Wiggle & Stitch
Trim Techniques

How to Sew Rickrack Around Curves and Corners

Wiggle & Stitch · Updated 2026-07-19 · 5 min read
How to Sew Rickrack Around Curves and Corners
In shortTo sew rickrack around curves and corners, mark the path its center should follow, position it without stretching, and baste before stitching slowly through the middle. Ease the zigzags gradually around curves, letting the edge nearer the center of the arc compress while the far edge spreads. For a sharp corner, fold a 45-degree miter, baste it, and check the bulk before sewing; then pivot with the needle down. Test the complete fabric-and-trim sandwich, keep fingers clear of the needle, and never sew over pins. Before pressing, verify the temperature on a hidden scrap: start at the one-dot synthetic setting, about 110 °C (230 °F), under a press cloth with steam off, and step up one setting at a time only while the sample stays unmarked.
Contents

Sew rickrack around curves and corners: start on a scrap

To sew rickrack around curves and corners, mark the trim's center path, shape it without stretching, baste or pin it securely, and stitch slowly through its middle. On a curve, ease the inner points closer and the outer points farther apart. At a corner, pause with the needle down and arrange a deliberate fold before continuing.

Test the whole method on layered scrap first. The trim-techniques section treats that sample as project data, not a tiny quilt for the bin.

Mark the line the center will follow

Decide which part of the rickrack should align with the design — its center, its outer points, or the wave left visible beside a seam — then mark that path with a removable tool that is safe for the fabric.

For surface-applied rickrack, a straight row through the woven center anchors both sides and leaves the zigzag visible. Very wide braid, slippery trim, and designs that must lie especially flat take two rows instead, one along each side of the center weave.

If the trim will be partly enclosed in a seam, sew a cross-section sample first and confirm how much wave still shows after the seam is sewn and pressed. Memory is optimistic; seam allowances are less sentimental.

Shape a curve without pulling

Lay the fabric flat and position the rickrack along the marked path. Do not pull it taut. Stretching makes the fabric pucker when the trim relaxes, and forcing a flat braid around a tight curve crowds the inner edge.

One rule covers both directions: the edge nearer the center of the arc travels the shorter distance, so let those points close up; the edge farther from the center travels farther, so let those points open. On an outward curve the outer edge spreads. On an inward curve that same edge becomes the near one, so the side that was spreading is now the side that compresses. The woven center stays on the marked line either way.

Narrower, more flexible trim turns a tighter radius than wide or stiff braid, and weave matters as much as width. Shape a short arc in the actual trim before committing to the radius your pattern wants.

Hand-basting gives the most control. Fine pins or clips work if they do not distort the trim, mark the fabric, or add bulk near the presser foot. Never sew over pins.

Build the corner before you stitch into it

Treat a rounded corner as a short curve and distribute the rickrack evenly. For a sharp corner, stop before the point and build the turn on the fabric first: a folded miter, a short overlap, or an interruption at a seam.

Learn the 45-degree miter first, because it adapts to most widths. Stitch the first marked line and stop one trim-width short of the corner. Lay the remaining trim straight past the corner, fold it back on itself so the crease falls exactly on the corner mark and the trim points back the way it came, then swing that folded tail down along the second line. The creases settle into one diagonal at 45 degrees to both lines, with the excess tucked underneath as a small triangle. Slide the fold a point or two either way until a zigzag point, not a valley, sits at the outer corner; that is what makes a miter read as deliberate.

Finger-press, baste, and check the bulk before it becomes permanent. If the corner belongs to a washable item, launder the sample the way the finished object will be laundered.

When machine-stitching a pivot, stop in the center of the rickrack with the needle down, lift the presser foot, turn the work without yanking it, lower the foot, and continue. Keep fingers away from the needle area and follow the machine manual.

Choose settings from the whole fabric sandwich

Select needle, thread, stitch length, presser foot, and tension for the base fabric, trim, backing, and layer count together; a setup that behaves on cotton will snag a delicate braid or tunnel a lightweight fabric. Use a fresh needle and ordinary straight stitching unless the sample shows a reason to change. Sew slowly enough to keep the center aligned, guide the work rather than pulling it from behind, and reposition if the wave drifts.

Press at a temperature you have verified

Identify the fiber content before the iron comes near the trim, or follow the supplier's care directions. Treat unknown braid — most vintage and unlabeled trim — as synthetic. Never use an open flame to test or identify a fiber.

