How To: Piping

Bits and pieces for piping

How To: Making your own piping

It's kind of easy.

What is piping?

Piping is a decorative feature you see on some garments.  It is essentially a piece of cord, covered in fabric, and then sewn into a seam to offer a point of interest.  It can be contrasting or matching to the base fabric.

Why make piping, rather than buy it?

R-L: Real piping cord, the stuff I used,
pre-made piping, bias-binding tape

There are three reasons to make your own.

1. It's not that hard and doesn't take that long - if you've got all the bits why take the time to go to a shop when you can whip some up in 10 minutes.
2. You can pick your own fabric/colour if you make your own. You can use pre-bought bias tape, or cut your own bias strips out of something that will really work with your project. It's a great way to add something shiny if you use satin.
3. I can't seem to buy it in Australia anymore. Lincraft doesn't stock it, and Spotlight is a 30 minute drive away, and there is no guarantee it's even there.  I'll just make my own, thanks.

What you need

Zipper foot at the front

Not much actually.

• Some soft cord with the thickness appropriate to your project. For cushions, you might want something up to 5mm thick, for clothing 2mm thick is probably fine. For clothing your cord should be quite soft, so it moves with the body.
• A strip of fabric to fold over the cord, leaving enough to sew along the other side.  If your piping is going to only be in a straight line, a strip of fabric cut along the grain should be fine. If your piping will curve, then you should be using a strip of fabric cut on the bias (at 45 degrees to the normal grain). A fast way to do that is to iron flat some pre-cut bias tape, if it's in the colour you're after.
• A sewing machine with a zipper foot.
• A few pins to start you off.

How to make it

8. Sew along the fabric strip
beside the cord

It's not too hard.

1. Work out the approximate length you'll need and add a bit for mistakes.
2. Cut your strip of fabric or bias binding and cord to length.
3. Iron your strip of fabric flat. If you're using pre-cut bias binding, iron it flat with a MEDIUM* setting.
4. Fold the fabric strip in half and place the cord inside along the folded edge. Pin along the fabric, snug to the cord, to hold it in place.
5. Fit your machine with the zipper foot and thread with matching cotton**.
6. Place your fabric strip with cord under the zipper foot in such a way that when the foot is pressed down it sits right next to the cord and holds it in the fabric tightly.
7. Move your machine needle to the left or right so that it will pierce the fabric just next to the cord (the default position is unlikely to be correct).
8. Sew along the fabric strip, right beside the cord, until you get to the end.



9. Admire your piping

9. Admire your new piping.

How to use it

For a single layer where the piping will decorate the edge/hem of the fabric.

1. Pin it on the RIGHT side of your fabric with the cut side of the fabric strip to the outside. Pin along the edge of the cord to anchor it to the fabric.
2. Sew along the edge of the cord with your zipper foot using a thread to match the base fabric, not the piping.
3. Snip the seams of any curves or trim the excess fabric from any corners. This is so the material sits properly when turned out.
4. Finish any raw edges with a zigzag stitch, so that the exposed fabric doesn't fray.
5. Turn the piping over and press flat.



1. Pin to right side of fabric

6. Top stitch along the fabric to hold the fold in place, or perhaps turn the seam allowance under and stitch further out to create a nice edge.

For a double layer where the piping will decorate the seam (or the edge with a double layer of fabric).

1. Follow steps 1 and 2 above.
2. Pin the second layer of fabric on top of the first along the edge of the cord, going by feel.
3. Sew along the cord with your zipper foot using a thread matched to the fabric. (If you're feeling brave or your materials are not slippery, you could pin both layers together and sew it all in one step).
4. Snip curves or trim excess from corners.
5. Finish raw edges if required.
6. Turn out and press the seams together (for an edge), open (for a flat seam, probably not the best for piping) or to the side (for a flat seam, better option).



4. Snip curves

7. Top stitch if required.

Time/Cost

Time

• About 10 minutes or so. Perhaps a little more if you're unfamiliar with sewing using a zipper foot.

Cost

• Bias Binding 3m for $5.00. (About 60cm used in this example, and the bias-binding was already owned).



6.  Turn out and press

•  Piping cord 12m for $5.00. (About 60cm used in this example, and I already owned the cord I used, though it's not strictly piping cord, it worked just fine).

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* Because melted bias binding stuck to your iron is not a good look. I know.
** By which I mean 100% polyester thread because 100% cotton thread is TERRIBLE to sew with and breaks at the first opportunity.  The thread you see here is cotton, because I bought it accidentally one time, and now it needs to be used up.

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