Originally Posted by klswift

Some of us love playing with the numbers and some don't. For those who don't want to play with the calculations, there is an 'easy' way to figure any block. Use the graph paper - in real numbers. Most paper is 4 squares to the inch. You want to have your focal fabric at a 5" finish, so draw that one in. Use pencil and draw lightly because you may want to change things. Looking at this example, my guess is that the small squares are 2 1/4" finish and the sash is 1/2" finish (I would personally start with 2" finish and 1" sashing - but up to you). Draw those in and see how you like it. Having a bit more trouble visualizing? Cut out some squares in colored paper and lay them on the graph paper. Once you have a block you like, cut out the components (marked as to location or design) and add your seam allowance. Now you know what is required for each block. For the above design, I would consider the block as a 14" x 8" (2 large and 7 small squares). Your example has 8 blocks with 2 fabrics for large squares (5 1/2" x 8 = 44" of 2 fabrics) and 6 different fabrics for the 7 small squares (6 fabrics of 2 1/2" squares and 1 fabric of 2 1/2" square times 2). You can use this technique with any block, but be aware that you made need to adjust if your 'new size' ends up with some funky fractions. A lot easier to change the size of a piece than to cut 8ths or 16ths. Your sashing would be 1 1/2 cut, so just count inches (I think of fabric as 40" WOF) and you will get 24 strips in a yard. Hope this helps. I know it sounds tricky, but as you lay it out, it should make sense.