Piano key borders
 

Wanting to use my scraps to make rolls of piano key borders, so I purchased two different size cash register receipt rolls. One is 2 1/4" inches and seems small to me, so may use it for a baby quilt. The other is 3 1/8" wide and to me still not wide enough. On average, what size piano key is commonly used? In hindsight, probably should have stolen my husbands old phone books and cut them up to use!!

For a bed sized quilt, I would use wider ones also. What do you use for paper piecing normally? I have used the big phone book pages and if I have longer strips just covered them and then cut them into the width I want. If you go full out scrappy, you may get two different size strips. Umm sounds like a good in front of the TV project to use up my strings.

I don't use a foundation for my piano keys. I've made various sizes, but they're usually about 1" x 5" finished. It really depends on your preference.

I rarely use a border less than 4.0 wide and that's not counting the seams even on lap quilts or kids' quilts.

If you haven’t used the cash register tapes before it is my opinion too that these are too narrow for borders UNLESS you use them for an inner border and come back with a larger outer border all around. That may be an option for you to think about. I used my 2 1/4 as stripping or sashing between blocks. I have one posted somewhere in Pictures of recycled denim squares set on point, framed with the scrappy 2 1/4. It’s a favorite throw.

I usually use 1" to 3" width by however long I have more of. I use them only for outside edge of quilt. They go straight. I don't use thin ones going across.

Can you simply piece the scraps together and then cut to size?

What is the purpose of using paper for the borrders? I’m not familiar with the paper technique and would not want to do extra steps.

Please explain about the cash register tapes? Thanks.

If you want to use a foundation, how about cutting Carol Doak's foundation paper, which comes in an 8.5" x 11" size, in half lengthwise? That would give you a border of about 4".