Flange, Band, Cord & Welt - The Differences for Pillow Specifications
There are various words used to refer to all the elements you can add when specifying pillows. They are not used in everyday conversations and if they are, most likely not with the same meaning in mind as we have in pillow manufacturing. Usually we are able to work around this and make sense of any discrepancies in vocab by context clues. But we shouldn’t rely on interpretation and context clues in producing the right pillows for a property that has been coming together for months.
This is definitely a common problem that many designers and procurement agents come to us asking. That’s why we are taking this space to clarify language on 4 frequently specified pillow elements and what they actually mean/refer to. Flange, Band, Cord and Welt.
Flange
A strip of fabric added to the pillow edge. A flange increases the overall dimension of the pillow and it can be made with either the same or a contrasting fabric.
Ex. If the pillow was originally 18 x 18" and the strip of fabric is 2" wide, with flange the pillow would be 20 x 20".
Band
Strips of fabric sewn onto the pillow. A band does not effect the overall size of the pillow. It is an addition of a contrasting fabric to the overall look.
Cord
Pre-manufactured decorative element that can be sewn onto the edges of a pillow. Typically 1/4-1/2" but also can come in 3/4 - 1".
Welt
Specified fabric which is wrapped around a cord and sewn onto the pillow edge. Contrast Welt is done with a contrasting fabric whereas a Self Welt is done with pillow face fabric.
Having a further grasp on the specific elements these 4 words define should enable you to clearly specify decorative pillows, avoiding confusion and getting your project well on its way. We have created a cheat sheet to help guide you on your next pillow specification. Click below to find it!
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