Electrical Wire as Cording to Make Stiff Piping + Honor Him First

A Great Tip from Brenda Scofield While Sewing in Hong Kong

I'd never heard of maxi piping and certainly it wouldn't be available in Hong Kong (few people sew for themselves here!) so I thought about what might do the job. I went to an electrical shop and just felt the various wires (cables). One for computers seemed to have the right thickness and bend-ability so that's what I bought. They thought it was very funny that it was for sewing!

I just cut strips to make the piping from the bag material (sadly I didn't have enough to cut it on the bias as I should have but it worked OK) and covered the wire using the adjustable zipper foot to the right in to the wire.. Because I'd chosen quite thick wire I had to pull some of it out before making and sewing the top of the bag but that wasn't too much trouble. I'd used a good quality canvas so it was pretty thick.

Using this thickness of piping means that you can't use a serger for construction but I used a good jeans needle on my regular machine.

 

Here are some pics to show you the effect. I remembered handling bags which have very thick piping so that's what I was aiming for. I might get around to sewing a lining and a money pocket but we'll see!

Choose the cording that you want to cover. Cording is available in a variety of sizes.

Using a tape measure

• Lay the cording on the tape measure at the amount of seam allowance you will be using on what you are attaching the piping to.
• Wrap the tape measure around the cording and back to the end of the tape measure.
• Where the end overlays the tape measure is the width of the fabric you will need to cover the coring.

The length of the cording will be the measurement from the area you want to insert the piping. Add a few inches to be sure you will have enough.

Cut Bias Strips

Cut bias strips wide enough to wrap around the cording with the seam allowance.

It is important that this fabric is cut on the bias. Bias will cover the cording smoothly and allows the piping to bend smoothly around corners.

Join the Bias Strips

Match the ends of the bias strips as shown in the photo, using a 1/4" seam allowance, match the long edges of the strip where the 1/4" seam allowance will be sewn.

Press the seam allowance to one side.

If you are using very heavy fabric grade the seam allowance to prevent a bulge caused by the seam allowance.

Join enough strips for the length of the cording you need.

How to Cover Cording to Create Your Own Piping

• Set up your sewing machine with your zipper foot.
• Place the cording in the center of the bias strip.
• Wrap the bias strip around the cording matching the edges.
• Align the zipper foot so the edge of it is against the cording. Sew the seam allowances together to enclose the cording.
• Allow the machine to feed the fabric under the needle so that you maintain a true bias grain around the cording.

Sew the Piping to the Item

 

Check that you have the correct seam allowance on the piping for the items seam allowance. Trim or compensate for the seam allowance if necessary.

Using the zipper foot, place the coding on the seam allowance of the item and sew the piping to the item.

Always sew the piping to one layer before joining the layers that will enclose the piping.

Clip where necessary to turn corners.

 

Ending Continuous Piping

Continuous piping is piping that does not end, as in the edge of a pillow or a cushion cover. There are two methods which are equally acceptable.

Heavy Piping

• Sew the piping to the item stopping about a half inch before where you started.
• Trim the piping allowing enough fabric to turn under and enclose the beginning of the piping.
• Trim the ends of the cording so that they but up to each other.
• Fold under the fabric to enclose the beginning of the piping and sew in place.

Narrow Piping

• Sew the beginning of the piping with the end of the piping dipping into the seam allowance.
• Continue to sew joining the piping to the fabric.
• As you approach the starting point, place the ending of the piping over the starting point and dip it into the seam allowance. Allow for a continuous visual line of piping on the outside of the seam allowance.

Ending Piping in a Seam Allowance

 

When the end of piping will be enclosed in a seam allowance, as in edging a collar, continue sewing the piping to the entire edge. Trim the piping from the seam allowance after all sewing of that area is done to prevent trimming the piping too short.

 

Enclosing Piping in a Seam

 

Place the next piece of fabric under the piping, aligning the edges. Use the stitching that is holding the piping on to the first layer as a guide to sew the second layer of fabric. Be sure you sew exactly on the stitching which is holding the piping in place or just beyond the stitching so that the stitching will not be seen from the right side of the item.

Tips and Tricks

A finished pillow with piping.

Pat emailed a great tip: "Sandwich cord inside fabric and place stitch witchery inside close to cord. Iron up to cord as close as possible (on outside of fabric) This will eliminate a row of stitching when applying to project. Hope you like this tid-bit." Thanks for sharing Pat!

Experiment on your scraps to get the "feel." If you are having difficulty getting the "feel" of the piping through all the layers, buy a yard of large cording at the upholstery section of your local fabric store and practice with it.

Trim a little girls jumper with a contrasting piping at the arm holes, neckline, and pocket edges. Use a straight cut scrap to make a matching "scrunchie".

Compliment your Ruffled Pillows with corded pillows. Use the same dimensions listed, substituting cording for the ruffle.

Compliment your throw pillows with alternate trims. For example: If you make a denim pillow with bandanna trim, make bandanna pillow with denim trim.

Be creative with your scraps. Use them to make your own cording and "jazz" up a plain outfit by adding small piping at arm holes, neckline, and pocket edges.

Use piping in the seams of backpacks and pocketbooks to compliment an outfit.

Debbie Colgrove, www.About.com

Honor Him First

But as for you, the anointing (the sacred
appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you; [so] then you have no need that anyone should instruct you.
— 1 John 2:27

This verse isn’t suggesting you don’t need anyone to teach you the Word. Otherwise God wouldn’t appoint some to teach in the body of Christ. But it does say if you are in Christ you have an anointing that abides on the inside of you to guide and direct your life.

Sometimes you give more consideration to what people tell you than to what God has said.You might occasionally ask somebody for their wisdom, but if you hear from God and then start asking everybody else what they think, you are honoring people’s opinions above the Word of God. You need to say, “God, no matter what anybody else says, no matter what my own plan is, if You say something to me, I am going to honor You above anything else.”


From the book Ending Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Evening of the Year by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2004 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.