Need double welt help

[RussW]

I mostly do auto's and am currently recovering two Queen Ann chairs for a customer. The edges of the sides, back, etc. are finished with double welt.
I have purchased the double welt foot from Greg and need some help.
Do I sew one side and then the other or both at the same time ( I tried both ways without success )?
Do I use single welt cord or do I need the double cord and if I need the double is there a supplier that will sell cut yardage, my supplier will only sell a 250 yard roll and I only need 20 yards
Thanks
Russ

[Cheryl]

I   found it easier to use the  double welt foot  and 2 separate welts.     Experiment with  it and you will see that it works well.   Also, if you search this site or Carr's for welt cord issues.. you might find some  good examples of how  many people do their double welt. 

[sofadoc]

Depending on the fabric, sometimes it's hard to keep the material tucked under as you sew.
I have a double welt foot, and I use double welt cord.
But sometimes, I revert back to my old method when I'm having trouble.
That method is (seperate cords):
I sew the first cord with my regular welt foot.
Then I switch over to a welt foot that I ground the right toe off of.
Then I sew the second cord (excess fabric coming out the left side).
The one that I ground is a cheap one that I picked up from one of those E-bay stores. It was around $13 including shipping. I don't use it for anything else.
If you want, PM me your address, and I'll send you 20 yards of double welt.
No charge (you can dance at my next wedding, or something).

[ragtacker]

I use double welt cord and a double welt foot, and make two passes, pulling the second pass tight.

[MinUph]

Don't have the machine or welt foot anymore but I use to use a double welt foot and double welt cord. One pass came out like a charm. But it did take a long time to get the feel.
  Get use to one pass it comes out better and tighter. The tighter the better. Practice.

[RussW]

Thanks to all who replied and "sofadoc" you have a PM.
I'll let everyone know how I do on this project

[mike802]

I use a single welt foot and two single welt cords.  I sew twice and make the fabric strip wider than necessary, this helps for pulling it tight and when done I trim off the excess.  Some times it is help full to use a flat screw driver, an awl, or something similar to push the fabric down where you want to sew.

[ragtacker]

And don't pull a June and sew your finger in the process! ;D ;D

[baileyuph]

There are many different ways to go about this isn't there,  ideally what I would like to do is cut once and sew once.  Does anyone do this?

If so, full details on equipments and procedure would be interesting. 

Another question; Any comments on cutting the fabric on a bias would also be interesting.

Ok, I was wrong;  Anyone do double welt out of vinyl?  Talk about it!

Doyle

[Darren Henry]

I'm in the same boat as Russ: can't justify that many yards of double welt.

I cut my fabric 2 1/2 " , cut the length  of T-Brade required , and then grab the free end of the spool and run it off with one pass under my double welt foot .

I drop that piece of welt cord I just cut on  the floor to my left and wrap the material around it like I'm making single welt. I grab the free end of the spool over right knee and load it into the mix Snug them up and hammer down. There will be extra material, just trim it off after you're finished.

[fingers]

 I just never got the hang of doing a single pass. Short on coordination I suppose.

[RussW]

Finished these awhile ago and forgot to post the pics.
Thanks for everyone's input and a special thanks to sofadoc, can't dance that well so maybe I'll just share a beer with you
It became very easy to make the welt after a few practice runs with the double welt foot I purchased from Gregg. I simply attached it with a hot glue gun.




Not had the opportunity to reupholster furniture for a long time, and the customer was very pleased with the results and I was also.
As a side note I think that the manufacturer paid the employee that used the most staples to attach the material a bonus.
Russ

[kodydog]

Nice job Russ. My wife taught me to sew double welt, Two pieces of cord one pass on top, It's nice to have an expert to show you how. Each machine and foot work differently. I worked in one place that you had to sew the double welt bottom side up using mono thread, this was uncomfortable to me because you couldn't see the finished product as you were going along. I glue mine on also but have seen staple guns that fit in the groove. That looks easier and faster.

[baileyuph]

It is noted that there is a difference how each fabricates double welt cording.

In my tool box of feet for making the cord, on the equipment side, there are different double cord feet, meaning differences in their general manufacturer.

What I am eluding to is, one double cord pair of feet are probably best described as blocks of steel with the two cord groves machined out.  Imporatant to understand is the pressure foot and the needle foot look alike and about the size, like I said two blocks of steel.  This foot works but is different from another double cord foot I have for the same machine.

This other set of double feet, I will also try to describe:  The pressure foot is essentially the same as a single cord foot except it is a little wider and of course has two groves.  But, the main distinction of this double foot is the design of the needle foot.  It is a very narrow v-shape foot that is machine to walk down the middle of the double cord being covered, no groves just a v-shaped thin bottom.

This double foot does work as the first described, will do the job, but requires my technique to differ. With the first I do a double pass and the second, with the v-groove, it works best with a single pass.  When attempting two passes with that foot, the first pass separates the cord two much, kinda of destroys the double cord as most of you will understand that are held together not too strongly, merely a few strands of some type of yarn.  The resuts of separating the filler cord aggravates the second pass.

At this point, one would suggest well just use the second described foot and do the welt in one pass.  I would bet find it difficult to pull or wrap the double cord with the correct tension.  Some materials it is easier. 

Quite honestly, I am not able to control the process on either pair of feet described real well in one pass. 

Given all that, has anyone used both the feet type I have described and can you use one more effectively than the other?  If so, that would be interesting to hear about.  You might indicate if you are cutting on the bias or not.  I generally do.  When those that cover in one pass, please describe your feet used and are you pulling the fabric really tight?

I have examined manufacturers cording and it appears to be reasonably tight, looks pretty good, and they cut the cord to negotiate corners.

As far as stapling or gluing, it just varies on what is being covered, the material.  If I can get away with staples, that goes faster.  But, cannot always achieve the best look with staples.

Doyle

[MinUph]

Doyle,
  I used the second type of feet. The one with he V groove on the needle foot as you explain it. One pass fabric pulled as tight as possible. The tighter the better. I don't cut on the bias unless absolutely necessary as it won't pull as tight. I fold the left side of the fabric around the cord so there is just a bit of a seam allowance under the needle, then fold the right side as tight as I can keeping the fabric straight and even. I cut the strips oversized by about 3/4" so I can grab the right side easily.I find pulling the underside of the fabric tight before folding over the right side makes this all easier.
  As for attaching the DW to the piece I never use staples as I have not found any fabric that will hide the staples completely. It's always glued on.