How to design the corners of a "Piano Key" border?
 

I am finishing up a log cabin quilt top with a "piano key" border. What should I do for the corner sections of the border? At first, I was going to make a "fan" corner, but it's getting to complicated and looks kind of sloppy, so now, I'm trying to come up with some other ideas. Any suggestions? Thanks.

~ Cindy

You could do a single fabric square which would be the easiest. Or you could extend the lenght of the borders and then miter the corners. If you still want to do a fan, try paper piecing it.

Oh...I never thought of just doing a solid fabric for the corners. Now that would finish things up in a hurry, now wouldn't it? Great idea! I did think of mitering the corners and yes, I paper-pieced the fan, but it still didn't come out perfect and there are bits of paper left in the area where all the points meet, so I'm chucking the fan idea. Thanks for your tips.

Google "Piano Key Quilt Borders" images and get inspired!!!

you can also put a log cabin block in the corner using pieces being used for piano keys.

I miter mine usually......

When I do a piano key, I have the borders 'chase' each other. Sort of log cabin style. Here's some instructions and a very rough sketch
1) add the border to right side. Make it even with the top, have extra piano keys, the width of your border. Leave an inch or two unsewn to the quilt at the bottom.
2) Add the top border, start even with the left side and end it even with the edge of the border on the right
3) add left border
4) add the bottom
5) now sew the little bit of the first border to the lower right edge of the quilt and the edge of the bottom border.

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Here's an example of a quilt with this piano key method (it's the second quilt, the star)
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t261037.html

I downloaded a free pdf from windham fabrics for a pattern that had a piano key border but I think the fabric itself was piano keys. I haven't studied the pattern yet. I will post a link...maybe you could download and see how they did it.

http://www.windhamfabrics.com/cgi-bi...?patternID=484

I really like that pattern.. I would love to get all that fabric, but went to their site and didn't see any that the pattern shows. I looked around at the different shops that were shown, but I guess I'd need to call them!?!? Is that the only way to get that fabric?

You can just use a plain corner square or you can take some sewn piano keys and make a haft square triangle so it looks like you mitered the corner.