dunster...you have a heart of gold. Thanks for helping. I like the idea of a 6" block...not too little!...and I think the dimensions of the finished quilt you mentioned would be about perfect. So, that looks like a "go" for me. I would like to add a little dinky border before the 3" border, to frame the inside blocks, is that possible, the skinnier the better.
And when you say how many fabrics...I am intending this to be completely a scrap quilt and have old clothing from every ancestor little Maisie has had...some of the old fabric goes back to my grandfather and my great grand-mother, tho admittedly, every time I make another of these heirloom quilts, you only get a couple of little blocks!!! of the oldest fabric. Everybody in the family knows...don't let your kid throw up on THAT block. I would say that there will probably be about 80 different fabrics all told, I'm guessing.
In the finished quilt that Dana saw a photo of...each big square is entirely different, and thus it looks very scrappy, which I love. It does not appear that light/dark for particular portions held true. It looks like each block was made independently, but with the following guide for all. Exceptions noted.
From the center of an individual block
1.... The center square is a different color than anything else in the block.
Going out from the center square
2......the 4 triangles making up the innermost "on point" square are all the same fabric
3......the next square out (not on Point), those 4 triangles are of a different fabric
4.....next "on point" square...the 4 corners of it are of a new fabric, but (4b)the little 8 triangles along its perimeter are different fabric than those corners, and any other fabric used
5.....the big square, not on point...some of those 4 corners are of the same fabric or print, but in some blocks,the four corners are all in the same family of color, but different fabrics, 4 red prints, or 4 odd prints. However, this would be fabrics not already used in the block.
5b...still the final big square.....the 8 triangles are of one fabric. A new one, of course.
I did try to copy the diagram and put numbers on it, but I am not that computer savvy! Hope this makes perfect sense to you. Thanks again...and if you send me a piece of material I will put you in!!! the quilt!!!Let me know...there are 1800 pieces in this beauty, I'm sure I'll be able to work it in. LOL.
Bless you, dunster