Everyone -- your blocks are all fantastic. I must say these final instructions are whooping my hiney! I still haven't wrapped my head around the half and quarter blocks so am doing the main blocks first, then will decide what I want to do with the rest. I am not cutting ahead as I'm confused enough.
Irish - I really like your blocks and like the way you alternated the light/ dark blues in the same block. I also used yardage and don't like my block with the light, so might follow your example and mix them. Around the third step I was really tempted to stay with all one blue -- the darker one shown here. I now wish I had. But I think by combining them in the same block, the pattern will be more striking.