Hiding inside our store is one of the largest trim walls online: thousands of fringes, laces, tassels, braids, cords, and embellishments from Belagio and the Brewer catalog. Most quilters never scroll past the fabric - which is a shame, because trim is the difference between a pillow and a Pillow, and cosplayers, costumers, and home-dec sewists already know this aisle is a goldmine. This hub organizes the trim families so you can navigate by project. The front doors are the Belagio Trims collection and the full Belagio Fabrics, Trims, Fringes and Tassels catalog.
The Trim Families, Decoded
Fringe is the biggest family and comes in temperaments: brush fringe (dense and velvety, the pillow classic), tassel fringe (dangling tassels on a header tape, instant drama for valances and lampshades), chainette fringe (fine straight strands with swing - the flapper-dress and shawl trim, including metallics), and beaded fringe (weight and sparkle for lamps and evening wear).
Lace centers on Venise lace - dense, freestanding embroidered lace that needs no fabric backing. The Belagio Venise wall runs from delicate 3/4-inch borders through 2-inch and 3-inch statement rolls, in patterns from floral starburst to geometric to checkerboard fan, plus playful pieces like the scalloped wave rick rack. Venise dyes beautifully - costumers tea-stain or Rit-dye white Venise to match any palette.
Structure trims do the professional finishing: gimp braid covers upholstery staples and seams, and cord-with-lip is piping with a sew-in flange - the trick to bakery-fresh cushion edges. Rounding out the wall: ribbons, decorative tapes, tassels and tie-backs for drapery, rhinestone trims for dance and skate costumes, and cork and denim novelty trims.
Who This Wall Is For
Quilters: trim finishes quilted home dec - brush fringe on quilted pillows, gimp on fabric bowls and bins, Venise motifs appliqued onto crazy quilts. Home dec sewists: this is the pillow, drapery, and upholstery aisle - piping, tie-backs, tassel fringe, gimp. Cosplayers and costumers: the Cosplay Trims and Embellishments collection curates the metallics, rhinestones, and statement pieces, next to the cosplay fabric wall. Bag makers: piping and lace elevate the patterns in our bag patterns guide, with hardware from the bag hardware guide.
Working With Trims
Three techniques cover 90% of trim sewing. Piping and cord-with-lip: baste the lip to the right side of one panel with a zipper foot, then sandwich and sew the seam on the same stitching line. Fringe: sew through the header tape, hiding it in a seam or covering it with gimp; seal cut ends with a dab of seam sealant so they never unravel. Venise lace: topstitch invisibly with monofilament or a matching fine thread - and because it is freestanding, you can cut individual motifs out and applique them anywhere. A magnetic pin or clip every few inches keeps heavy trims from creeping.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much trim do I need for a pillow?
- Pillow perimeter plus 3 inches for joining: an 18-inch pillow takes 75 inches, so one 5-yard roll trims two pillows with margin. For drapery and bedding, measure the finished edge and add 10%.
- Can trim go through the washing machine?
- Most woven poly and cotton trims wash gently cold; beaded and rhinestone trims should be spot-cleaned only. When a project will be laundered hard, prewash the trim the same way before sewing it on.
- Can I dye Venise lace?
- Yes - white cotton-rayon Venise takes dye and tea-staining beautifully, which is why costumers keep white rolls on hand and match colors per project.
- What needle and thread for sewing trims?
- A 90/14 universal handles most header tapes; move to a 100/16 jeans needle for gimp and heavy cord. All-purpose poly thread in a blending color, or monofilament when nothing should show.
Start in Belagio Trims, browse the cosplay embellishment wall, and see the original trims overview for more project ideas. The trim wall is the fastest upgrade in sewing - one 5-yard roll changes a whole project.
