Pattern question ?
 

I bought a new quilt magazine the other day and am interested in one of the quilt patterns in it. The only thing is that I am confused about how she made the border. It was a piano key border and she cut the rectangles on the bias and made them twice as long so she could fold them in half. I have made many piano key borders and never cut them on the bias, there is wasting of fabric with the bias. Also, why fold them in half ? Why have that thickness there ? I am totally confused as to why she did that. Any ideas why ?

No. I don't have a clue. That doesn't make any sense to me. I've always heard that you never want bias on the edges. There's a huge chance that it would stretch out of shape and you sure don't want that on the edge. If I were going to make this quilt, I'd put the piano key border like I've always done. Just cut the strips and sew them together. But, I often change patterns or the way they are constructed. That's just the way do most anything..... the way I want.

Can you provide a link to the pattern? A picture might clarify what is being done.

It doesn't make any sense to cut them on the bias. Piano keys are simple, why complicate the border???

Did it state if the material for the piano key border was starched heavily? Sometimes you have to do that if you have no other choice or do a lot of pinning.

The pattern maker obviously wanted a double fold bias binding. If you don't, just make yours the way you usually do. Simple. People use bias bindings all the time.

I think we're missing something here. A picture or link to the pattern might help.

Is the border doing double-duty as a binding as well, maybe?

No idea, otherwise!

I'm confused. Was it bias binding, or bias border??

I agree - we need a picture or link or something to help clarify.

Oops, guess I misread the OP's question. I just finished a piano key binding so that's where my head was at. Apologies for causing confusion. :o

One of the patterns in the June 2014 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting has bias edges on all four side of all the blocks (Pattern Play, p. 92) so anything is possible.