Maybe you should just leave it as is. It will keep you humble and when others say "I can't do that" you can show it to them. If more people realized all quilters have a few disasters in the closets, more people would not be scared to try quilting.

Once you figure out how to finish this set of blocks, it will be one of the quilts that you will always be able to show people...this is where I started...now I'm here, with a newer quilt. Won't that be a fun thing to talk about? Your own show & tell. My first 2 quilts were for someone else and they people who got them loved them, but I don't even have a picture. Shame on me. I think it's pretty cool that you found these.

My thoughts went in the same direction. Thick poly batting (may be even double) and tie it instead of quilting. It would make a lovely cuddle quilt (IMHO).

This is why they are called UFOs. We all have some stuff away in the darkest part of a closet !! I think that there are some clever ideas that have been posted. I am anxious to see what you try. I wish you Good Luck !! :o

I think if it were me, instead of trying to something useable out of this I would either throw it or keep it as a visual reminder of how far I had come in my piecing. Time is precious,use the time that would be allocated to this instead use it for something new. Believe me, I understand the need to fix this, but, sometimes the smartest thing to do is walk away.

I think it will stay a UFO for a bit longer but my German stubborn genes will not let me leave it alone. I will finish it. Probably go with the shabby home-grown look and the quilt the lumps out of it.

We all had to start somewhere. Nothing to feel bad about.

I had a similar experience a couple months ago. When I first started quilting I made a Christmas Tree wall hanging with hst made from 1 7/8" strips. I tried putting a border on with cornerstones. It was way over my head and I got frustrated and put it in a tote. I was looking for something and found it. OMG..... crooked blocks, corners didn't match, cornerstones were crooked.... I could go on and on. I took it out and took part of it apart and fixed what I could. It looks ok. I haven't finished it yet, I had other projects going, but I'm going to put hot fix crystals on the bad corners etc and it will look ok.

Come on, they are some of your "first trys" at quilting. They must be kept all in tact. I would press them from the back into a towel, spraying them with Magic Sizing, and choose matching fabric and make a quilt. Sure you can laugh as you go, but let's face it, we were all there at one time in our lives. And laugh later on, but at least you can show others my "before" and "after". I have some too.

I actually like the flowers. Mistakes and all. This seems like the best idea to me.
Rodney

Whatever you do to "solve" the problem, hang onto at least one block for the sake of posterity. Somewhere, someday, somebody will be encouraged by it. Not that you asked, but you might name the quilt, "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" or something like that.