As you know, machine wrapped cording is one of my favorite embellishments and I use it on many of my projects, particularly as a finishing edging.

I’ve used it on art quilts …

fabric journals …

and I particularly love using it to finish my Art Bags.

I get asked quite often how I get the ends of the cording to meet up so nicely. It’s a little difficult to explain without pictures, so while I was busy making fabric postcards for the upcoming Arts on Stage event – and don’t they look just delicious -

I took a few photos for you to show you the technique.

First, begin by making a length of cording. If you haven’t made machine wrapped cording before, you’ll find instructions here on the tutorials page.

Then add a dab of fabric glue or fray check to the beginning end of the cording, allow it to dry, then snip the end cleanly with a small pair of sharp scissors. The glue seals the threads together so they don’t fray.

Leave a tail of about an inch before you begin stitching. Butt the cording up right alongside the edge of your postcard and using a zigzag stitch, attach it to the postcard. When the zigzag stitch swings to the left, it stitches into the postcard; when it swings to the right it stitches into the cording. This takes a little practice. Attach the cording all the way round until about an inch or two from the end, then add another dab of fabric glue or fray check to the end of the cording where it will match up with the beginning.

Nudge the beginning end, and the end tail of the cording up against each other, determine where the end cut should be, and snip the end cleanly.

Butt the ends up against each other so they lie snugly together, and finish attaching the cording.

Once finished stitching, add another drop of glue in between the butted ends and allow the dry.

And that’s it! A perfect finish…

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