What is magzi? Piping and binding on a kameez

Piping: a line caught in a seam

Piping is a bias strip folded in half, sometimes round a thin cord, and sandwiched between two layers of fabric so that only its folded edge shows. From outside you see a narrow raised line, usually two or three millimetres wide, sitting exactly on the seam. Without a cord it is flat and quiet; with one it stands up more, which suits firmer fabrics such as cambric, khaddar and raw silk.

Because it lives inside a seam, piping needs something to be sewn between. On a neckline that means a facing or a lining behind the edge. Elsewhere it means two parts of the garment that already meet:

• Between a yoke and the body of the kameez, or along the panel seams of a flared cut. Our yokes and panels guide shows where those seams fall.
• Round a faced neckline, a collar edge or a button placket.
• Where a cuff or a contrast band joins the sleeve.
• Between the kameez hem and an added border.
• Along the top of a patch pocket.

Binding: a strip wrapped over the edge

Binding is a bias strip folded over a raw edge so that it covers both the front and the back of it. The cut edge disappears inside the fold. What you see is a flat band, commonly between half a centimetre and a centimetre wide, and it shows on the inside of the garment as well as the outside.

The big difference is that binding finishes the edge by itself. No facing is needed, which makes it the lighter choice and the usual one wherever a facing would show through.

• Necklines on unlined lawn, voile and chiffon, where a facing would cast a shadow. The neckline guide covers the shapes.
• Armholes on a sleeveless kameez.
• Side slits and curved hems; see chaak side slits.
• Keyhole openings and tie ends.

Piping vs binding: how to choose

• What it needs: piping needs a seam and something behind it. Binding needs only a raw edge.
• What you see: piping is a thin raised line. Binding is a flat band, visible on both sides.
• Weight: piping adds layers, so on very fine fabric it can stiffen a neckline. Binding in the same fabric is about as light as an edge can be.
• Effect: piping outlines a shape without changing it. A contrast binding reads as a border, and a wide one makes the neckline look smaller.

Magzi design ideas for a suit

The simplest magzi design is a single line in a colour picked from the print. From there the common variations are a tone-on-tone strip in the kameez fabric, which adds a neat edge without adding a colour; double magzi, two rows in two colours side by side; and magzi with a narrow lace set just beneath it. The strips are often cut from the trouser or dupatta piece, or from offcuts, as our guide to using leftover fabric explains. The wider piping, lace and trims guide sets magzi beside the other edge details.

One caution: a dark or bright strip on a pale kameez can release dye in the first wash, so a colour-fastness test on the contrast fabric is worth the five minutes.

How to ask for it

Say piping or binding, not magzi alone, and add four things: where it goes, which fabric or colour it is cut from, whether it is single or double, and for piping whether you want it flat or corded. A photo of an edge you like settles most of it. On a custom stitching order, put this in the design notes when you send your design for a quote. Ask for it there, and we confirm what is possible on your fabric and design in the written quote.