Piano Key Borders- Any suggestions?
09-06-2013, 07:45 AM
#12
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Location: Lake Elsinore, CA
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I like piano key borders too, but I always cut my strips into the length I want before sewing. I also cut them along the length of the grain if possible, rather than across the width of fabric, and I starch before cutting. Then I only have to stitch and press, no more cutting and no unsewing (unless I make a mistake, like putting a fabric in upside down, which I have been known to do).
09-06-2013, 08:10 AM
#14
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
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I like piano key borders too, but I always cut my strips into the length I want before sewing. I also cut them along the length of the grain if possible, rather than across the width of fabric, and I starch before cutting. Then I only have to stitch and press, no more cutting and no unsewing (unless I make a mistake, like putting a fabric in upside down, which I have been known to do).
No unsewing (except for upside down pieces) ... as the strips are randomly placed with the pre-cut over-size lengths. Yes wastage, but makes the randomness more certain.
Good thing to mention, Dunster ... to watch for directional fabrics ... and have them placed accordingly when doing piano keys.
09-06-2013, 08:29 AM
#15
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Cadillac, MI
Posts: 6,487
I do mine like DOTTYMO. Sew the 2 1/2" strips together while they are still 44" wide in groups of 7 or 8, press, then cut to 6 1/2" and join them end to end. It doesn't really take long - not like the time I decided to use flying geese.
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09-06-2013, 08:47 AM
#16
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,334
QuiltE, it is amazing how changing fabrics can make such a difference in a quilt. They are both wonderful.
Irishrose, yours is lovely, too. And I see you did the mitered corners as well. Very nice. I really love the look of the piano keys.
Irishrose, yours is lovely, too. And I see you did the mitered corners as well. Very nice. I really love the look of the piano keys.
Last edited by nanna-up-north; 09-06-2013 at 08:50 AM.
09-06-2013, 09:31 AM
#19
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Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 4,695
I do mine similar to IrishRose.
--I make strata while the fabrics are WOF -- just sewing strips together and I don't usually care if I have the same width strips or not. If some strips are too short, I just add another strip to fill in the length (saw this on Simply Quilts -- don't remember who was on). Sometimes, if I feel doing extra work, I will stitch the strips together, but usually I just but the ends together.
--I usually make at least 2 or 3 different strata so I get a random assortment of strips. I cut the strips the desired length (though I add 1/2" extra not 1" extra). I skip over the area where the strips are joined when I make my cuts.
-- If the fabrics are non-directional, I'll turn the smaller strip sets upside down to make them more irregular.
-- I join the smaller strip sets together to get the length I want for the sides.
If my strips are different lenghts, I use corner stones instead of mitering the corners because my eyes like all the strips to match and irregular widths give me fits.
--I make strata while the fabrics are WOF -- just sewing strips together and I don't usually care if I have the same width strips or not. If some strips are too short, I just add another strip to fill in the length (saw this on Simply Quilts -- don't remember who was on). Sometimes, if I feel doing extra work, I will stitch the strips together, but usually I just but the ends together.
--I usually make at least 2 or 3 different strata so I get a random assortment of strips. I cut the strips the desired length (though I add 1/2" extra not 1" extra). I skip over the area where the strips are joined when I make my cuts.
-- If the fabrics are non-directional, I'll turn the smaller strip sets upside down to make them more irregular.
-- I join the smaller strip sets together to get the length I want for the sides.
If my strips are different lenghts, I use corner stones instead of mitering the corners because my eyes like all the strips to match and irregular widths give me fits.
09-06-2013, 09:53 AM
#20
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Canadian in Minnesota
Posts: 3,078
Beautiful quilts! I do my piano key borders like QuiltnLady1 and IrishRose - assorted strips cut WOF and then cut to desired length. I make 2-3 different sets of 6-8, cut to width and join randomly.
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