Piping, glorious piping!

For this project you will need around 1/4 to 1/2 yard of fabric and four yards of utility cording. A rotary mat and rotary cutter is helpful.

Recently I was asked how to make piping. It just so happens that I am doing a project for a dear friend that requires piping. I've included a lot of photos and a small video clip. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly if you have further questions.

Step 1: prepare bias strips to cover your piping.

For those of you who are completely new to sewing, bias strips are lengths of fabric cut on the bias. They can be any width. It completely depends on what your use. Bias strips are used to bind curved edges, to cover piping and to make bias tape.

What's the bias? The bias is the diagonal weave or the weave that bisects the horizontal and vertical straight grains. Below are some pictures that will show you how to determine the bias.

(above graph taken from About.com)


This is the fabric I'm working with. You can't see it, but the selvages are to the left and right.


Above: I'm folding the fabric on a diaginal, from the lower right corner to the upper left corner.


Above: Here, the fabric is folded on the bias. The bias is now the vertical folded edge you see at the bottom of the triangle.


Above: To make the fabric easier to work with I've folded it onto itself in a second triangle. I've ironed the fabric to insure there are no wrinkles.


Above: I have prepared the fabric to cut. I will be working with the edge of the fabric my finger is pointing to, which is the bias.

Now we will cut our bias strip. I'm using a quilting ruler that is two inches wide. Our first cut will be on the fold so I will only be cutting an inch into the fabric. Every cut after the first cut will be two inches, or one full ruler width.


Above: I've positioned the ruler one inch into the fabric. Notice that the 2 inch ruler is only covering the fabric 1/2 way.


Above: Now I'm cutting on a raw edge. I'll cut the remaining bias strips two inches wide--the entire width of the ruler.

Step 2. Join bias strips

To join bias strips you first will need to iron each strip and then join them at a right angle. Essentially, you will take one strip, right side up, and lay another strip perpendicular to the first strip, right side down, and sew diagonally through the joint. I do a technique that is similar to strip piecing in quilting. I start my chain of bias joints as I described above and then rather than stopping, cutting the thread, and sewing a new joint, I flip the bias strip over so that the right side faces me and lay another bias strip right side down on top of the original bias strip. It's better if you take a look...


Above: I've laid one bias strip on top of another, right sides together. I will be bisect the joint by sewing from the left upper corner of the join to the right lower corner of the joint.


Above: you can see here that I am sewing directly through the two bias strips diagonally. You can complete the seam, cut the thread, lift the presserfoot and start a new joint; or you can continue sewing five or six stitches and pick up the next segment.

It's difficult to explain this, but basically you would stop sewing, take a moment to turn the tail of the newly joined bias strip so that its right side is facing you, place a new bias strip on top of the end of the bias strip you flipped over. Position it to gluide unde the presser foot and begin sewing.

Either way, your goal will be to create one long length of bias tape.



Above: If you chain piece your bias strips as I described above you will end up with the tangled mess you pictured. Not to worry, it's quickly untangled.



Above: To untangle your bias tape, simply snip all of the joining threads.



Above: now that everything is untangled, it's time to trim the excess from you joints. Once you've trimmed all of your seams/joints iron them all open and we're ready to start making piping!

Step 3: Make Piping

We will be creating a sandwich with our piping and bias tape.

Change your presser foot from a multipurpose foot or zig zag foot to a zipper foot.

Lay your bias tape right side down, wrong side facing you. Place your utility cord in the center of your bias tape. Fold the bias tape over your utility cord and place your presserfoot snuggly against the buldge of your cord. Start sewing using your left hand to guid the binding close to your presserfoot. You want to almost push your piping under the presserfoot. This will help you get a close fit. Here is a video...I was sewing and producing so, I thank you for your patience.





And Voila! finished piping. The next step is applying it to your pillow, slipcover, valence, or other home decor project. I'll be appling this piping to pillows. Look for those in the days to come.


~M