Looking for Leather Braided Cordedge
92highlanders
| Posted in Fabric and Trim on
Hello Fellow Seamstresses!
This is my 1st time on any kind of discussion board – please be patient with me, okay? It was out of desperation that I ended up here. I am looking for braided leather cordedge (preferably in brown). I want to use this on a purse I am making, as I saw this on a designer purse in a high end department store. I have searched the Internet for days, all to no avail. Does anyone know of resource for such a creature?
Thank-you so very much
Replies
Welcome to the forum! Good luck in finding the leather braided cord edge. I'm sorry that I don't have an idea where to find it. It sounds like a great idea for your purse project! Tandy leather might have fine cord that you could braid yourself. Mary
Hi Mary,
Thank-you so much for your quick response. I looked at the Tandy website some time ago - but couldn't find what I was looking for. I can find braided leather, such as what is made for Bolo ties and leather necklaces, but the problem with this type of braid is that there is no seam allowance to insert into a seam or a way to attach it along a seamline. I suppose I could try to do this by hand - but I'm thinking that attaching leather by hand would be a long and perhaps difficult process. Thanks again, 92highlanders
Just a thought. Could you hand stitch the braided leather to some Seams Great or bias binding and then insert that into the seam lines of the purse? (Like making bias piping but putting the "cord" on the ouside instead of inside the bias strip.) Mary
Mary's suggestion might be easier, but you could also try making your own out of a long strip of leather (wide enough to for a seam allowance) and then weaving two thinner strands through equally spaced horizontal slit down the middle. Once you fill it with cording and stitch as usual for piping, it will appear to be braided.It's hard to explain this, but you could make up a fabric or paper version to test out different possibilities. In this case, it's kind of like lacing rather than braiding, but it will appear braided when curved around the cord.Another option is to use lacing around the borders, overhand stitching thin strips over the finished seams. This would give an interesting diagonal effect that would look close to braiding.
Hello,
Thank-you so much for your suggestions. I am going to give Mary's idea a try.
Good luck, let me know how it goes. Mary
That sounds workable to me too! I'll have to try that on my next hatband. Thanks for the idea. Mary
On a hat band, you can use an internally-braid strip, too. Quite nifty-- you just cut two long slits in the single piece of leather and then start braiding it from one end. As you near the other end, the end tab just slips through the slits, and you end up with a braid between two end tabs. It looks impossible, but it really works!For a circular band, you can also make a crown knot (I think that's the name) with a very long piece of leather lacing. You make two loops around your hand, then crisscross those while weaving the long loose end through as the third part of the braid. Eventually, the loose end meets up with the starting end, and you have a lovely braided circle.
Great idea! Thanks, I'll have to try it. Mary
Try M.J. Trims (or the second link).
3/8" Faux Leather Cordedge (4 colors)
http://www.mjtrim.com/Catalog/Category/338.aspx
Style #: 26099: 3/8" 3/Str. Imit. Leather Braid on Piping
http://www.pacificimports.ca/user_item_view.php?ItemID=2100&ColorID=10468
(Black, Tan, Rust, Choc. Brown)
Hello Diday,
Thank-you for the links. I had already found those, but alas, they are imitation leather and I am looking for the real deal. HOWEVER, I have been searching still yet and found what I am looking for at Rochford Supplies under Upholstery - leather - piping. The only downside is there is a 5 yard minimum purchase.
Hi, At a shop I just discovered, it is actually a yarn shop. She has braided leather purse handles in several colors. It may be something you can adapt to your needs. Her site is http://www.yarnlady.com. I have not done business with her, but I will say her yarn selection is incredible. I have looked many places for purse supplies and this is the first place to have leather handles. And to have eleven colors that are all naturally dyed was amazing.
Good luck, jane
WOW! Thanks Jane - I just checked out her website. I LOVE the leather purse accessories and have bookmarked her site. Thank-you so much for the head-up!
Your welcome, I am glad you like it. j
This post is archived.