I almost have my clue #2 done...have been plugging away slowly at it after work, had a pile of strips to subcut today, and I am five short after all is said and done. I need to do one more short strip set this evening to finish up.
After a lot of struggle, I finally figured out my seam consistency issues stems from pressing. My ironing board is too soft, and the seams on the longer strips were bowing, among other things. Making sure I press everything on my wool mat, even though it's little one, has fixed my size issues.
I love seeing how everyone else's colors are playing out...keep up the good work!