Knowing a bit of the backstory: The architect has designed houses of this size and larger, yes. The builders have built houses of this size and budget, yes. But neither the architect nor the builders have designed/built a historical revival house that actually looked like the historical revival. The architect has designed a lot of houses where the details are left up to the builder because the houses have such a loose and unidentifiable vocabulary of styles going on that the specific details hardly matter. It sounds as if the builders have no idea of what this style of house is. It is uncommon in threeapples' location, and most people have probably never seen one let alone would be able to identify it. If this were a house not being build along a style that is relatively rigid in it's original form, a lot of the questions that threeapples has been asking would be pretty irrelevant: s/he could do what looks nice. However, threeapples wants to do what looks historically appropriate (in interpretation, at least) and has been left in the lurch because following such a specific set of design "rules" is really outside the experience of the architect or the builders.

Yes, I think the center 4-patch blocks could finish at 3". That means you would cut each patch 2". It looks to me that the border patches are the same size - cut them 2" square to finish out at 1.5" To do the border, you cut triangles to add to opposite sides of the 1.5" square set on point; sew them on, then sew the rows together. Somewhere on the web there is a formula for figuring setting triangles and corners.

I am not very familiar with rose diseases. I am very new to growing roses. I have one knock out rose bush and 2 pink drifts. Could it be possible that since I planted the rose right next to the compost bin that it is receiving too much fertilization or getting burned from the deep litter waste that I collect from the chicken coop and incorporate into the compost? Also, at the very beginning of the growing season I noticed one of my peonies on the far side of the compost bin had some type of virus. I used an organic fungicide on it, "Garden Safe Fungicide 3" and within 2 weeks the peony had greatly improved. I had also used it on the rose Bush since it says it is safe for roses too, but no improvement. Maybe it could be the same virus? I know i am grasping at straws here, but just really want to save this bush.

I do not grow Fair Bianca and I hope someone who does comments here soon. I do however grow a good variety of David Austin roses and very very few are blackspot resistant enough in the south to be grown no spray. I specially love white roses and I am always looking for healthy ones. I am pretty certain I do not have her because the reviews have not been stellar. The best “near whites” Austins I grow no spray are Desdemona and Lichfield Angel and Claire Austin. I also grow tranquility which gets more blackspot that the other two but it is very vigorous and makes good blooms for cutting. I do not have a good picture of Claire because it was new this year, but it stayed very very clean. Desdemona Tranquility Lichfield Angel is excellent Fair Bianca does look gorgeous and I hope someone else can give you some good news. If you end up trying it please let me know how she does for you.