It just means that you cut all the strips to whatever width you want the border to be (plus seams obviously) then join them randomly by their long edges until they're long enough to make the border. It supposedly looks like the piano keyboard. ;-)

I think they look best if there's a skinny border to match the binding (preferably a darker solid fabric) between the 'piano keys' and the centre, so it's kind of framed. Otherwise it can look a bit messy. :-D

This is the EQ5 layout of the quilt. The greens are different than what I actually have and I decided to go with a solid black instead of a tone-on-tone. I'm digging the piano key border and I like your idea of putting in an inner border. I already have solid black so I'm thinking maybe I could use a tone-on-tone black for the inner border and binding so it doesn't blend in with the solid black and frame the quilt nicely.
[IMG]http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...rAlternate.png[/IMG]

The picture in my avatar is a quilt with a piano key border, as well as a thin separating border. I made the "keys" in my border scrappy as well, but usually each key is a single fabric. Here's the link, if you'd like to see it bigger- http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-134899-1.htm :)

Thank you! I'm actually leaving the four-poster cutouts just as you see them in the photo. When I eventually finish quilting it, I will bind it all in the red.

look here for some ideas that will work with your quilt.

http://www.quilterscache.com/B/Borders.html

I use the piano key border a lot. Here's an example - http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-23986-1.htm

That is gorgeous!

I'm not sure that piano keys is the best border for your beautiful quilt, because it is all straight lines. I think I would try to preserve the curves of the center portion of the quilt. This is one idea.