Sewing Tips: How to Make & Use Piping
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Are you ready for another little sewing lesson? I wish you could come over and plop yourself down at my sewing table…..because that would make the lesson even easier. But then I’d have to like straighten up, vacuum, and do the dishes. Ick. Haha……okay, I’ll get on that cleaning right after I write this up.
Have you ever used piping? No, we’re not talking frosting. Piping in sewing is a strip of fabric folded over a cord that is used to trim the edges of fabric. Piping is found in all sorts of projects.
See the piping used in these items below? It just helps define the shape of your fabric…….and gives it a nice punch.
(image source, image source, image source, image source)
Here are a few places where I have used piping here on Make It and Love It:
(Pillow, Mary Poppins, Car Seat)
See? Piping is nice and useful.
So if you’ve never made or used any…….it’s time to learn.
It’s a cool technique to use…..and you can really be creative with the stuff. But if you can’t find the right color of piping in the store, you can totally make your own. No biggee.
Ready to get started?
Piping only tends to come in a few colors in the store or even online. Piping is made with a cord and a strip of fabric that is cut on the bias (more on bias here). So if you can find the right color of bias tape that you need……use that, it’s pre-cut. If not, grab some fabric from your stash that can be cut into a strip.
How to make your own piping:
Here’s everything you need to make your own. (Remember, any sized cording will work, depending on the size of piping you want……you’ll just need a wide enough strip of fabric to go around it. The standard piping in those pre-made packages is about 1/8 of an inch……so I bought cording that was 1/8 of an inch wide. And I bought bias tape that was about an inch wide after it was all infolded.)
First, let’s make some piping from bias tape. Take your bias tape out of the packaging and iron it flat.
Then, fold your strip of fabric in half, sandwiching the cording right down the middle, then pin it in place. (I always keep a bit of cording poking out the end, just so that it doesn’t slip inside.)
Now, using your zipper foot and changing your needle all the way to the left side (or if you’re sewing on the other side, all the way to the right)……sew the fabric closed, keeping the needle right next to the cording. Placing your finger nail right next to the cording before it goes under the needle will help you keep things flat and lined up.
Sew all the way to the end, making sure to backstitch at both ends. And there you have your long piece of cording.
Oh wait, are your edges uneven and not perfectly lined up? Don’t worry about it one bit. Mine aren’t either. And it won’t matter because those edges will never be seen.
Now, if you can’t find the right color of bias tape, cut your own strip of fabric instead of using bias tap. But your strip of fabric NEEDS to be cut on the bias. This will help the piping curve better around corners and slight curves. (More on making bias tape here.) Are you unsure how wide to make your strip? This will help:
Decide what size cording you’re using then multiply that by two. Then decide how big you want your seam allowance to be and multiply that by two. Then add those two numbers together and that’s how wide you should cut your strip. For example, I bought cording that was 1/8 inch wide…..so I multiplied that by two, a 1/4 inch. And then I wanted a 3/8 inch seam allowance…..so I multiplied that by two, 6/8 of an inch, or 3/4 of an inch. 1/4 plus 3/4 is 1. So I cut my strip 1 inch wide.
Then I sewed it together, just like shown above.
How to use Piping:
To sew your piping to your fabric, always sew it to one layer of fabric first. This will help assure the piping is perfectly straight and even. And if you have piping that does not have a wide enough seam allowance for the project that you’re working on, adjust the piping to lay where it needs to. For example, let’s say that I am using a 3/4 inch seam allowance for a project but the seam allowance on my piping is less than that. Just line up the seam on that piping 3/4 of an inch in from the edge and pin it in place. Then sew it down, making sure to stay 3/4 of an inch away from the edge of the fabric with your seam. Then place your other piece of fabric on top (with right sides together), line up the two edges of your main fabric and then sew them together using your 3/4 inch seam allowance (or whatever seam allowance you’re working with).
Then once you open it up, you have a nice line to define this portion of your project.
