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How to Make your Own Piping

by Pauline Alice
Piping! That’s such a great detail to add to any design and so easy to make as well.
I’ve been playing with piping lately and eventhough you can find quite a lot of colours at the store, wouldn’t it be great to make piping in your favourite fabric?
Let’s see how to do it!
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1. This is some store-bought piping. You can see how it’s made: a cord is sandwiched between a bias strip of fabric and there is a stitching line very close to that cord. The strip of fabric beeing cut on the bias allows for a lot of flexibility in the piping, making it great to outline any curve seam line.
3 2. Cut a square piece of fabric. I made mine 25 cm x 25 cm (10″ x 10″) but you can make it as big or small as you want. With this size, I was able to make a 2,4 m strip of bias (2 1/4 yards).
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3. Cut the square in half diagonally. This will give the bias.
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4. With right sides together, stitch the sides together (the straight ones, not the diagonal ones!) very close to the edge. 6
 5. Press the seam allowances open with the tip of the iron.
7 6. Draw parallel
lines every 2,5 cm (1″) starting at the top (along the bias) on the wrong side of the fabric. The last line might be slighty smaller (mine’s 2,2 cm), that’s because my seam allowances were a little bit too deep.

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7. That’s the tricky part, at least for me. With right sides together, bring the edges together and match the lines along the seam line. The first row of each side should be offset, like on the picture. Pin together and stitch very close to the edge.

98. After the tricky part, the fun one! Now that you have a tube, start cutting the first offset row following the continuous line until the end.

109. Now you have the strip of fabric cut on the bias and you need your cord.

1110. Place the cord on the wrong side on the bias, fold the bias in half to sandwich the cord and secure it in place with pins.

1211. With a zipper foot, stitch as close as possible to the cord (possibly with a matching thread! I’m using a constrating one so you see it better).

1312. There you go! You made your own piping! Now use it in some great outfits!
Here are some ideas: here and here.
Do you use piping often? And do you buy it or make it yourself?

 

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20 comments

Alicia 14 April, 2014 - 3:20 pm

Mira que eres oportuna 🙂 El otro día tuve una iluminación y quería poner uno a un vestido que tengo en mente, pero no sabía muy bien como hacer uno. Dentro de poco lo pondré en práctica 🙂 Besos!

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Pauline Alice 14 April, 2014 - 4:45 pm

Jaja, me alegro que te sirva Alicia! Y tengo ganas de ver el vestido…

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Madalynne 14 April, 2014 - 5:10 pm

thanks for the tutorial!

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Pauline Alice 14 April, 2014 - 7:37 pm

You're welcome Maddie!

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Mary Carmen D M 14 April, 2014 - 7:27 pm

Si no se hace con bies, no funciona??? Con tela al hilo o atravesada no sirve?, es para costuras rectas. Qué te parece?. Gracias hoy justamente lo necesitaba!!!

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Pauline Alice 14 April, 2014 - 7:37 pm

Si es para costuras rectas, puede ser que funciona con tela cortada al hilo. Siempre lo he visto hecho con tela cortada al bies para tener esta flexibilidad pero ¿porque no pruebas con un trocito de tela a ver lo que pasa? Y no dirás si funciona por fi…

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Sonia Fonseca 14 April, 2014 - 7:39 pm

Un tutorial muy util y practico!!!!.
Muackkk!!!.
Guapa

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Pauline Alice 16 April, 2014 - 10:38 am

Gracias Sonia!

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pootleandmake 15 April, 2014 - 10:01 pm

Thank you for the tutorial. I will give it a go.

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Pauline Alice 16 April, 2014 - 10:39 am

Oh yes, give it a go!

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busylizzieinbrizzy.com 16 April, 2014 - 6:16 am

I make it too, but I join together long bias strips using my rotary cutter against a metal ruler as I find the method you have detailed has too many seams for my liking 🙂

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Pauline Alice 16 April, 2014 - 10:37 am

Hi Lizzie, it's true that there are many seams 🙁 But I like how fast you can cut a long strip of bias with this technic. If you make a bigger square, the seams are sparer. Maybe I should invest in a good rotary cutter and try you method!

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Nat at Made in Home 16 April, 2014 - 9:41 am

thanks thanks for the tutorial!! such a great detail to have!

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Pauline Alice 16 April, 2014 - 10:38 am

Piping is really a cute detail to add. I'm glad you liked the tutorial Nat!

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Lorence 17 April, 2014 - 6:12 am

Merci de ces explications simples et détaillées.

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Shannon 18 April, 2014 - 5:46 am

Thanks for the tutorial! I really like your method for making a long strip of bias tape… so much easier than cutting a bunch of little bias strips and sewing them all together individually.

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Bea entre telas 19 April, 2014 - 8:21 am

Qué buen tutorial. En las mercerías se conoce como "vivo", la cinta al bies no lleva el cordón. Si la tela es elástica también lo puedes "rellenar" de elástico redodito 😉

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onlylola 22 April, 2014 - 11:10 am

Fantástico tutorial!! lo comparto en facebook!! un besito guapa!

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Sara Rodríguez 22 April, 2014 - 1:28 pm

Muy claro Pauline! también comparto!

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Elle 20 May, 2014 - 9:34 pm

maravilloso aprenderlo así, gracias por compartirlo

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