Tutorial:

Make Your Own Piping

Piping is a great way to add a professional finish to your sewing projects.

There are a few ways to get the look:

(Click on any of the images to view them larger)

Cut your cording to length leaving an extra couple of inches or so on either side (unless the piping will be enclosed in a seam).
Iron your fabric.
Determine the width your fabric strips based on your seam allowance and piping cord width:
For my project, the seam allowance is 1/2" and the cording is 1/8" wide.
So to determine how wide the fabric strips should be, double those measurements and add them together: [2(seam allowance)] + [2(cording width)] = width of bias strips
[2(1/2")] + [2(1/8")] = 1 and 1/4"
Cut your fabric on the bias in as many strips as it takes to cover the cord.

Cutting the fabric on the bias (at a 45 degree angle from the grain) allows for stretch in the piping.
This is especially helpful if your piping has to go around corners and curves.
If your cording is longer than one strip, which is most likely will be, you must sew the strips together at 90 degree angles with right sides facing with a 1/4" to 1/2" seam allowance.
To make sure the strips will meet up when pressed, let the corners extend the width of your seam allowance on both sides.
Press the seams out and trim the corners.

Enclose cording in the middle of the fabric on the wrong side and fold long edges together.
Use your zipper foot or piping foot to sew close to cording.
You do not need to pin the fabric together, but it might help to pin the first inch just to get started.
Try to keep the fabric straight, the cording in the middle and adjust as you go with a long straight stitch.

Now your piping is ready to be sewn into your favourite project!