Piping along a neckline defines and enhances its shape, adding subtle stiffness that helps maintain its structure. It also gives the neckline a neat, professional finish. Using contrasting piping can create a striking design element, making the neckline stand out.
The best way to attach piping to a neckline is by using a facing or binding, ensuring a clean and polished look. The process is as follows:
Prepare the Piping – Cut the piping 1.5 inches longer than the total neckline circumference.
Attach the Piping – Sew the piping along the neckline edge, aligning the raw edges.
Add the Facing – Place the facing or binding tape over the piping, right sides together, and stitch.
Turn & Finish – Flip the facing to the inside, press, and topstitch if needed for a polished look
You can sew the neckline piping two ways. Before the shoulder seams are joined or after the shoulder seams are joined. The first is a more straight forward process – same as adding piping along fabric edges, but not seamless. The later involves overlapping the piping edges, which can be slightly tricky to make it look neat, but looks neater.
Another method creates a clean, decorative neckline where the piping is neatly tucked under the front-facing binding.
Front faced piping
Bias-cut fabric strip and piping cord (for making piping) or ready made piping
1.5 inch wide Bias cut Fabric strip for binding
Bodice with the neckline cut out
Watch the video for sewing the piping:
Prepare the Piping and cut out the bias strip
If making your own piping, cut a bias strip wide enough to wrap around the cord plus seam allowance.
Stitch close to the cord using a zipper foot or piping foot. I am using a readymade piping.
Cut the piping 1.5 inches longer than the neckline circumference.
Cut the bias strip of 1.5 inch width, longer than the neckline circumference.
Sew the Binding to the Neckline
Place the bodice wrong side up.
Keep the folded binding tape, aligning raw edges on the neckline edge.
Trim and notch curves every 1/2 inch.
Turn the binding to the front and press it flat.
Attach the Piping under the Binding
Bring the front of the bodice. Turn the binding edge to the front.
Place the piping under the folded edge of the front-facing binding.
Pin or baste it in place, ensuring it sits evenly along the neckline.
Stitch the Piping
Stitch close to the piping edge, securing it under the binding.
Ensure the stitching is right along the edgeof the binding for a professional finish.
Press well for a polished look.
Sewing piping after bodice shoulder seams are joined
Join the shoulder seams of front and back bodices . Press the seams open.
Keep the piping on the right side of the bodice neckline. When pinning piping, start from the center of the back neckline. Overlap the edges at the end as in the picture below.
You can add facing to this neckline by joining the facing of front and back bodices at the shoulder seams and keeping it on top of the piping . Pin in place. Now turn the bodice inside out and stitch from the inside. (This is done so, so that you can see the stitching line. You can keep the facing on top of the piping and stitch but as you cannot see the stitching line you will not have a guide, this is why stitching from the inside works)
Method 2 Before shoulder seams are joined
The Alternative way is to finish the piping for back and front bodices first and then stitch the shoulder seams together.
Keep the piping along the finished edge and top stitch in place separately
Remember to clip the piping every other inch till the stitching line. Make the neckline facing for front and back with as usual. Keep the facing on top. Stitch in place.
You can sew this from the backside so that you can see the stitching line of the piping and sew on top of that. Clip the seam allowance of facing.
Turn the facing and piping to the inside and top stitch.
Now join the shoulder seams of front and back bodice
How to attach piping to a V neckline
Check out the post on different ways to sew a Vneck for more details on this.
Sewing trims/ piping on the V neckline is slightly tricky – to get it without puckers needs some patience and practice. Careful sewing and clipping at the right places can make your job easier.
Cut the piping ( checkout the post on Sewing Piping Cord to Fabric) 2 pieces for either side of your Vneckline.
Keep them overlapped at one short edge as in the picture below. Stitch them in place.
Make a stay stitch at the V tip 1/4 inch from the edge and clip to the tip of the V. ( till the stitching line)
Keep the center portion (overlapping) of the piping on the stay stitch line (Stretch open the cut area) you have made.Baste stitch in place.
Stitch the piping in place on the neckline edge with a 1/4 inch seam allowance; Start stitching from the center. Use zipper foot for all your piping sewing. Turn the seam allowance to the back . Now Top stitch the piping in place from the rightside.
