How to Sew Perfect Piping — Tips, Tools, and Techniques

Piping is one of those finishing details that instantly elevates a sewing or quilting project. That crisp, defined edge between two pieces of fabric adds polish, contrast, and a professional touch that's hard to achieve any other way — and it's much simpler to make than it looks.

This lesson uses 1.8mm cording and a narrow piping foot, but the technique works the same way regardless of cord size. The only adjustment you'll make for different sizes is your needle position.

Working with polyester cording? Press it with a steam iron before you begin to pre-shrink it and prevent puckering after washing.

What You'll Need

Materiais

• Cording (1.8mm used in this lesson)
• Main fabric — 2 pieces cut to your desired size
• Contrast fabric for the piping — cut into a 1½" wide strip at the length needed

Ferramentas

• Piping foot (narrow)
• Piping ruler
• Stiletto

Instruções

Step 1 — Make the Piping

1. Attach the piping foot to your machine.
2. Lay the cording along the center of your 1½" contrast strip on the wrong side of the fabric.
3. Fold the strip in half lengthwise over the cording and place it under the piping foot. The cord must sit exactly in the groove of the foot, directly to the left of the red line. This alignment is critical for consistent results.
4. Set your needle position to 1.5.
5. Stitch the full length of the strip, using a stiletto to hold the cording firmly against the fold as you sew.
6. Trim the seam allowance to ¼" using the piping ruler. If your project requires a wider seam allowance, trim accordingly.

Step 2 — Attach the Piping to the First Fabric Piece

7. Place the piping strip along the right side of your fabric, matching the raw edges. Pin if needed.
8. Set your needle position to 0.8 and stitch the length of the strip. You should see two rows of stitching when complete, with the second row sitting closer to the edge of the cording.

Step 3 — Attach the Second Fabric Piece

9. Lay your second piece of fabric over the first, right sides together, sandwiching the piping between the two layers. Pin in place if needed.
10. Flip all three layers over. Guide the cording into the groove of the foot — you won't be able to see it, but you'll feel it click into position.
11. Set your needle position to 0.3 and stitch just inside the previous stitching line, as close to the cording as possible. Move the needle position closer if needed.

Step 4 — Finish

12. Open the two fabric pieces and press flat.