I think the cream sashing will be pretty and help to lighten it up.

Okay - I got "tea-dyed muslin" at Walmart tonight. Also got two grandboys so the blocks are put away until Monday. I think I'm going to cut the sashing for the two horizontal and two vertical lines around the panel just a wee bit wider - maybe 2 1/2 inches before sewing - so that I can put sashing between all the blocks - the ones around the blocks not on the direct horizontal/vertical lines will be a bit smaller - 1 1/2 inches before sewing. That should do it.

Then a border in a darkish red should finish it off. I'll post when I get it done. AFTER the grandboys leave! (One is 2 1/2 years old and the other is 3 ... they're cousins and LOVE being together - when they're not saying "Mine, mine, MINE!" that is. :)

I think cream would be just perfect. I love the button idea too. Great panel.

Not sewn together or even cut in strips, but here's roughly the idea. I'm much happier with it.

Mostly finished - needs beige border on top/bottom and a wider red border all around. BUT I'm so much happier with it that I wanted to post it. With the light sashing your eye goes to the light colors in the top rather than it feeling so dark all over. It's turning out much wider than I expected - the rectangle 9P caused that - it seemed like a good idea at the time! I'm considering doing a 4 1/2 inch red border on top/bottom and a 2 1/2 inch red on the sides. I've read both that's okay and that's horrible. It's for my daughter - for a sofa throw and right now it's as wide as the top of a double bed, but not as long. What ya think?

If I were doing it again I guess I'd cut the blocks down a bit to avoid the different size sashing I had to use to get them all to fit together, but ... not ripping any more!