The Sewing Place

Tools of the Trade => The Haberdashery => Topic started by: Acorn on November 30, 2021, 19:00:20 PM

Title: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Acorn on November 30, 2021, 19:00:20 PM
You may remember that every year I make a posh hot water bottle cover for my Mum, who uses a hot water bottle on her back every day.  This is last year's:

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You can see that I use cord at the top to pull it up, and the cord gets a lot of use.  Last year I bought it from Amazon, and it looked like very good quality with a nice finish.  However, it is not good quality, and has worn appallingly. 

I don't mind paying a reasonable amount, but I have no idea where I can go that I can trust to provide decent stuff.  Any ideas?
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Starryfish on November 30, 2021, 20:08:08 PM
How about Sewessential? I haven't tried their cord, but they have been around a long time.

https://www.sewessential.co.uk/haberdashery/consumables/cords
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Esme866 on December 01, 2021, 03:41:35 AM
I have never considered buying decorative cording. I've made it myself my whole life as it is very simple to make. If you find any decent quality yarn or thread, twisting it is very, very easy.

By sourcing your own thread/yarn you can be certain of the quality. A pearl cotton thread works wonderfully. I've used a variety of cotton crochet threads. Even used it once to make a small decorative cording for a Roman shade.

My Mom first showed me how to make cording with sewing thread when I was quite small. You could practice the technique with thread first.

I'll look to see if there's a YouTube video. Much easier to just see it done.
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Esme866 on December 01, 2021, 04:52:42 AM
O! M! G!

I don't think I've ever witnessed so many people attempt to do something so simple in so many different, convoluted, awkward ways!

I watched 7 or 8 videos before landing on this one:

https://youtu.be/ffTJO-p6xm0

Even the writing pen she uses on her end is rather unnecessary, but she does show the very important part of running hands/fingers up and down the cord as it forms to evenly distribute the twisting.

It's actually easiest with 2 people. Each stands apart facing opposite directions and twisting threads away from them. When there is enough tension (these cords can be made much more taut than the YT videos show), hand your end to the other person to hold while grabbing the center. Then use your hands to straighten the cord and evenly distribute the twist.

Practicing with a second person is how I learned. Once you get a feel for it, most cording can be made on your own.
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Acorn on December 01, 2021, 10:17:46 AM
I have made cord, but I don't think it would be tough enough for this - it is getting an awful lot of use, pulling and rubbing, and I can't think of any yarn or thread that I could get that would be thick enough and wouldn't suffer.  In addition, however well twisted, I think it would come untwisted (again, because of the way it's being used) without something keeping it twisted.

@Starryfish I had a good look at Sew Essential (who I do use, particularly for machine embroidery thread) but they don't have the right colour and thickness - thanks for the suggestion though.

I have ordered some Prym cord - there should be some assurance of quality because it is a named brand.  I shall seriously dissect a bit when it arrives!
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: StitchinTime on December 01, 2021, 12:31:03 PM
Could you make fabric rouleau tubes and use those instead of cord?
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Bodgeitandscarper on December 01, 2021, 14:14:01 PM
My hot water bottle covers have a sort of flap over top - like a pillowcase - would that be easier than a cord?
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Surest1tch on December 01, 2021, 17:39:39 PM
I used to replace the braid on some of the royal household uniforms and officers dress uniforms, it was super top quality braid but it still wore pretty badly and quite quickly frayed so I think you may have a heck of a search on your hands, sorry.
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Acorn on December 01, 2021, 19:01:06 PM
The cord I've used in previous years has been fine, although unfortunately I can't for the life of me think where I got it - it was probably either somewhere locally that I'm not likely to be able to get to, or already in my stash.  It's just last year's that has worn badly - it looks as though the colour didn't go all the way through, or it faded really badly, and then it wore badly as well, which looked even worse. 

