Simple

So, I've decided to go with simple.
(You're probably surprised, given that I've made this project so complicated up to this point.)

The back of my stained quilt will be all black. This will make my desired quilting pattern so much easier. I'm going to stitch in the ditch around each of the puzzle pieces, so to speak.

Previously, I mulled over making more blocks and piecing them into the back; however, for this option:
1. I would have wanted the back blocks to be mirror images of their counterparts on the front (as far as shapes, not exact fabrics).
2. I then would have tried to line them up exactly so as to have my quilting be stitch in the ditch around the puzzle pieces on both sides of the quilt (where applicable).


I am pretty pleased with this little detail though:

Mitered corners in the border!

How much Kona Black?

I'm such a perfectionist.

Despite numerous assurances from others that my quilt was coming along fine and I should just get on with it already, I spent several hours pondering over and adjusting it.

My new map:

I made several attempts to rearrange my original 20 blocks before I came upon this configuration. First, I moved just the blocks that seemed to be the culprits. That merely led to more troubles - I basically would have ended up putting a blank spot every other block.

Second, I tried gathering all the blocks with characters and laying them out first so I could disperse those blocks that all featured the horse, or camel, or people in jars, or... you get the idea. Well, this worked until I tried to fill in spaces left empty with the remaining blocks. Inevitably a brown pearl bracelet wound up next to another brown pearl bracelet.

I put everything back according to my 4x5 block map. I thought about just sewing things together that way and trying to just be happy with it.

THEN, it occured to me that I could just shift 1 row over. I tried it. Then I shifted 1 block back to it's original spot and shifted half the new column down. There. That spaced out characters and candles.

I had just enough pre-cut black sashing to complete my 5 new blocks. (Plus stitch 2 of them together - lower left corner.)

Now I just need to figure out how much more Kona Black I will need.

And also, decide whether to make still more blocks for a pieced back or just use a great swath of black. I discovered another small pile of matching scraps in a box I was unpacking in search of interfacing, so additional coordinating blocks are a possibility without hunting down more Peeps.

Opinions?