I think she should make the boxes out a contracting color/colors and use up the strip she had left over. Is it possible the package she bought was for a larger quilt? I also had that experience with a pack, but mine was to be expected, but I didn't let the left-overs go to waste. I'm making Pot-pinchers, 35 of them, for gifts. After cutting out the heart, I had a 5 inch square at the fold of the piece (15 pieces, 15 squares). I just squared it up and will use with a joining square to make a shopping bag, or something. My mother always said "Waste not, want not." She would have been 124 years old this month.