Sunflower blocks

So I have started on the Sunflower quilt - which is what it will be called from now on. There are only glimpses of sunflowers in these blocks, but the sunflower fabric giving the quilt it's name is cut in 18 1/2" squares ready to go in between these courthouse step blocks.

It's raining heavily today, so my pictures seem to be getting that underwater feeling, with colours seeming colder than they actually are. But you get the idea. I made the first blocks, choosing fabrics randomly, just alternating light and dark strips but I wasn't quite happy with them. Back to the book, to study the pictures. I discovered that the blocks I liked the most had at least one fabric being repeated throughout the block, like I've done with the blue in the block above.
I find I like these much more, because the repetition gives some kind of rythm to it. The first two are just too random I think, but I'm counting on them working together with the rest of the blocks anyway.So, that's it, I finished five blocks yesterday, in between chores and all, so it doesn't really take that much time. I'll see if I can finish the final six today, so I'm ready for the Quilting Olympics by the time the opening ceremony starts tomorrow. Diane has suggested we challenge ourselves to start and finish a piece of work within the timeframe of the Olympics, and I'm ready to take on the challenge with my floral strippy. Care to join? What will you make? Oh, glorious summer, how great it is to have time to sew! It almost doesn't matter that it is raining...