OOPS! I frequently make my own patterns using conventional pieces, and sometimes the math does not work out -- my first fence rail was an example. I cut every piece of every strata too short by 1/2 inch -- this was at a time I could barely afford to buy fabric, so I trimmed the top and bottom of the strips to square off the blocks and then donated the quilt because I was too frustrated with it. It was over a year before I could gather enough fabric to make another (and now I have way too much).