GrandmK, the strips are 2 1/2". Four strips = 10", so they finished at 8 1/2". After strip sewing as much as possible, I cut 8.5" blocks. You could do it totally scrappy by cutting 2.5 x 8.5 strips. The white sashing strips were the same size with a HST on each end. The starry squares were cut 2.5". I put one right sides together on each end of the white and sewed on the diagonal. Make sure both seams are in the same direction. Trim off the extra. Some of the strips got a 2.5 block added for the center of the star - just where you'd use a cornerstone. This is where the design wall was handy as you don't use sashing and cornerstones on all four sides of the block. As you can see, alternating blocks were rotated 90 degrees. I wish I'd saved the name of the person whose quilt I used as inspiration. She deserves the credit for this one.