Somflex Plastic piping cord

Somflex Plastic Piping Cord for Heavy Upholstery Fabrics

Somflex Plastic Piping Cord is a flexible yet resilient upholstery cord manufactured from extruded and expanded polyethylene.

Compared with softer cotton or textile piping cords, Somflex provides a firmer, more defined profile beneath heavier covering materials.

It is available in:

• 3mm diameter
• 4mm diameter
• 5mm diameter

Somflex is particularly suited to:

• Leather upholstery
• Vinyl
• Moquette
• Dralon
• Heavier furniture fabrics
• Contract upholstery
• Automotive trimming
• Firm decorative piping
• Upholstered furniture panels
• Defined furniture seams

see the Piping Cords range for cotton, paper, washable and specialist plastic piping products.

A Firmer Piping Cord for Heavier Coverings

Heavy upholstery fabrics can compress or visually overpower a very soft piping core.

Somflex has a more resilient construction, helping the finished piping retain a clearly defined rounded profile beneath covering materials.

This makes it particularly useful where the upholstery includes:

• Leather
• Contract vinyl
• Automotive vinyl
• Moquette
• Heavy woven fabrics
• Dralon
• Thick furniture fabrics
• Coated upholstery materials

The firmer cord can create a more pronounced piping line, but firmness should still be chosen according to the finished application.

A firm piping cord is not automatically better simply because the fabric is heavy.

Consider whether the piping sits against the body, the amount of seam bulk, the required visual effect and the capability of the sewing machine.

Choose from 3mm, 4mm & 5mm Diameters

Somflex is available in three defined diameters:

3mm, for a finer, less prominent piping detail.

4mm, a useful intermediate size for many furniture and vehicle-upholstery applications.

5mm, for a fuller, more piping profile beneath heavier coverings.

Remember that these measurements refer to the uncovered cord.

The finished piping will become slightly larger once wrapped in leather, vinyl or upholstery fabric.

The final appearance is affected by:

• Covering thickness
• Number of material layers
• Sewing position
• Seam allowance
• Compression during sewing
• Piping-foot position

Where the finished diameter is important, make a short sample using the actual covering material before preparing the complete job.

Use it for Leather Upholstery

Leather can benefit from a piping core with sufficient resilience to maintain a defined shape beneath the covering.

Somflex can be considered for suitable:

• Leather chairs
• Sofa panels
• Seat borders
• Automotive leather upholstery
• Furniture facings
• Decorative leather seams

Leather requires careful sewing because needle holes remain permanently visible.

Before sewing the finished component, test:

• Needle type
• Needle size
• Thread
• Stitch length
• Piping-foot position
• Machine feeding
• Cord diameter
• Seam bulk

Avoid repeatedly unpicking and resewing leather, as the original needle holes remain in the material and can weaken or mark the seam.

Piping Vinyl & Contract Upholstery

Somflex is also well suited to many heavier vinyl and coated upholstery materials.

Browse Vinyl & Fabric for Status Fabrics' upholstery covering ranges.

Plastic piping cord can provide a defined decorative seam around:

• Commercial seating
• Restaurant furniture
• Bar seating
• Vehicle seating
• Upholstered panels
• Contract chairs
• Fixed furniture upholstery

When sewing vinyl, consider the combined thickness of the vinyl, piping strip, adjoining panel and seam allowances.

A machine that comfortably sews two flat layers may behave differently once several layers and a resilient piping cord meet at the same seam.

Automotive & Vehicle Upholstery

The resilient construction also makes Somflex particularly relevant to automotive and vehicle trimming.

Potential applications include suitable:

• Car seats
• Campervan seating
• Motorhome cushions
• Vehicle panels
• Marine-style seating where the complete materials are appropriate
• Decorative vehicle trim seams

For specialist vehicle work, browse Automotive & Headlining Fabrics and Status Fabrics' Car Trimming Tools.

Always consider the complete finished upholstery specification rather than selecting the piping cord independently from the covering material, thread and sewing method.

Making Somflex Fabric-Covered Piping

Somflex is used in much the same basic way as conventional upholstery piping cord.

A suitable strip of upholstery material is wrapped around the plastic cord and sewn close to the cord to create the finished piping.

A typical process is:

1. Select the required Somflex diameter.
2. Cut suitable upholstery fabric, vinyl or leather strips.
3. Join strips where required.
4. Place the Somflex cord inside the covering strip.
5. Fold the material evenly around the cord.
6. Sew close to the cord using an appropriate piping foot.
7. Position the completed piping into the furniture or cushion seam.
8. Sew the finished seam through all required layers.

The cord should remain fully enclosed within the covering material.

Sewing Somflex with Upholstery Thread

Heavier materials and resilient piping can create a seam, so thread selection is important.

Browse Sewing Threads & Barbobs for professional upholstery sewing threads.

Somabond 40's Bonded Nylon Sewing Thread provides a strong professional thread for a wide range of furniture and upholstery sewing applications.

Before beginning the finished work, test the complete combination of:

• Cord
• Covering material
• Sewing thread
• Needle
• Stitch length
• Sewing foot
• Machine tension

This is particularly important when sewing leather, vinyl and heavy fabrics because seam bulk can quickly increase around piping.

Cutting Leather, Vinyl & Heavy Fabric Strips

Clean, consistent strips make the piping easier to cover and help maintain a uniform finished profile.

