Melting Snowball

Flowering Snowball

I've been looking through the Encyclopedia for blocks to alternate with

sampler blocks and spent some time looking at Flowering Snowball (#3081) as a possibility.

See a post on the pattern history here:

https://encyclopediaquiltpatterns.blogspot.com/2018/08/flowering-snowball.html

It's a great pattern for those who like curved piecing as Rita at Red Pepper Quilts shows.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/redpepperquilts

The seam lines in #3081 will line up with a nine patch.

I exported the block from BlockBase into EQ and drew the nine patch of equal size squares. Then drew up a quilt alternating blocks.

That works nicely in terms of geometry.

And has possibilities in design.

Another way to add to the Snowball is with another Snowball.

The block with the corners cut off  to make an octagon in the center.

Lines up well.

And makes a more interesting overall design.

Recolored for a sunny February day as Melting Snowballs.

Any of these variations on the curved Maltese Cross idea could

be combined with another block if you lined up the seam lines....