Piping Adds Pizzazz

Preparing a Quilt to Include Piping

Quilts are often distorted during the quilting process. Marking a new edge for the quilt will compensate for this problem. Do NOT trim the excess batting and backing at this point, as this will make the edge of the quilt prone to stretching. Simply mark the new edge with chalk or a permanent marker. This marked edge will be tucked into the binding at the very outside edge of the quilt.

• Quilt the quilt
  
• Straight edges, square corners: Place a ruler on the last border seam and mark a new edge for the quilt. Take care to mark square corners as well.
  
• Curved edges: If curved edges are desired, mark them now.

Steps:

1. Press binding strip wrong sides together to make binding.

2. Preshrink cording by steam pressing.

3. Press piping strip wrong sides together.

Figure A

4. Place cording inside fold.

Figure B

5. Sew near cording as shown in Diagrams A and B.

Figure C

Note: Be careful not to catch the cording with the stitching. Match thread color to the piping fabric and set the stitch length to 2.0.

Figure D

6. Trim piping seam allowance to 1/4 inch with an acrylic ruler or the Groovin' Piping Trimming Tool and a rotary cutter.

Note: Click the PDF on the right for instructions and A-K diagrams.

Apply Piping

Piping will be applied to the quilt one edge at a time and will extend beyond the finished quilt edges.

Figure E

1. Lay piping along newly marked edge with the cut edge of the piping against the line and the cording toward the center of the quilt. Allow for extra piping at the starting point as in Diagram C.

2. Stitch over the piping stitching line as close as possible using a bobbin thread that contrasts with the quilt backing. Match top thread to piping fabric and use a stitch length of 2.0.

3. Assure that extra piping extends beyond the edge of the finished quilt at the beginning and at the end of each side of the quilt. Do NOT attempt to turn the corners, as this will yield rounded corners, not crisp corners.

4. Extra backing and batting must be trimmed away with a rotary cutter or scissors. For straight-edged quilts, the Groovin' Piping Trimming Tool may be used.

Figure F

Apply Binding

1. According to Diagram D, lay the binding over the piping. Line up the raw edges of the folded binding with the raw edge of the quilt. Note: This orientation is probably different than what you’ve done in the past! It may feel backward.

2. Pin in place.

Figure G

3. Here's the trick to having nice even piping showing on the front!

• Turn the quilt over so the binding is on the bottom.
• Leave 6" to 8" of loose tail and begin stitching.
• Stitch one thread to the left of the stitching which attaches the piping to the quilt.

4. Remove the quilt from the machine and cut the threads.

Figure I

5. Turn the corners as shown. Flip the quilt over so the quilt top is up and turn it as shown in the diagram. Flip the binding away from the next edge to be sewn.

Figure J

Then up onto the next edge and pin. Make sure the short fold at the corner is at the very edge of the quilt sandwich. Continue with each side sewing with the quilt backing on top beginning at the raw edge and stopping at the piping stitching intersection. After the last corner, stop 8" to 10" before reaching the starting point. You’ll appreciate having long tails later. See Diagrams F and G.

Figure K

Join Binding Tails (Kiss, Twist, Wiggle)

1. Lay the tails on top of one another along the edge of the quilt and choose a match point about mid-way between the stitching starting and stopping points. Make a mark on each tail at the raw edge where they match. One mark should be directly on top of the other. These marks will only be used to determine where to cut the tails (figure K). See Diagram H.

Figure L

2. To determine where to cut the tails, measure the width of the folded binding, add 1/8 inch and cut this distance BEYOND the marks. The marks should remain attached to the quilt--they should not be cut off. Tip: For binding cut 2-1/2 inches in width and measuring 1-1/4 inch folded, cut the tails 1-3/8 inch from the marks.

3. UNFOLD THE TAILS, place them right sides together matching the ends. (Kiss) See Diagram I.

4. Turn one-tail 90 degrees, so the tails make the corner of a square. If this is awkward because the tails are not long enough, remove some of the binding stitches so there is more loose tail to work with. (Twist) See Diagram J.

Figure M

5. Slide each tail so that 1/8-inch sticks out beyond the other tail. (Wiggle) See Diagram K.

Figure N

6. Sew the diagonal seam as shown from crevice to crevice with small stitches and finger press the seam open.

Figure O

7. Before trimming the seam allowance, test the length of the binding by folding the binding and laying it along the quilt edge, when you see that it is correct, trim the seam allowance to about 1/4 inch. See Diagram K again.

8. Lay the rest of the binding along the edge of the quilt and pin in place.

Figure P

9. Flip the quilt over and stitch one thread to the left of the piping stitching line to finish applying the binding.

Guest Tips:

Finish Back of Quilt

At one time we were taught to wrap the binding to the back of the quilt only to the stitching line, but I recommend doing this differently. It is very important that binding be stuffed with the quilt top, batting and backing. If this is true (and we intend to wrap the binding to the back only to the stitching line), then a different width of binding is required for each quilt top, batting and backing combination! Why not cut the binding a bit generously then wrap the binding as far as it needs to go to create a plump, stuffed binding? An added benefit to this is that the corners are much easier to miter with the extra fabric on the back!

• Wrap the binding to the back of the quilt as far as possible without bunching up the batting etc. Hold in place with binding clips.
  
• Hand stitch in place. Place a few stitches in the miters both on the front and on the back.

Piecing with Piping

Because of the trick necessary to hide the piping stitching lines (sewing inside the piping stitching line to attach sashing or border), the seam allowance in a piped seam is not 1/4-inch. Please take this into consideration when using this technique. You may wish to cut sashing or borders wider than needed then trim later.

• Make piping as described above including trimming the seam allowance.
  
• Place piping along the edge of the quilt block aligning cut edge of piping with cut edge of block and stitch directly over piping stitching line.
  
• Add sashing or border by pinning in place over the piping then sewing from the block side to use the stitching line as a guide. Stitch to the left of the stitching line attaching piping to block.