Corduroy sews like a thick cotton with one rule added: every piece must be cut with the pile running the same way, because the nap changes the color depending on the direction you look at it. Use a 90/14 universal or jeans needle, a 2.5–3 mm stitch and a walking foot, pre-wash it inside out, and press it only from the wrong side on a thick towel so the iron never flattens the ribs.
Quick reference: how to sew corduroy
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Needle | Universal or jeans 90/14; 80/12 for fine needlecord, 100/16 for wide wale |
| Thread | All-purpose polyester; a topstitching thread for visible stitching if you like |
| Stitch length | 2.5–3 mm for seams, 3–3.5 mm for topstitching |
| Presser foot | Walking foot (or a roller foot); a standard foot is fine on needlecord |
| Pre-wash | Yes, inside out, at the temperature you will use; dry inside out |
| Pressing | Cotton setting with steam, from the wrong side only, pile face down on a thick towel or needle board |
| Seam finish | Serged or zigzag; bound seams on an unlined jacket; no French seams except in needlecord |
| Layout | All pieces in one direction ("with nap"); buy 10–20 % more fabric |
What is the nap on corduroy, and which way should it run?
The ribs of corduroy, called wales, are rows of cut pile, and the pile leans one way along the length of the fabric. Stroke it: one direction feels smooth (with the nap), the other rough (against it). The nap also changes how light reflects. Hold a length up and look at it from the top and from the bottom: one way the color is deeper and richer, the other way lighter and slightly shiny.
Both directions are used. Nap running up the garment (rough when you stroke downward) gives the deeper color, which is the traditional choice. Nap running down looks a little lighter, wears better because the pile lies flat when you sit, and picks up less dust. Pick one and keep it for every piece, including facings, pockets, waistbands and cuffs; a pocket cut the other way reads as a different shade.
Wale count tells you the weight. Needlecord or pincord has 16–21 wales per inch (2.5 cm) and handles like a soft shirting. Standard corduroy has 11–14 wales and suits skirts, trousers and jackets. Wide wale, with 6–8, and jumbo cord, with 3–4, are heavy and best kept to simple shapes with few seams.
Should you pre-wash corduroy?
Yes. Cotton corduroy shrinks, often 3–5 % and more on cheaper cloth, and it sheds a surprising amount of lint in the first wash. Turn the length inside out, wash it at the temperature the garment will see, and dry it the same way, inside out again so the pile rubs against itself rather than the drum. Take it out while slightly damp, shake it and hang it; the pile settles on its own and needs no ironing.
Clean the lint filter afterward, and expect the fabric to come out softer with slightly less sheen. The pre-washing guide explains the general method and when a second wash is worth it.
How do you cut corduroy?
- Mark the nap on the wrong side with a chalk arrow at each end of the length, pointing the way the pile runs. Once the fabric is folded or cut into pieces, you cannot tell by eye.
- Fold right sides together, pile against pile. The two layers grip each other and do not slide, and the chalk marks stay on the outside. For wide wale, cut in a single layer and flip the pattern piece for the second half.
- Lay out every piece pointing the same way, with the grainline parallel to the wales (the wales run along the lengthwise grain). A "with nap" layout needs more fabric than a two-way layout, usually 10–20 % more.
- Hold the pattern with weights and cut with a rotary cutter or long, sharp shears. If you pin, keep the pins inside the seam allowances; pin holes stay visible in the pile.
- Cut the notches outward and mark darts and dots with chalk on the wrong side. A tracing wheel bruises the pile from the right side.
Which needle, thread and stitch length work for corduroy?
A universal 90/14 copes with standard corduroy; move to a jeans needle in the same size when seams cross a waistband or a pocket. Fine needlecord takes an 80/12, wide wale and bag seams a 100/16. Change the needle at the start of the project: a dull point pushes the pile down and skips at thick intersections.
All-purpose polyester thread is right for everything. For topstitching, a heavier topstitching thread in the needle with a 100/16 topstitch needle looks sharp on wide wale, with the regular thread in the bobbin. Sew seams at 2.5–3 mm and lengthen to 3–3.5 mm for topstitching, because short stitches sink into the pile and disappear.
How do you sew corduroy seams without the layers shifting?
Pile against pile grips, but pile against a smooth facing or lining slides, and the top layer tends to walk forward under a standard presser foot. A walking foot feeds both layers together and solves most of it. Pin every 5 cm (2 in) at right angles to the seam, or baste long seams with a 4 mm stitch, and sew in the direction of the nap where the seam lets you.
Bulk is the other issue. Grade seam allowances where several layers meet, trimming one to 6 mm (1/4 in) and the other to 1 cm (3/8 in), and press them open rather than to one side. Trim corners diagonally before turning. On wide wale, cut facings, pocket bags and the inside of a waistband from a lighter cotton such as poplin, and use a lightweight interfacing. Finish seam allowances separately with zigzag or a serger, then press them open; serging two thick layers together makes a ridge that shows through on the right side.
How do you press corduroy without flattening the pile?
Never press corduroy from the right side on a flat board: the iron's weight crushes the pile into a shiny stripe that does not recover. Lay a thick, folded terry towel or a needle board on the ironing board, place the corduroy pile side down on it, and press from the wrong side with steam. Lift and lower the iron rather than sliding it.
Open seams with the tip of the iron and your fingers. For a hem or a topstitched edge, hover the iron above the right side, give a burst of steam and finger-press. If a spot has been crushed, steam it from the wrong side and brush the pile up with a soft clothes brush while it is still damp. A corduroy that has lost its loft in the wash usually comes back the same way.
How do you hem corduroy?
A double-fold hem on wide wale is thick and stiff. Finish the raw edge with zigzag or a serger instead, turn it up once by 3–4 cm (1 1/4–1 1/2 in), and sew a blind hem by hand or machine, or topstitch it from the right side at 3.5 mm with the nap running toward you. On a curved hem, a bias facing in a light cotton removes the bulk entirely. Needlecord takes a normal double-fold hem.
What should you sew with corduroy?
- An A-line skirt in standard corduroy, with a zip and a waistband. The nap runs the same way on front and back, and the few seams keep the bulk down. Sewly's A-line skirt pattern lists fabric quantities for 110, 140 and 150 cm (45, 55 and 60 in) widths; because corduroy is cut in one direction, round up to the next half meter.
- Pull-on trousers in needlecord: a wide or straight leg in a soft cord is comfortable and quick, and the fine wales fold neatly into the elastic casing. See the pull-on trousers pattern.
- A lined tote bag in wide wale: the fabric has enough body to stand on its own, and a lining hides the seam allowances. The tote bag pattern suits a 100/16 needle and a 3 mm stitch.