Busy getting not a lot done

I found out the hard way when cutting very large pieces it pays to use templates. I cut them to the finished size in freezer paper, then use the ruler to trim my 1/4" seam outside. With very large pieces the grain line is even more important as there is a greater length to stretch. I can get quite anal about it (no surprise there then) and not only line up on the grain but line up on the grain parallel to the selvedges. This grain has the least stretch.
I takes time cutting like this and I was quite disappointed at how harsh this royal blue dot looked.

So I carefully cut this softer blue, but then was disappointed at how the contrast turned out between the blues. It looked fine next to the lighter blue on the cutting table. (I might still use this in the centre)

By this time my neck was hurting leaning over the cutting table so I sort of fussy cut this cream and roses. I like this best.

Star within a star within star within a star........

I have been thinking about this design for simply ages. I may or may not have feathers on the outermost star. I'm having a problem with the mechanics of the design. In theory this shaped star should fit within an octagon of any size, but as you can see the perfect octagon degenerates as it gets smaller. I've tried designing it from the smallest out and there is still distortion. The basic star itself is probably my favourite block, I love the secondary star of the white triangles.
The design problem happens in exactly the same way whether drawn out full sized on paper or drawn in Quilt Pro. I've been told the problems with the computer is there is a rounding up or down and the drawing on a drawing board is a similar effect.