The Prym cord says it is "completely dyed, light-resistant, water-resistant" which sounds like a good start.
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: maliw on December 01, 2021, 19:17:54 PM
https://www.calicolaine.co.uk/6mm-navy-rayon-cord-col-509.html
Is this any use, not cheap?
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Ouryve on December 01, 2021, 19:24:38 PM
I often turn to minions of craft for stuff like this though most of their current range of cord is more like twine.

Just remembered that merchant and mills sell some pricey but rather lovely, dense looking, cord https://merchantandmills.com/product-category/trims/
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Acorn on December 01, 2021, 20:04:28 PM
Oooh @Ouryve that Merchant and Mills stuff is lovely - I'd happily pay that, but the colours aren't right.   :[

@maliw  That Calico Laine stuff looks perfect - if the Prym version doesn't convince me I may well go for that (although what I'll do with 25m of it is a good question!)  Frustratingly, I will be visiting Calico Laine between Christmas and New Year!
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: maliw on December 02, 2021, 12:38:20 PM
If we go down past CalicoLaine shall I call in and see how much it is per metre? Wonder if they would just post you a metre or whatever you need, maybe worth a phone call.
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Acorn on December 02, 2021, 16:11:50 PM
Thank you very much for the offer @maliw but the Prym cord came this morning, and it looks pretty good.  It's certainly the same all the way through, which I think is the most important thing.   :thumb:

I think that when I go to Calico Laine I may stock up on every colour they have - after all, I make one of these every year!
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: maliw on December 02, 2021, 16:14:08 PM
Glad you've got it sorted @Acorn
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: HenriettaMaria on December 02, 2021, 22:15:31 PM
My suggestions would be make a cover like a cushion cover with an envelope flap half-way down the back.  If you can get a heat-resistant flat button to close it with, so much the better.

Else lucet a cord using thick linen or cottom thread.  Luceting is like French knitting but with two prongs rather than four.  Ziggy Rytka is an authority:

http://www.thelucet.co.uk/

and there are lots of how-to videos online.
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Ohsewsimple on December 02, 2021, 22:25:11 PM
I’ve got one of Ziggy's lucets.  Bought it from him at Ally Pally one year.  We’d been doing something like it at college.  Perhaps I ought to get it out sometime.   :thinking:
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Sewingsue on December 03, 2021, 07:24:43 AM
I’ve got one of Ziggy's lucets.  Bought it from him at Ally Pally one year.  We’d been doing something like it at college.  Perhaps I ought to get it out sometime.   :thinking:
Me too also (except not bought at Ally Pally).

(Goes off to read the 'can you have too many hobbies' thread).
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Acorn on December 03, 2021, 09:29:17 AM
It has to have a means of carrying it over the arm - Mum needs both hands to get out of her chair, and then doesn't want to have to bend over to pick up the hot water bottle.  Being able to loop it over her arm to carry it is important.  In addition, one side has double wadding, the other single, so that she can have it one way round when it's just been filled, and the other when it's cooled down a little.  I really don't want to change the design since it is so tailor made for her needs!
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: HenriettaMaria on December 13, 2021, 16:22:55 PM
@Acorn Aha!  Now I see what you're aiming for.  I too have a mother who's only able to move about with a wheelie frame.  Her problem was moving her laundry from the bedroom to the kitchen.  She was instead stuffing towels, smalls, tops, etc, in the machine as they came off, willy-nilly, which made it hard to load-assemble.  I bought her a carrier bag from Tesco that could stand in a corner of her bedroom floor.  She puts the dirties in that and then sorts them while sitting on her bed.  The bag can be looped over the handle of the frame for transport to the washing machine.

Maybe something as simple as that would solve your problem?
Title: Re: Source for Good Quality Cord...?
Post by: Acorn on December 13, 2021, 17:00:34 PM
She doesn't use a frame, or a walking stick.  She has a range of holding-on points around the house (one of them is my Dad, if he's in the right place  :laughing: ).  She's actually reasonably mobile once she's up and on level ground, it's the getting up and down that are more difficult.

I have some decent-looking cord now, so the tried and trusted design should be fine.  Thanks, though.   :thumb: