Updated Stats

Completed:

• 69 full diamond blocks
• 0 short half-diamond blocks (top/bottom)
• 0 long half-diamond blocks (left/right)
• 48 corner stone diamonds
• 0 sashing parallelograms

Left to complete:

• 68 full diamond blocks
• 20 short half-diamond blocks (top/bottom)
• 12 long half-diamond blocks (left/right)
• 124 corner stone diamonds
• 308 sashing parallelograms

To date, I have pieced 1436 pieces of the large diamond blocks.  For my eXcel chart, I have counted 2969 pieces in the large diamonds, so I'm not quite half-way there, even though I am about mid-way done with the piecing of the full diamond blocks. One of the upcoming blocks (J11 in Collection 8) has over 100 pieces in it. I can't hardly wait -- can you say 'strip piecing'?

I skipped block F4 while waiting for a self-designed plaid that I made/ordered through Spoonflower to arrive.  I have long been lamenting the lack of a good large plaid in the reproduction various reproduction lines.  I have even toyed with the idea of piecing a plaid for the center of the block -- now, can you imagine how much that will skew my piece numbers?   However, I did find a reasonable plaid in the "Crossroads To Texas" line Designed by Betsy Chutchian (author of a quilting book by the same name), that if my Spoonflower design does not work, I may try before jumping off into the deep end and piecing the plaid. 

When I stopped sewing Thursday night, I was struggling with block G5.  I pieced and re-pieced the Seminole diamond(s) at least three times and it just was not going to lie flat.  Previous Seminole blocks had gone together like a charm, but not this one.  Sometimes you just have to set it aside, and let the fabric 'marinate.'  (Better that the fabric marinate than for you to sit and 'stew', right?) Hopefully, when I pick the diamond up again, I'll be in a better frame of mind, and the fabric will be prepared to behave -- or be scrapped!

Want some other statistics? 

There are 13 large diamond blocks with 13 pieces in them. 

There are 12 large diamond blocks with 15 pieces in them. 

There are 11 large diamond blocks with 11 pieces in them.

The statistical average for pieces is 21.36 (2969 pieces divided among 139 diamonds) pieces per diamond.

My current statistical average for pieces (1436 / 69 ) is 20.81 pieces per diamond. 

There are 4 large diamond blocks with 20 pieces in them. 

There are 6 large diamond blocks with 21 pieces in them.