Now, how should you start and stop your piping if you’re going all the way around something? There are nicer and fancier ways to do this but here’s the quick/no-fuss way to do it. Let the first end of your piping hang over the edge of your fabric and then start sewing your piping right in place. When you go all the way around, let your other end go over the fabric and sew right over it, stitching it right in place as well.
But oh wait, what should you do around a corner? Good question. Let’s imagine we’re sewing around a square piece that will be used as a pillow. Just sew your piping right along the straight edge of fabric, like shown above, then once you get close to the bottom corner, cut a diagonal slit in the extra fabric (seam allowance) of your piping, right where your piping will turn the corner of your main fabric. Then fold your piping around that corner and continue sewing.
Now, if you’re sewing a pillow, you will sew your other square piece down right on top, with right sides together. Make sure and use the same seam allowance that you did while attaching your piping. (If sewing a pillow, you will leave a few inch opening so that you can turn it right side out and then hand-stitch the opening closed when you’re done. View this tutorial if interested in all the steps.)
Once you turn it right side out, you will have a nice strip of piping, lining the outer edge of your project. And you can also see how the overlapped ends kind of mesh together (over on the right).
Pretty cool, right? Now you don’t have to be afraid of piping any longer. It really isn’t so bad.
Have fun.
thank you for this post! I just posted the other day about a slipcover I made sans piping… next time I’ll use your info. to be not so afraid. xoxo
This is a little detail that I never noticed before, and now I’m sure I’ll be seeing it every where! Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for posting.
GREAT tutorial… very informative! :)
Thank you! I have been wondering about piping! Ashley, you are awesome!
You have the most AMAZING timing.
I just started recovering a chair.
Thanks.
Again.
very nice tutorial, like all of your tutorials, I had been using piping for almost everything, pillows, duvet, upholstery, etc. etc. most of the time I make my own.
Thank you Ashley!!
Piping is a too little but easy to use detail in home sewing, thanks so much for singing it’s praises and showing us just how easy it can be.
Thanks. I think I may not be as scared of piping anymore. You made it seem a ton easier than my bernina instructor and her fancy foot that was too expensive to only use once in awhile. Zipper foot….check! I have that one and even know which one it is. :)
Great….thanks…a friend was brave enough to ask me to make bassinet bedding for her soon to be lil girl…I was thinking it needed a ruffle or piping or something on top
What a fantastic tutorial! I’m Pinning this! Thanks so much!
hi there, me again he (your proof reader LOL)… just noticed this and was unsure what you mean…
“Now, if you can’t find the right color of bias tape, cut your own strip of fabric. But it NEEDS to be on the fold. (More on making bias tape here.) Are you unsure how wide to make your strip? This will help:”
Do you mean… “But it NEEDS to be on the bias.”
Otherwise I am not sure what you mean by… ” needs to be on the fold”
Great tutorial, I always wondered how to make my own cording, as it would be cute on mini pillow pin cushions. (now to find the cord LOL)
Thank you Ashley, as always great tutorial, and fantastic photos.
Ooooh, thanks Edie!! I love the help!
And yes, it was meant to say Bias. I changed that and added a bit more to the explanation.
Thanks again!
Ashley
very welcome. I am happy to help and glad you do not get offended :)
Woah! This is awesome. I’ve been terrified of piping. You make it all seem so easy.
Thank you!
Great tutorial!!! I’ve been wanting to learn how to make piping! Now I can finally tackle that reupholstering project I’ve been wanting to do!!
Ashley you cannot imagine how helpful these tutorials are. You make the life of many sewing enthusiasts so much easier with these comprehensive tutorials. Thanks a lot.
Anshu
What a coincidence! I was just on Amazon today looking for piping and wondering if you had a tutorial about how to make it. Thanks so much!
love the info, I have tried piping before and failed, must try it again now that ou make it look so easy. thanks for sharing
Amazing! I have used piping a few times on the Made By Rae toddler backpacks and have fallen in love ever since! I had no idea about snipping the corners or how exactly to go about making my own – thanks for the great step by step!
