Has anyone
ever figured out the yardage needed for making 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9"
blocks?

Because S&W patterns require 6 (or 8) repeats of the pattern, which can vary in
length, your question can't be answered simply.

First, you must start with the requisite number of repeats, from which you will
cut and stack strips of equal size. As you learned in your class, you can cut
the strips in half/thirds/fourths to yield smaller blocks.

The number and width of your strips will determine how many blocks you can get
from one set of repeats.

Whether or not that number of blocks is sufficient for your needs will
determine whether you need more fabric. If you do, YOU MUST GET ENOUGH FABRIC
FOR AN ENTIRE SET OF REPEATS, even if you only need one block! One way around
this is to use the other half of the fabric, and buy a smaller quantity to make
up for it. (Think regular quarter yard cut vs. FQ--sometimes either will work,
sometimes only one or the other.)

My solution is to create whatever size and number of blocks the repeat will
allow, and build the quilt around that, rather than say "I need 10 9"
blocks--how much fabric do I have to buy?". So far, it's been a lot easier
that way.

Nurse Ratched (remove "cuckoo" from address to reply)
We'll all get back to normal if we put our nation first,
But the trouble with "normal" is, it always gets worse. ~Bruce Cockburn