What is the easiest way to quilt piano keys or like 1 inch straight lines into a border. It has to be an easier way than what I'm doing?! I hope.
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What is the easiest way to quilt piano keys or like 1 inch straight lines into a border. It has to be an easier way than what I'm doing?! I hope.
I have puzzled on how to do them also. I usually end up SITD up one line, SITD along the quilt and SITD down the next line to the quilt edge and then stitch along the edge where it will be under the binding and repeat. The other option is to quilt a motif in each key and do your traveling along the outside of the quilt.
I don't actually have a piano key border. I wanted to quilt piano key type design in a border.
If it just a design, you might want to try ribbon candy or rail road track quilting designs. They are both designs that loop back and forth across a space.
Gonna have to look up rail road tracks. I used the ribbon candy (for the first time) in another border on this quilt.Originally Posted by Tartan
Can somebody please tell me what ribbon candy and railroad tracks are? TIA
I am not familiar with railroad tracks but I can tell you the ribbon candy design is so fun and easy to do. Just run a line going back and forth with gentle curves. Then go back up crossing the curves. Wherever the line is crossed, it looks like a ribbon. Once I was quilting inside a diamond block, I widened the curves as needed, and it really did look good. Try it.
My technique is even uglier. I go along the outside edge, across the border, then right back down the same stitch line then up the edge to the next key. I always use 60 or 70 wt thread for these. I HATE stitching them, but if you have a slightly full border, it's the easiest way to get it under control. I also like the way they look on an unpieced border, like you are doing, with uneven key widths. Like a 3", then two one inch ones, then another 3". Have to plan this so they come out even.
"I do not understand how anyone can live without one small place of enchantment to turn to."
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
My internet is so slow today that I can't grab a link for you but if you Google tutorial piano key quilting I think you will find some good videos. Jamie Whalen I believe was one of them. I plan to use them on a quilt that I'm working on but haven't got that far yet so please share if you find a great solution.
I just watched his video - it was great - he made it look so easy - thanks for the suggestion.
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