Browse Upholstery Shears & Snips for professional cutting tools.

Suitable shears can be used when preparing:

• Upholstery fabric strips
• Heavy furniture cloth
• Vinyl
• Cushion borders
• Furniture panels
• Piping covers

For leather and specialist materials, use the cutting method most appropriate to the material thickness and required accuracy.

Always make a short test strip where the material is particularly thick or difficult to manipulate.

Straight or Bias-Cut Piping Strips

The best cutting direction depends on the covering material and the shape of the finished seam.

Bias cutting can give woven fabric additional flexibility around curves.

Leather and vinyl behave differently from woven fabric and may not gain the same benefit from conventional bias cutting.

Consider:

• Material construction
• Stretch
• Furniture shape
• Curve radius
• Surface finish
• Pattern direction
• Required seam appearance

The objective is a smooth finished piping line without puckering, twisting or unnecessary bulk.

Sewing Around Corners

A resilient plastic cord can require a little more care around tight corners than a soft textile cord.

As the corner approaches:

• Reduce sewing speed
• Guide the cord progressively
• Avoid sharply folding the Somflex
• Keep the covering smooth
• Make relief clips only within the seam allowance where appropriate
• Keep cuts away from the sewing line
• Check that the main upholstery panel is not puckering

A slightly rounded corner will normally produce a smoother piping line than forcing a firm cord around an extremely sharp point.

Joining Somflex Piping

Plan piping joins before sewing the complete furniture panel.

Where possible, position the join away from highly visible areas.

Suitable locations may include:

• Rear cushion borders
• Lower furniture edges
• Rear panel seams
• Less visible furniture sections

The aim is to avoid:

• An obvious gap
• Excessive overlap
• A bulky doubled section
• A sudden change in finished diameter

Plastic piping may require a different joining technique from soft cotton cord, so test the planned method before using it on the final upholstered component.

Somflex for Fixed Furniture Upholstery

Somflex can be used around many suitable fixed furniture seams.

Typical examples include:

• Seat fronts
• Sofa borders
• Chair backs
• Arm facings
• Furniture panels
• Decorative upholstery seams

Once the sewn upholstery has been positioned on the furniture, suitable Upholstery Staple Guns & Tackers and compatible Upholstery Staples may be used to secure the surrounding upholstery to the frame.

The piping itself is normally formed and secured by sewing; do not treat Somflex as a substitute for the separate blind-seam double-piping profile, which is specifically designed to be stapled directly to furniture.

Somflex vs Plastic Double Piping

These two products have very different applications.

Somflex Plastic Piping Cord:

• Single round cord
• Covered with fabric, vinyl or leather
• Sewn into an upholstery seam
• Available in 3mm, 4mm and 5mm
• Particularly useful beneath heavier covering materials

5mm Plastic Double Piping / Blind Seam Profile:

• Specialist double profile
• Covered with fabric
• Stapled directly to suitable furniture
• Conceals its fixing staples
• Used as a final decorative furniture trim

Keeping these products clearly differentiated will help customers select the correct system.

Somflex vs Cotton Piping Cord

Cotton cords provide a softer textile construction.

Braided Cotton Piping Cord is particularly useful beneath finer fabrics and on scatter cushions and soft furnishings.

Pre-Shrunk Cotton Piping Cord provides a softer, fuller textile cord particularly suited to loose covers and removable cushions.

Somflex is the stronger choice where the priority is a more resilient, clearly defined piping line beneath heavier upholstery materials.

Somflex vs Washable Piping Cord

Status Fabrics' Washable Piping Cord is manufactured from non-woven polypropylene with a synthetic yarn wrap and is intended for suitable fixed and removable covers where a washable cord is required.

Somflex is selected primarily for its firmer, resilient structure and ability to create a strongly defined piping profile beneath heavier materials.

Where cleaning is a key consideration, always assess the complete cover construction.

The fabric, thread, zip, piping and any other component must all be suitable for the intended cleaning method.

Complete Heavy-Upholstery Piping Setup

Somflex is particularly useful as part of a professional heavy-upholstery sewing setup.

Complete the job with:

• Vinyl & Fabric for furniture and contract coverings
• Sewing Threads & Barbobs for professional upholstery stitching
• Somabond 40's Bonded Nylon Thread for strong furniture and upholstery sewing
• Upholstery Shears & Snips for preparing covering strips and furniture panels
• Car Trimming Tools for specialist vehicle-upholstery work
• Staple Guns & Tackers for fixing suitable completed upholstery to furniture frames
• Upholstery Staples for compatible furniture fastening
• Piping Cords for alternative cord constructions and applications

Available in 3mm, 4mm and 5mm diameter.

Somflex Plastic Piping Cord is a flexible and resilient expanded polyethylene upholstery cord designed to create a firm, well-defined piping profile beneath heavier covering materials.

Particularly suitable for leather, vinyl, moquette, Dralon and heavier upholstery fabrics, where a softer textile cord may not provide enough definition.

Available in:

3mm diameter 4mm diameter 5mm diameter

Use it for furniture upholstery, automotive trimming, seating panels and decorative piped seams.

Use alongside professional Upholstery Sewing Threads and Upholstery Shears & Snips when preparing and sewing piped upholstery.

see the Piping Cords range.