Corduroy is a pile fabric, and pile fabrics have two rules.
Cut with the nap all in one direction. Run your hand along the fabric: one way feels smooth, the other rough. Corduroy reads as two different shades depending on which way the pile lies, so a garment cut with mixed nap looks like it is made of two fabrics. Traditionally the nap runs upwards for a richer colour, but consistency matters far more than which direction you choose.
Never press directly on the face. Press from the back, or face down on a thick towel or a needle board, so the pile is not crushed. Crushed corduroy does not recover.
Then the practical points.
Use a walking foot if you have one — the pile makes the layers creep against each other.
Use a size 80/12 or 90/14 universal, and a slightly longer stitch, around 3 mm.
Finish the edges. Corduroy frays and sheds pile enthusiastically.
Expect mess. It sheds while you cut and while you sew. Clean the machine afterwards — corduroy lint is among the worst for packing the bobbin race.
Questions people actually ask
Can I press corduroy at all?
From the back, with steam, on a soft surface. Steam from a distance without contact is safer still.
Which nap direction should I use?
Pile running upwards gives a deeper colour; downwards gives a smoother sheen and wears slightly better. Choose either, and use it on every piece.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11