I said block because it was the same miserable block over and over ad infinitum. Well, 20 of them, felt like unlimited number since I had to fix each and every piece the way they didn't go together correctly (since I didn't cut them to the right proportions in the beginning). I have all the pieced blocks done, 4 across and 5 rows. I would have had to do almost as many again to come to the right size if I'd just enlarged with more pieced blocks. Nope, didn't have it in me!
Seems like if the pattern in the book would have been off the same percentage, all 3 pieces, it would have gone together in a snap, just would have been an 11 square instead of a 16". But the pieces (from what I could see) were off differing amounts. sigh...I've learned a lot, the hard way.
My worry is will it lay flat enough to look good. It does when I smooth it with my hands, but I can tell it's not quite right by itself. And I lost some points putting the rows together, which is aggravating to me. I'm going to use a lot of pins!
I have one beige (background) color 4" border around attached. Then I am making 2-color alternating 5 1/2" block around that, then I'll put the dark red strip around that. I think I'll have about my size. I would like to not have had so many borders, but I would have lost my mind if I'd have tried to make any more of those blocks! I will put some kind of nice stitching on the borders anyway, so that will add a little detail to the plainess I hope.
BookSaver, those fabrics sound lovely. I wish I had more variety of stuff here. I'd quit sewing for a number of years and cleaned out everything, so it's like I'm starting all over again now.