Whipped Piping

I talked about Whipped Piping in my last post "Another Easter Dress" and showed this close-up of the dress collar that includes it. I guess you could call this "Double Whipped Piping" because it was whipped in two different colors in opposing directions to create the cross-hatching of the pink and yellow. I decided to use this type of trim for a few reasons.
(1) I didn't have anything appropriate for the floral dress fabric on hand, and it's a 35 minute drive to the closest fabric store. I also knew I probably wouldn't find anything there that would work. But I did have some white cotton sateen that would be good for piping.
(2) I didn't want to spend any more money on trims, buttons, or anything else....or the time to track those things down. I was under a time crunch to get this dress done!
(3) Whipped piping is cheap and easy to make.
(4) You can match the colors to your fabric perfectly with stranded embroidery floss.

So lets go over how to make Whipped Piping, Double or Single. First you have to have piping on hand, whether you make it yourself or buy it. Think about the size of the piping, i.e., make sure the thickness of the piping cord (what's inside the fabric) is appropriate for the garment. You don't want anything to big or heavy, or even too small. The cord for this collar was size 16 (about 1/8" in diameter) because the dress is a size 8 child's dress.
Now look at the machine stitching on the piping because that's the guide for the whipping.....you have to count the stitches as you whip. Cut a piece of floss about 2 times as long as your intended whipped piping section.....a collar length, or a sleeve length. 'Strip' the floss first by pulling one strand out at a time and let it untwist. Do that with each of the other two strands. Then put the three back together making sure the cut ends are all together at one end and smooth them out by pulling them between your fingers a few times. (This stripping of the thread spreads the threads out so they will cover better laying side by side kind of like ribbon.) Thread the needle ( a long eye needle like the cotton darner #5 shown here)

with those 3 strands of embroidery floss and knot the end. Now we begin.....

Hold the piping in your hand with the cord part facing up and the cut fabric ends facing down. I work the whipping from left to right. Insert the needle from behind at the left end and come to the front exactly between two machine stitches to start.  

 Count over 3-4 machine stitches (I did 3 stitches on the collar so we'll talk 3 stitch increments here, and the spacing does depend on the machine stitch length) and take the needle over the top and to the back. Bring the needle to the front and to the right exactly between stitch 3 and 4. Repeat this and come up exactly between stitch 6 and 7.

Continue on down the piping until you come to the end and knot off carefully. This completes a Single Whipped Piping piece.  Simple, right?

Double Whipped Piping: The whip stitch is still done from left to right with the piping facing up BUT you go in the same holes from the front of the piping. Prepare your embroidery floss the same way as above, and you can choose a different color if you like. Thread your needle and knot the end.  Come up exactly where the first whipped stitch started and go to the back....you will use the same 'holes' as the previous single whip stitch.

Continue across the piping and knot off at the end. This second pass creates the cross-hatching effect. It adds so much to the garment, too, besides being quick and easy, and inexpensive!  Why don't you give it a try on your next garment?