This block is making me CRAZY!

It looks innocent enough right?  It has potential for a secondary pattern with the lighter rectangles.  But as I previously stated above, "it's making me CRAZY!" 

This block starts out as a 9-patch.  Blue in the four outer corners, and red in the center.  I'm working with a charm pack, so there are many prints to choose from.  After the 9-patch is pieced, ironed, and measured, it is cut down the middle vertically and horizontally.  Then the upper left and lower right are flipped around and then reassembled as a 4-patch.  Sounds easy and is easy.

I have pieced seven blocks.  I've interchanged the red and blue squares since a charm pack has limited pieces in one color.  But look.... there is NO way to make this work.  I've spent two days looking at these blocks laid out on the cutting table. 

I think the prints are part of the problem.  If I worked with one color for the large square, one color for the small square and one light print for the rectangle square/rectangle, it might be a nice pattern.

I'm stopping this with 9 squares + borders and calling it a lap quilt.  Sometimes my vision for a design, gets very covered up by beautiful fabric. 
I think my paper-pieced project is calling my name today.  It's mindless, enjoyable sewing.  Plus the results are very predictable, very traditional.  Hopefully, tomorrow I can show you finished blocks.