Siodach, the block works beautifully in monochrome! I've been working with those clue #7 QSTs also, trying to come up with something I prefer. I saw the 4-patch as an attempt to connect the blocks, so I've been thinking in terms of making a smoother connection, but maybe I should be trying to separate them.
I concluded that the 3-D dagger effect relies on an indistinct block center. When a darker color surrounds the inner square, it defines the center and becomes the focus. A blended effect there helps pop the daggers. I wonder how it would look if your QST colors were reversed, with the star points being in your 'lavender' solid and the lighter color surrounding the center.