Yesterday I tried starting with 8" blocks. I'm still using 8 cuts but I'm happier with the end sizes. With this many seams, you lose about 2" per rough cut to ending size -- that is with a 10" square I end up with an 8-8.5" block. With the 8" start, I end up around 6-6.5. I cut 10 blocks but then I stacked them into 2 sets of 5. I have 5 blocks completely done, and the other 5 are set up ready to go. Next set I might try 6" blocks with only 5 cuts. Sewing would be easier/faster, less seam loss, but that seems like it would be thousands of sets. Have to remind myself that I'm actually almost half done (maybe) with the dragon hoard.
This size works better with the blocks, still maybe not quite right once I add the sashing around the dragon blocks but a lot closer. Or, with a big block and a little block and some filler that should work pretty well too.
The mistake for yesterday was I know I want to use the parasol fabric in every set of blocks. Since I had 2 sets, I thought I could use 2 pieces. But wrong-o, you want to have 1-2 more unique fabrics than you have cuts, so with 8 cuts (and doing it as 10 sets) I should have still only had one red piece. When I realized the problem, I didn't realize the solution yet so I did some mixing in pieces. What I should have done was simply cut a different piece and substituted it entirely as it was in place. I'm hoping today's set is smoother because we aren't in the double-parasol point. I should mention that it really doesn't matter so much, when the hoard blocks are combined the same fabrics will be touching and stuff like that. But at this early point I'm trying for unique between blocks, and two different sets of fabric to start. Third set will do more combining of the first two sets.
Pictures are the 8" slicing diagram, the big and little blocks, and 2 of the little blocks next to a dragon
