Big round of applause for LI Diva for taking a bit of a break and then getting back to the project! Isn't that quite a stack of subunits? Your block looks lovely. I think going ahead and doing the border stuff was a good idea, I'm still very aware I have quite a bit of piecing left to go...
Didn't really do much sewing at all yesterday. I've been thinking ahead to final (center at least, without the border) construction. Bonnie doesn't say much about layout or directions for that. Since I have more of a planned/controlled approach it will take a bit more layout than if I was doing it random scrappy. The stars in the blocks are made, but I will also be controlling the sashing, which will be a bit of a logistics mess but not so bad. I'm still probably a week? from getting my points made and the top lay out finalized.
For layout constraints in this project I have two stars of most fabrics, a few are singles. I'm not real happy with some of my reds just too dark but I didn't have the right fabrics for going more true red-brick. I think those too dark reds will be best around the outer edges. I'm ok if the French Fry blocks are prominent/fairly close together but decided not to make any sashing from the french fries. I did add in a few more yellows into the sashing.
I've found when I have twos of things, layout goes faster if I divide it in half and work on sort of a diagonal -- helps keep the matching ones away from each other. I'll put down a random block in the corner and then the next block in the stack that doesn't match fabrics (the reds and neuts), and so on. I think I will play with just the blocks at first and get them in an order I like before I add in the sashing and secondary design.
I prefer to put my sashing on my blocks as an L, that is a right angle around two sides of the block even if L isn't the right direction. I don't like attaching a long unwieldy set of blocks to a long even more unwieldy sashing strip (besides the possibility of pins dragging across my thigh). It will take me time with these blocks to get a picture but maybe I'll look through previous projects to see if I have a good example photo.