Though a very simple pattern, easy to draft and to piece, the block has a perplexing ancestry of names. Nancy Cabot has it with a different number, as MOSAIC NO. 11 (1934) and later, she published a second dark and light variation called OLD POINSETTIA STAR (1937). In the same time frame, Nancy Page published yet another variation called SPINNING STARS (1935). Jinny Beyer's QUILTER'S ALBUM OF PATCHWORK PATTERNS changes the design also by way interchanging the dark and light, (p. 70-4). Maggie Malone's 5,500 QUILT BLOCK DESIGNS (#1819), blends the outer wings of the star more into the background color, adding some interesting mystery.

The illustrations here interpret the design more in line with Malone's example, with the spinning stars suggesting the cosmos and it's puzzles. The star doubles itself, suggesting another dimension in space-time or in identity. In fact the design is exceedingly facile in its ability to successfully transform its identity with the merest alteration in prints and color choices. It's just a fascinating mosaic pattern to experiment with, rename or recast according to any imaginative vision chosen.