Sewing with Corduroy: Tips & Techniques

Corduroy fabric comes in many varieties, from thin, nearly invisible ridges to extra wide channels of fluffy pile. Its uses are wonderfully varied, too, from sleek velvety slacks to warm fall coats and casual skirts to kindergarten jumpers. It's endured through every era of fashion, a workhorse fabric that can read as casual or luxe, with its velvety hand and lustrous fibers.

As fabrics go, corduroy is not hard to sew. However, its unique qualities also mean it needs a little special treatment. Follow the techniques outlined below, and you'll have a beautiful garment for your efforts.

Prewashing

As with all fabrics, prewash your corduroy before you sew with it. It's generally best to wash corduroy on cold and hang it to dry or dry it on low in the dryer, but remove it while it's still damp and allow it to air dry the rest of the way. But the main rule of thumb is to wash and dry the fabric the same way you plan to wash and dry the garment. This will help you avoid any surprise shrinking when you wash your finished garment.

It's normal for the pile to look a little different after its first washing. Wider wale piles will take on a wavy look, adding even greater texture and reflectiveness to the surface.

Ironing and Pressing

All those velvety lifted fibers on corduroy make it a little finicky for pressing. To preserve the napped pile, iron corduroy on the wrong side (inside out) with a lot of steam and a very light touch.. Hover the iron just slightly over the surface and steam heavily as you skim the back of the fabric. Consider laying a towel on the ironing board before ironing so the nap has soft crevices to sink into as you press, rather than pushing directly into the board. (Another option is a velvet board.)

When pressing seams as you sew, use only the tip of the iron and lots of steam, pressing from the wrong side of the fabric so as not to leave an impression on the nap.  

Layout and Cutting

Before laying out and cutting your pattern pieces, there are two essential factors to consider: the direction of the nap and the direction of the wales.

Nap

 A fabric has a nap when it has a textured surface, such as the pile of a corduroy, that lays in a specific direction. (A good analogy for this is the direction the fur grows on your cat or dog!) You can determine the direction of the nap of corduroy by running your hand perpendicular to the wales. If it feels rougher as you pass over, you are going against the nap. If it feels smoother as you run your hand over it, you are going with the nap.

While all of your pattern pieces should have the same nap orientation, picking whether the nap direction the nap will run is a matter of personal taste. The nap reflects light differently depending on its orientation. If the nap is running up the garment, it will appear darker and have more color dimension. If it is running down the garment, the fabric will appear lighter and more reflective. Bottoms, such as pants and skirts, look better with the nap running down the garment so that any disturbance from sitting doesn't cause the rear to appear lighter.

As with any napped fabric, it's a good idea to buy an extra half or full yard to allow you to reposition pattern pieces, if needed, to be oriented correctly to the nap direction you've chosen.

Wales

 Corduroy's ridges, or wales, give it its distinctive look and texture, and just like any fabric with a directional pattern, you can play with their orientation to create visual interest in your garment. Generally, with higher wale corduroy, there is no need to match the ridges, but when you get up into wider wales, alignment can make the garment look more finished. If you are working with a stretch corduroy, check the direction of the stretch and only play with direction in places where it won't compromise the stretch.

Construction

 Needles and Stitch

Universal needles work well for corduroy, size 70/10 for needlecord or pinwale, 80/12 or 100/15 for heavyweight cords.

A straight stitch between a 2-3 in length works best for seams. Topstitching looks great on corduroy, but has the potential to disappear into the pile, so consider doubling your thread or using a heavier-weight thread if you'd like your topstitching to be visible.

 Avoiding Creep

Corduroy fabric can be a little shifty under the presser foot, with the nap fibers moving against each other and making one or both layers move away from their original position. As a result, you'll need to take steps to keep your seams aligned and flat as you sew:

• Sew in the direction of the nap.
• Pin frequently along your seam line, or, even better, hand-baste your pieces together before sewing.
• Use a walking foot, which has upper and lower food dogs that help move fabric evenly under the foot.
• If you are using a conventional foot, lighten the foot pressure.
• If the fabric is creeping, periodically pause your sewing, lower the needle, and lift the foot to reposition any fabric that has shifted.

Interfacing

Because corduroy is sensitive to pressing, fusible interfacing is not a good choice for this fabric. Instead, use sew-in interfacing, such as a lightweight fabric in the same fiber as the corduroy. This will add structure while preserving the nap.

Seam Finishing

Like all woven fabrics, corduroy will continue to unravel if the edges are left unfinished. Since corduroy in multiple layers can get bulky, it's best to finish your raw edges before sewing and press them open—a 2- or 3-stitch overlock on a serger or a zig-zag stitch works great. If you'd like to add some polish or fun contrasting detail to the interior of your garment, a Hong Kong finish works well, too.

Hemming

A standard hem works just fine on corduroy, but if you like the look of an invisible (aka blind) hem, corduroy is your friend. The blind hem stitches on the right side often blend into the pile, making them nearly impossible to detect!

Washing and Garment Care 

The laundering directions for washing corduroy garments (above) are the same as for washing corduroy garments. However, turn your garments inside out before laundering to protect the nap. If your garment is wrinkled, hang it and steam it to encourage the wrinkles to relax. If the nap looks a little scruffy after washing, you can brush it with another piece of corduroy to tidy it up.