While you are practicing your 1/4" seams, you can sew your rows together off set.
At the end of every other row, add one extra block, and cut each end piece in 1/2 (plus 1/4" for the seam allowance.) Then when you sew the rows together, they are off set :wink:
Or you can sew a row, add a solid strip, then a pieced row, and a solid row... :D:D:D