What is Corduroy? And tips for using Cord in Dressmaking

When to use Corduroy Fabric in Dressmaking

Corduroy Fabric is often associated with Autumn and winter fashion. It is warm and durable and can be used to create a whole host of stylish garments. If you are looking for a fun and rewarding sewing project, consider making a corduroy piece for your winter wardrobe.

Is Corduroy better suited to winder clothing?

Corduroy is wonderfully versatile. You can make dresses, coats, jackets, trousers and more from this dressmaking favourite. Whilst it is often associated with clothing for colder month, the weight of the particular fabric used will best determine what weather it is suitable too. A lightweight babycord for example would perfectly suit a versatile skirt that could easily be worn with tights in the winter or without tights in the warmer months.

Heavier weight jumbo cords, might then better suited to patterns for coats and jackets

A Stunning Range of Jumbo Cords

If you are new to sewing with corduroy, there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Corduroy can be a quite weighty, so it is important to use a sharp needle and a slightly longer stitch length than you would for other fabrics.
2. Be sure to press your seams carefully after sewing them. This will help to flatten the fabric and give your garment a polished finish.

A few more things to know.

• Choose a corduroy fabric that is appropriate for the weight of garment that you are making. For example, if you are making a coat, you will need to use a heavier weight corduroy. All of our fabrics will give you a weight in gsm (grams per square metre).
• Our Babycord tends to be lighter weight and therefore better suited to lighter clothing items. Our Jumbo Cord tends to be a heavier weight and is better suited to coats, jackets etc
• Corduroy can be prone to fraying, so be sure to pink or zigzag stitch the edges of your fabric before sewing.

Also good to know . .

• If you are sewing a garment with darts, be sure to clip into the seam allowance at the beginning of the dart to prevent the fabric from puckering.
• If you are sewing a garment with a facing, be sure to stay stitch the facing to the garment before sewing them together. This will help to prevent the facing from rolling away. You can shop our range of interfacing here

A few additional tips for making corduroy clothes for winter:

• Consider adding a Fabrc lining to your garment. This will add extra warmth and durability. We offer a stunning range of linings from just £2.99 per metre
• If you are making a coat or jacket, be sure to add pockets. This adds great detail and added practicality too.
• You can also add other accessories for splashes of colours and further detail.  Buttons, beads, or appliqués can work really well.

With a little bit of creativity, you can create a truly unique and stylish corduroy piece for your winter wardrobe.