All Roads Lead Somewhere (ARLS) is a unique set of applique blocks I have drafted.

There are nineteen different blocks. Each block generates its own repeating pattern, and the blocks combine to generate even more patterns. This blog post demonstrates how to combine two patterns.

Here are repeating patterns that Blocks A and S generate:

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The operative word here is “repeating.” All patterns can be viewed as repeating rows, repeating columns, repeating blocks, and repeating tiles, individually and all at once. In the examples above, the rows, columns, blocks, and tiles are identical. They don’t have to be.

Try this:

Download and print five copies of Block A tiles and Block S tiles.

1. Cut one copy into four horizontal rows.
2. Cut one copy into four vertical columns (columns are marked).
3. Cut one copy into four 2×2 blocks.
4. Cut one copy into sixteen individual tiles.
5. Lay one copy aside to use as a base.

Overlay the Block A rows, columns, blocks, and tiles on the Block S base to see what the combination of the two looks like.

This pattern alternates rows of Blocks A and S:

This pattern alternates columns of Blocks A and S:

This pattern alternates 4-tile blocks of A and S like a checkerboard:

This pattern alternates Block A and S tiles like a checkerboard: