Have beer. Build boat. It will be fine :-)

I paddle with several non-lightweight types who have built traditional Greenland SOF's. All have floating combings, and most are, um, used hard and put away wet. So far, no combings have had anything worrysome happen to them. Pick a technique and go with it, no worries.

Stitching should be tight. Everything else is aesthetics. Pick a look you like, and go for it. Some are a little more time consuming, but not much (in my experience). Start at the center of the combing and stitch to the stern first. That way, you have some practice before sewing the front. You see the front when paddling....

I like a "rustic" look and intentionally make my seems a bit erratic. It's a bit more work, but I like the look.

I've helped many people build SOF's. It's common that builders get hung up on details at the end of the build. No worries, you can experiment more on your next boat....

Happy building,

Chuck