time that could be spent doing something else. Sometimes I will sew a cushion or other piece in one fell swoop. All three pieces at once. But that has to be a special fabric or special need like watching stretch.
  In the end if the piece comes out perfect we are all happy. If it comes out perfect and quickly we are all a little happier.

[sofadoc]

I do it like Paul. I just eyeball my welt strips when I cut.

Since so many jobs are COM now, and since customers tend to furnish just barely, barely, barely, barely enough fabric, I usually cut all the big panels first. Then cut my welt strips last.

[kodydog]

Had a return customer call Friday. Wants us to recover a Lawson Sofa. She ordered 12 yards from Jo-Anns.

I told her, I don't think that will be enough but let me come and measure.

So yesterday Rose and I stopped by. This customer is so cool. She just turned 90 and her husband is a few years older. He's a WWII vet and turned one bedroom into a war room. They still live in their own house and take care of each other. They're still in love and they never bat an eye when we give an estimate.  The sofa is big and she also wants two side pillows and two arm covers made. The good thing is no match. We measured and told her she'll need 4 more yards.

She said the folks at Jo-Anns couldn't tell her how much fabric to get so she just made a guess. I don't know why she didn't call us first but here we are. Shes going to get more fabric and we'll pick it up in three weeks.

[bobbin]

The last thing I cut is welting.  I do my best to get the longest runs of welt possible, but usually people have no clue about how much fabric is required to make welting (esp. if they want long, uninterrupted runs).  I have a custom shop and I'm "picky" about where I place welt seams on a slipcover, but every customer understands that there will be seams on the welting!