Your comment about the "blankety blank" little squares made me laugh. I adore them and am part of the 2.5 " Birthday Swap group here on the Quilting Board. I use several thousand of those little gems every year. But, I also understand that if they do not capture your heart they can be a pain in the keister. That is how I feel about quilts made of cuts smaller than 2.5. For instance, I love the look of the OMG quilt but see no purpose in sewing those little bitty snips and scraps into small units. We all choose our challenges and we all have a style preference. Good luck with leaving the shoe box on someone else's door step!. When your group can gather again, find the person who loves these little gems and let them make those 9 patches and more. They will love it!
I would!
PS. My avatar is made of 2.5" squares! Tee-Hee-Hee