One big step closer...

Mum and I worked like demons last night from 5 - 9pm piecing the blocks. I really didn't want to waste all of this week, as I don't have it to waste. Seeing all the blocks together has given me some good direction, although I would still love suggestions.
What I have decided to do is NOT stitch on the seams, but to carry on seams and motifs where possible, thru seams, and stitch a 'false' seams across those diamonds of black. Hopefully this will reduce the blockiness look and make it look a little more whole cloth.
My only block placement issue is those two flower posy motifs, one above the other in the top left, but I am sure I can 'fix' it in some way.

The other news is, I have decided I want a pieced border. YIKES...remember only one month to complete. It will have a two inch black border around the blocks, then the pieced border. I have two ideas here. One, stick with the all black and basic seam treatments in colour, OR do the border in in the colour, using the colours I have used in the blocks, as well as pulling in some other silks, and do only black stitching on the blocks. My intent is that it would be a 'quiet' and 'heavy' element around the quilt (dull, muddy colours). I would really appreciate your ideas about this. I will probably piece a little of both and see what y'all think, but I really need to finish the centre first. The border will come if I have time. Mum suggested "bagging" the quilt so I could add a border later if I wanted to. So it will definitely get a border, it's just a question of when.

So its all go. I need to try and match my hundreds of sassa lynne threads before night fall.