See What I Did There?

More sewing on the Doll Quilt Swap project--Lori of Humble Quilts has extended the mailing deadline but I hope to be able to send mine off by the original month-end date. 

I used the paper plate method for arranging my blocks and keeping them in order at the sewing machine.  My squares are cut at 2".

Leader ender blocks on the left, and the first five 9 patches with the setting squares. They looked so cute...but, does anyone notice why my heart suddenly sank?  If you see gaps around the setting squares, you will have correctly deduced that MATH kicked my butt again.  I cut my setting squares  at the finished size of the 9 patch block. After despair, there followed a session of option auditioning.  I mocked up smaller 9 patches with 1.5" squares, but they were small and would require so many more that I would not have enough of the striped fabric for the doll quilt.  I then tried cutting down the 2" squares to 1.75" but it still did not work well with the cut setting squares.   I really didn't want to dedicate a lot of time to re-cutting the print squares either.

Mini was of no help during this portion of the design process, laying on the floor in this weird position at the bottom of the stairs!

My next idea was to trim down the finished 9 patch to 4.5 inches, and this turned out to be the best option.  The 9 patch is preserved but will now be an uneven 9 patch when the setting squares are sewn.

Final layout after switcheroo.  I love the setting squares' change of direction in each quarter from the center out.  The design is more striking the larger the quilt gets and I'll do that one day with bigger squares--I can see it in a modern design too.  The rows are pinned in stacks and ready at the machine.  It should sew up fast.  I'll ponder backing, quilting, and binding options as I sew.