Cutting and Assembly Tip

I just finished my first Swoon block! 

I can see why this pattern is so popular.  It was kind of intense (as you can tell if you look at the back) but so satisfying to finish.  I think I'll do these blocks one at a time instead of just chain piecing everything. 

I'm planning on making 10 blocks, where the pattern calls for 16.  To make it easier, I kept track with paper plates, writing how many squares and the dimensions I'd need to make just one block on the side.  

Then I kept tally of how many different kinds of fabric I'd cut.  It made it much easier to just pick the fabrics I wanted and not have to keep looking at the pattern and re-figuring things out every two minutes.

 Then you can stack the plates in your sewing space - easy to pull out next time you're going to work on your project.  This also made assembly to mix and match fabrics.