Perfect timing! I have a project waiting that requires piping, and your tips are super helpful! Now I can move forward!
Tutorial is beautiful!
I also did not understand the part about the fold. Did you just mean BIAS?
Your blog is super awesome!
Yes, Edie was right…..I did mean Bias. I just changed that.
Thanks!
Great tutorial! I love the colors you chose. Now I need to find a project that needs piping!
Thanks for the tutorial on using piping, I love using piping when I sew my daughters dresses. One thing that I have found that works great especially on side seams and collars is to cut about 1/2- 5/8 in. off each end of the cord so that the cord is “floating” in between the seams. That way you are not dealing with a collar that will not lay flat because of the bulk from the piping and also makes it easier when matching your side seams or anywhere it comes together in a seam. I love your blog by the way, thanks for the work that you put into it!
You are a God-send. I have never done piping before mainly because I’m a bit lazy and thought it would be so much effort! Your tutorial here has made it nice and simple. Thank you!
Hey there!
I just wanted to let you know because I love your site so much that I decided to feature your button on my ‘blogroll.’
Thanks for all that you do,
Lindsay
http://jalafrye.blogspot.com/p/buttons-i-love.html
ashley,
i have been getting more and more compliments on my sewing recently and I couldn’t figure out what changed. Well I have been reading your blog for over a year and all your tutorials like this one is what has changed. thanks so much!!
anni
Thanks for showing this! I’m a beginner sewer, and I’ve skipped piping on a couple of projects because I wasn’t sure how to do it (and didn’t want to ask Mom or Aunt to show me how out of pride, sadly). Now I can impress them! =)
Thanks a million, Ashley! I’m working on my baby’s nursery right now, and was just thinking that I wanted to make some throw pillows…but knew in the back of my head I would probably chicken out because I would want them to have piping around the edges, and thought it would be too complicated. Now I have no excuse! Thanks for the easy, step-by-step tutorial…that’s why I follow your blog–you take the ‘complicated’ out!
Great tutorial, as usual! Question for you: I’ve tried making my own bias tape, and it’s been tricky. For one thing, it would not iron really flat (like the store-bought stuff) for the world. Should I wash the fabric with starch? Sorry, I know it’s not totally related, but I’ve been afraid to try again since then…
Great Tutorial! I was super scared of piping before but you make it look so easy! Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us!
- jen
So, I’ve followed your blog in my Reader for a while now (I think I found you originally because you lived in Idaho?), and I just have to say that you truly are one of my favorite people when it comes to blogs and tutorials. I love the well-composed, colorful pictures that compliment your wonderful tutorials and explanations. You make me feel like I might actually be able to sew something that I’d want to show off to people. You make it look very do-able. Thank you for all the time I’m sure you spend for each and every post–I really am grateful. I use your website as a reference often. Thank you thank you thank you!
Very useful tutorial! Thank you!!!
I love piping, it’s such an easy way to add a little pizzazz to project. Great job, thanks for sharing.
Great tutorial! Piping has always scared me, but with these tips I definitely think it’s do-able!!
I’ll join the chorus…great timing! I was just getting ready to re-cover my sewing chair and really wanted to include the piping. I’ve never done this before so I was just thinking I’d skip it, but I’m so glad I didn’t! Piping can make such a great accent. Thanks so much.
thanks for this very clear tutorial! I particularly like the way you explained how to join the piping when going around, it makes so much sense
Great tutorial! Just one question- do you continue to use your zipper foot when you attach the piping to your fabric or switch back to a normal foot?
Piping is way cool! Let’s say you have brown shoes, white sweater and white skirt that you don’t match up with anything. If used brown piping on the sweater and the skirt – they all match!
I know that coloring may be a bit off, but you catch my idea.
This stuff is way too advanced for me, but I still enjoyed your tutorial. Thank you for sharing!