Piping cord for dressmaking

When I decided I wanted to create a Karri dress sample with piping in the seams, I did the normal thing, and headed straight to the closest large sewing supply store. And guess what? As i should have expected, the only piping they had in stock was white, and stiff, and no-one could tell me what the fabric content was though of course it was probably polyester. SO. Whats a girl to do when she has a ridiculous specific idea of what she wants? Make it herself!

I don’t know how i ended up talking about myself in the third person… so i’m just going to stop now.

Anyway, I found that making my own piping was super easy and also surprisingly, super satisfying. If you have already discovered the joy that is making your own custom bias tape, then you are going to love making your own custom piping. The amazing thing about making your own piping is that you get to choose what fabric you use, and make it match your project perfectly. Cue sewing excitement tears.

Lets get started – you’re going to love how easy this is!

// SUPPLIES //

• Cording. Most cording is 1/8″ (3mm) wide. I’m going to assume this size in my calculations below, but please double check whatever cording you buy and adjust measurements accordingly.
• Bias tape.  Think carefully about how wide you want your bias tape to be. Most store bought piping is 1/2″ (1.3mm) wide. I find this to be an irritating width. It means that the piping is just narrower than a standard seam width, which makes it a pain to insert into a seam. I prefer to make my piping so that it lines up perfectly with the raw edge of my garment seam, it makes it easier to sew and if it’s too bulky you can always trim away the excess afterwards. Most cording is 1/8″ (3mm), but check the cording you have available to you in store. So if we want our piping seam to be 5/8″ (1.5cm) and our cording is 1/8″ (3mm) then our finished width of piping will be 3/4″ (1.9cm). This means cutting our bias strips to be double that width = 1.5″ (3.8cm). Once you have your width figured out follow this tutorial to make your own bias tape.
• Scissors.
• Narrow zipper foot or Piping foot. For a Bernina the narrow zipper foot is #4. Obviously if you have a piping foot, then you can use that, but I don’t have one, and i think it’s only really for attached piping? Correct me if i’m wrong. I recommend the narrow zipper foot as it’s easy, and I think most people have it in their kit.

// METHOD //

Make sure that you prewash your cording before you begin. This is something i always forget to do with trims, but as one kind commenter noted, her cording though polyester shrunk considerably after it’s first wash. I think its worth avoiding that after your garment is constructed!

First up make some bias tape using this tutorial. In this example my bias tape is 1.5″ (3.8cm) wide and 10m long (i know that sounds like a lot, but it’s because i put it in almost every seam of my dress). My fabric is an flax colour linen. I used linen because i had it in my stash, it was the right colour, and because i love how easily linen manipulates to curves when pressed. Given these strips use the bias, you can basically use any fabric you want, as long as it isn’t too thick or stiff to work with.

After cutting your bias tape, you will now lay you cording carefully down the centre of the strip.

Fold the fabric over to enclose the cording, and pin carefully. Make sure that your fabric raw edges are lined up, and be very very careful that you do not stretch your bias strip as you do this, you don’t want to warp it at this point.

Over at your sewing machine, stitch next to the cording with a long stitch length to enclose it. Do not stitch on the cording, and don’t be too “tight” at this point. Keep in mind that you will need to move your machines needle to the right (or left depending on how you want to sew your cording).

piping design in clothes

Piping cord is a narrow strip of fabric that is sewn into garments and quilts to give them a decorative touch. The piping can be made from the same fabric as the garment or can be contrast colored. Most commonly it is made from satin or cotton, but you can also use silk or velvet if you want a more luxurious look. This tutorial will show you how to sew on a simple piping cord, how to make French seams and how to finish the raw edges with bias tape.

Piping cord is a narrow fabric strip that is used to decorate the edges of garments. Piping cord can be made of many different materials, including silk, cotton and polyester. It is typically used in dressmaking to add a decorative touch to the edge of a garment or around a hem line.

The two main types of piping cord are “single” and “double.” Single-fold piping cord has one side folded over the other during production and is visible on both sides when installed on clothing. Double-fold piping cord has two layers folded together during production; one layer is visible on both sides when installed on clothing.

Piping cord can come in many colors and designs, including floral patterns, stripes, polka dots and more. These decorative touches make it possible for crafters to personalize their garments with unique designs that suit their personalities and tastes.

How to Use Piping Cord

There are several ways you can use piping cord in your sewing projects:

To create a decorative edge around hems or seams on clothing items such as skirts or dresses

As an embellishment for linings inside jackets or coats

Piping cord is a narrow strip of fabric which is used to decorate a seam or edge. It can also be used to make a collar stand out.

Piping cord is often used in women’s clothing, especially dresses and skirts. It can also be found on some men’s shirts and ties.

Piping is made from a wide variety of materials including leather, silk, wool and cotton. The most popular type of piping cord used today is synthetic cord which is durable and easy to clean.

Piping can be made into many different types of patterns such as stripes, stars or circles. Some piping even has pictures printed on them such as flowers or animals!

In addition to being decorative, piping can also be functional by providing extra strength along hems or seams that might otherwise tear easily if the garment was not reinforced with piping cord.

Piping cord is a type of cord that is used in dressmaking and tailoring. It can be used to create a decorative trim on garments or it can be used as an edging for the hem of a dress or coat. The most common colour of piping cord is white, but you may find other colours available as well, such as black, silver and gold.

Piping Cord Types

There are two main types of piping cord:

Cotton piping cord – This is made from cotton and the colours are usually natural shades like off-white or cream. Cotton piping cord can be used with all fabrics including silk, wool and linen. It’s easy to work with and doesn’t fray at all because it has been cut into short lengths along its length.

Polyester piping cord – This is made from polyester fibre rather than cotton fibre so it’s much more durable than cotton piping cord and will not fray when cut into short lengths along its length. Polyester piping also comes in many different colours including bright neon ones which would look great on party dresses or skirts!

Piping cord is a decorative trim that can be used as an alternative to piping. This type of trim is flatter than piping, but it can be used in the same way. It’s available in many different colors and styles to match your dress or skirt perfectly.

Piping cord is made from a strong fabric, such as satin or velvet, and it has an eyelet at one end, which allows you to thread it through your garment. The other end is usually left open for use as decorative embellishment.

You can use piping cord for a variety of projects, including making dresses, skirts and even shirts. It’s also commonly used on pillows and cushions for home decorating projects.

There are several ways to sew piping cord into your clothing project:

Sew it onto the inside seam of a garment using a zigzag stitch or narrow hemming stitch (both stitches will prevent fraying). You can also sew it onto the outside seam with either stitch if you want both sides visible; however, this may require some trial-and-error before finding an appropriate length of cord for your project (or having enough left over).