Work up from the lowest setting, never down from a guess. On the standard three-dot iron scale, one dot is the synthetic setting, about 110 °C (230 °F), for nylon, acetate, and acrylic; two dots is about 150 °C (300 °F) for polyester, silk, wool, and rayon; three dots is about 200 °C (390 °F) for cotton, with linen higher still. Polyester and nylon rickrack glazes, shrinks, and melts into the base fabric well below the cotton setting, and melting synthetics can release irritating fumes, so ventilate the room and keep the iron off untested trim.

Test-press on a hidden scrap of the same trim and fabric:

  1. Set the iron to one dot, dry, steam off, and lay a press cloth over the trim.
  2. Press and lift for two to three seconds; do not glide the iron along the braid.
  3. Lift the cloth, let the trim cool about 30 seconds, and check for glazing, shine, flattened points, stiffness, color change, or trim stuck to the cloth.
  4. If the scrap is unmarked and the wrinkles have not moved, step up one setting and repeat.

Press the project at the last setting that left the sample unmarked. Cotton and cotton-blend rickrack takes the cotton setting; synthetic, unknown, or metallic trim stays at one dot under a press cloth. Add steam only after the dry test passes, since moisture can shrink braid that the heat alone did not harm.

Finish ends where they can stay finished

Enclose raw ends in a seam where possible, or place a join in a low-visibility area. On a surface application, turn the ends under if the bulk stays acceptable, or overlap and stitch them securely. A temporary anti-fray product is not automatically washable, colorfast, or suitable for every fiber; follow its label and check it on the same scrap.

Measure the folds, overlaps, and practice section before buying. The trim-yardage guide explains how to include those extras, while project planning keeps the sample, fiber notes, and verified iron setting together — label the scrap now, because in three weeks it is just a small mysterious rectangle. Then stitch the real piece exactly as the successful sample was made, which is less glamorous than improvisation but considerably kinder to the seam ripper.

FAQ

Where do you stitch rickrack trim?

For rickrack applied flat on a fabric surface, a straight row through the woven center anchors the trim while leaving both zigzag edges visible. Wide, slippery, or dimensional trim behaves better with two rows, one along each side of the center weave. If the rickrack is inserted into a seam, sew a cross-section sample to determine the placement and how much wave remains visible after sewing and pressing.

How do you keep rickrack from puckering on a curve?

Do not stretch the trim or drag the fabric while stitching. Mark the center path, distribute the rickrack gradually, and hand-baste it in place. The edge nearer the center of the arc travels the shorter distance, so let those points close up, while the points on the far edge open. The woven center stays on the marked line. Test the actual fabric, trim, backing, needle, thread, stitch length, and tension together before sewing the project.

Can you turn a sharp corner with rickrack?

Yes. The most adaptable method is a 45-degree miter: stitch to within one trim-width of the corner, lay the trim straight past the point, fold it back on itself so the crease lands on the corner mark, then swing the folded tail down along the second line. Shift the fold until a zigzag point, not a valley, sits at the outer corner. Baste and inspect the bulk first. A short overlap or an interruption at a seam also works. When pivoting by machine, stop with the needle down in the trim's center, lift the presser foot, turn the work, lower the foot, and continue carefully.

What iron temperature is safe for rickrack?

Work up from the lowest setting rather than guessing. One dot on the iron is the synthetic setting, about 110 °C (230 °F), for nylon, acetate, and acrylic; two dots is about 150 °C (300 °F) for polyester, silk, wool, and rayon; three dots is about 200 °C (390 °F) for cotton. Polyester and nylon rickrack glazes, shrinks, and melts into the base fabric well below the cotton setting, and melting synthetics can release irritating fumes, so ventilate the room. Test-press a hidden scrap at one dot under a press cloth with steam off, pressing and lifting for two to three seconds, let it cool about 30 seconds, and check for shine, flattened points, stiffness, or color change before stepping up. Treat unknown or vintage trim as synthetic.

Should rickrack be prewashed before sewing?

Follow the trim supplier's care information and the finished project's laundering plan. When compatible, testing or pre-treating a sample with the base fabric can reveal shrinkage, dye movement, distortion, or texture changes. Do not assume an unknown vintage or synthetic trim tolerates washing, steam, or high heat; add steam only after a dry press test passes, since moisture can shrink braid that the heat alone did not harm.

How do you stop rickrack ends from fraying?

Enclose the ends in a seam when possible, or test a turned-under or overlapped finish for a surface application. Secure the end with stitching appropriate to the project. Use a commercial anti-fray product only according to its label and after checking washability and colorfastness. Never use an open flame to seal or identify unknown trim; melting and burning behavior vary and can cause injury or fumes.