circled squares, top completed

Circled Squares
96 by 84 inches
Block finishes 12 inches
56 blocks set 8 by 7

The origin of this design is murky. I see quilts from difference sources with the circled squares in a 9-patch construction dating to 2013, but cannot find who first came up with the idea. 
If you know who first came up with it, please let me know so I can edit this post and give credit. I include a link to my blog post that includes links to several patterns out there with the 9-patch construction below.

My adaptation was to change the piecing from a 9-patch to one with a rectangle in the center of the block. This cleans it up visually. 
I also developed a pressing method that ensures every seam in the setting of the quilt nests. This careful pressing may not make sense while piecing the blocks as seams do not meet when putting the three rows together. However, that pressing makes the top assembly work!
If you are sashing the blocks, no need to be as particular.

You can read about the quilts I researched and my adaptations in cutting, piecing, and pressing at my earlier post here:

https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2021/03/circled-squares.html

Layout
At this point none of your blocks have their horizontal seams pressed. That will wait until each column is assembled.

Use half your blocks as your "standard", oriented as such:

standard orientation

Use half your blocks as your "flipped", oriented as such:

flipped orientation

First Column and all odd columns
Use standard as your top left block.
Below it, a flipped block
Alternate for 8 blocks
Press all horizontal seams of odd columns towards the bottom

Second Column and all even columns
Use flipped for your top block
Below it, a standard block
Alternate for a total of 8 blocks
Press all horizontal seams of even blocks towards the top

Join columns. I decided to press all these seams to the right.

My adaptation of someone's idea--use my adaptations at your pleasure.