I tend to buy plenty of fabric as well when I start on new projects. I have so many scrap blocks, experiment blocks and just an insane scrap fabric pile. My way of quilting hasn't been very scientific either :-) I have five seperate fabrics for this one project. I bought 1/2 yd of each, and they go gradually from a medium blue print to a pale yellow print. I will see if I can post some images...once I start piecing things together.
I was thinking of doing 3" by 3" blocks. The blocks will be made of five strips hence the five seperate fabric patterns. Each strip is 4" long by 1" wide allowing for 1/4 inch seam allowance when I sew the pieces together, I think that's how I figured it last night :?: Either way when I did my practice block last night it ended up exactly 3" by 3" somehow, so my method must have worked. I'm not sure what you would call the pattern I am using but the quilt will end up being a zig zag as all the blocks kind of connect with one another.