Desertsky - Block #1 - Civil War Theme

First, I made a really elaborate design, drew it all out on graph paper, marked lights and darks and mediums, marked sizes and how many, outlined tricky parts in pink highlighter so I would remember what the unit was. Second, I took it to the sewing room and started to look at fabrics for cutting. Suddenly, I said to myself, "What is wrong with you? Are you completely crazy or just trying to be?"

Third, I put away the drawing for another day (when I've lost all my good sense, I suppose) and decided that with a theme of Civil War and being a traditionalist, I needed to make a traditional block which was around during the war. I dug around and found a fabric which had a nice piece I could fussy cut (without losing half the fabric) and found this Quilt for a Cause from the first line of that name, several years ago. Technically, it isn't Civil War reproduction fabric, but the designs fit right in, so I use it interchangeably. This bird fabric, particularly, is very CW chintz-like. With that as the center, I used another in the line for the lights and a Thimbleberries from their Cover Story line, bought on the same day as the others, to go with them.

Here's what all that thinking produced: