Quilt in a Day Forums

Hi everyone ...I'm finally making some progress on this baby quilt I started awhile back. I should have it pieced tomorrow. This is what I have done -- I've embroidered little animals on 6 1/2 inch blocks (white background) All four sides of each block have a 2 1/2 inch border of a bright fabric. I want to finish with a piano (keyboard) type border. My question is, how wide should I cut the keyboard strips? Should the finish size be 1 inch or 1 1/2? I know there isn't a "should" be, either size would probably work, but does anyone have an opinion as to what would look good for a baby quilt? I'm thinking I'll cut this border to be 3 or 4 inches.

Also, I'm sure it would be easier to see what I'm trying to describe. I've tried taking photos with a digital camera, but the photos turn out really yellow, kind of antique like. I'll try to hang up the top outside tomorrow, but if I have to take the photos inside, what should do? Lights on or off, use a different setting on the camera -- I know i did something wrong before, just not sure what went wrong. I'm using an older Sony Cyber-shot my DD gave me without any user manuals. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Update: Thank you for all of the border suggestions! I've decided to go with 1 1/2 (1" finished, haven't decided the length yet, either 3 or 4 inches. Does anyone see any reason why I couldn't do long strips together (say 22 inches) and then cut them down to size? I might be able to get to the border today, but since I have come down with my DH horrible cold, I'm not sure how I long I'll be able to keep my head up.

I'll try some more pics in the house, but I think I'll just have to clean up a horse panel, cover it with an old sheet and some photos outside. I know I can get pics outside. The view area on this camera is so small I can't see what I shoot till I get the little disc thingy to wal-marts. Hmmm, I really do need a new computer and camera <g> Thanks again!!

Happy Trails, jacquie2

Hi Jacquie,
Cameras and I don't play well with eachother, so I can't help you out.....but there are lots of people here that should be able to. Good luck.

I foundation piece piano borders. Just cut your muslin a little longer and wider than the finished border size. Draw a line in the middle od the border. Place 2 strips, any size right sides together on the line and stitch. Open and press. Keep adding strips until the muslin is covered. Square up and stitch to the side of your top, do the other side and then top and bottom. I like scrappy so my strips are from the quilt scraps and anything else and the strips are all different sizes, in width. HTHs! Amie )

Does your camera have a sepia(?sp) setting, and it is on?? Not sure about the camera, I just point and click and have lights on and off, turn flash on and off and move to a different room, I usually end up taking about 10 shots and just pick out the best one.

Now on to your baby quilt, I think a 3 or 4 inch piano key border will look great!!

Duh - if I would read your question right, on a piano key border that I made, I used different size strips from 1 to 2 1/2 inches wide for the keys and just mixed it up, looked good, In my opinion )

I think the piano key boarder will be great with as small as the blocks are I would go with 1 inch wide.

The camera you don't have enough light in the room you are shooting the picture. Does your camera have a flash? It sounds like if it does it didn't go off for some reason. Your answer to the yellow problem is just more light.

Jacquie - I'm the world's worst photographer so I'm no help to you. It was suggested that we take our quilts outside on an overcast day and don't use a flash.

On the piano key border. I agree with finished 1" strips. I made a piano key border. You can just cut 1-1/2" strips. Randomly sew the strips together with a 1/4" seam. Then cut 4-1/2" wide strips. You sew these together end to end until it's long enough. I mitered my corners.
Edit: Here's a picture of the piano key border on my Jewel Box Quilt. I'm not finished with it yet. I put on the border then used El's Waves and Scallops ruler to make the wave border.

Jacquie... make sure your flash is on... should take care of the yellowing! What is the model number of your camera... you can usually download the manual from the net... let me know and I can help find it for you! We'd love to see a pic!

Cheers!
-Alina-

Update on the baby quilt -- right now it is at the quilters -- yippee!!! I did a one inch white/off white border then added a 3 inch wide "piano strip". (Similar to CindyG's) I cut 22 inch strips, sewed all eight different fabrics together -- then cut 3 1/2 inch sections. I rather imagine this was probably the "hard way" to do this -- however I was pretty lucky that the quilt top was almost exactly the same width and length on both sides. This will be my first completed quilt, so I'm rather excited. I tried taking pictures while it was on my "design wall" but still having problems. So, I will take pictures of it when it returns from the quilters and I can hang it up outside.
Happy Trails, jacquie

jacquie2 doesn't it feel good to have this as good as done? I am happy for you and anxious to see it. Bet it is just precious!

Hugs & Love

Congratulations Jacquie!!!!