Thanks to everyone for your help! I had not considered the SIAS setting.. but i think i'd lose too much of the 9-patch because i would be stitching through the corners. If i cut triangles to size, it could work but be very futzy really to get right in that i could lose points when I sew together. I took my blocks to a quilt shop and I think concensus there was the same as here.. best to keep the orientation of the focus fabrics north and south. That much I think I've decided on but now instead of doing alternating blocks (of same color), I'm thinking of snowballing those..i guess without much thought to matching fabrics to corners just scrappy manner. I'm leaning this way as of now. I can't post pics but i sure wish i could.. most of the fabrics are jewel-tones .. some patches are 2 solids and some are a mix of prints... it was getting busy so i like the plain blocks tossed in. I probably will like the solid color blocks (pale green leaning toward lime!).. there will probably be a border to either soften it or liven it up depending on what it needs once done. sorry to be so wordy. i like having quilters so close at hand..its great! IceBlossom, good grief, EQuilter is a world of inspiration! i did notice for most part, even the skewed focus fabrics wind up being symmetrical.. by having a mirror-image surrounding a straight up/down focus fabric ..used more like "frames" i guess. For most part, if not a part of the design like many there, probably best to orient them w/ the world.. exception being small prints which when "scattered" look like ditsy prints anyway. Thanks again, everyone.