In between my last big chunk of sashing and my next big chunk of sashing (forthcoming), I wanted to sneak in a quick block, and this one seemed to fit the bill.

It may look complicated, but the center is really just a nine-patch block (albeit set on a diagonal):

That diagonal nine-patch, in turn, serves as the center square for another nine-patch block:

The only thing that ended up being complicated was that wibbly checkerboard print. It doesn’t seem directional (or maybe it seems like it contains all the directions at once!). but when I went to cut out the pieces, it quickly became apparent that there was a direction, and I’d better pay attention to it.

I originally cut the center square on the grain, but then the wibbly checkerboard piece in the center was at a 45 degree angle to all the other pieces made of that fabric, and it was really unsettling if I looked at it for any length of time:

The fabric print is already a little bit eye-boggling, and having one piece at a different angle made it even more so. Looking at it made me a little motion-sick.

So, I ended up cutting that center square out again, this time on the bias:

And it made all the difference, cutting down on the visual discord. I mean, there’s only so much you can do with a print that’s so vibrant it almost literally vibrates in front of your eyes, but having all the pieces vibrate in the same direction sure helps.

Once all the pieces were humming along in harmony, this block went together quickly, leaving me ready to tackle another big batch of sashing.