I am continually amazed by the number of people that are sure their draw length is nearing a full yard long, but somehow still come in at 28" or less.
I know you are not going to want to hear this, Mike, but slow down on this stave. Take your time, enjoy the process. Do the work in small bites and spend more time in between those bites looking at what has been done and figuring out what needs to be done. This ain't no race and there is no good prize at the end for coming in fast. Post lotsa pics, too!