Ask Netfah: Grandmother’s Cording

Dear Netfah,

I am an artist and do-it-your-selfer from the millenial generation who inherited bags of assorted trim and cording from my grandmother who was a seamstress for what seems like FOREVER! One of my past time hobbies is refurbishing and reupholstering antique furnishings into funky works of art. There is a big project I agreed to do for a client of mine that requires corded scarlet trim around the perimeters of her dining room chairs but I am short yardage of the particular color she wants. I do however, have the same exact color in a lipped version.

It’s Tassel Mania Time!

 

Before the Industrial Revolution (18th Century), trim was called passementerie. It was made and applied by hand, thus making heavily trimmed furnishings and garments expensive and high status. Eventually machine-woven trims and sewing machines put these specialized trimmings within reach of modest dressmakers and home seamstresses. The result, by the 1930’s, applied trim lost its value and became a signifier of mass-produced clothing.  Today, though most trimmings are commercially manufactured, the creative appeal that they offer have made trims, tassels and cording highly sought after for unique one-of-a-kind creations. A compliment to any fabric project  where that ‘something extra’ makes all the difference, modern day passementeries offer the perfect touch.