Make blocks bigger?
 

I pulled out some old block exchange blocks - three of the nine are 1/4-1/2 inch smaller than the others and I can't make the others smaller without cutting off points. Is there a good way to make them bigger aside from adding a mini border around them? I am going to sash them when they're all the same size, but I don't know how to make it work well and look cohesive without taking the blocks apart. Help?

Can you just make the sashing a bit bigger on those blocks, to make up the difference?

I decided to add in a mini border around them. I haven't added the sashing to them all yet, so I'm hoping it won't look funky once they're all put together. I was afraid making the sashing a bit bigger on some would make them even wonkier looking with the sashing not being entirely straight.

Thanks for the input!

Sharon Schamber has a brilliant you tube vid on enlarging/blocking quilt blocks that have shrunken in when stitching them up. It would be worth looking this up so that you can get them to the size you want. It's a bit of effort but well worth it for the finished product you end up with. HTH

One great way to handle this is to put each block on point by adding four setting triangles around, making each block the center of a square-in-a-square. Oversize the triangles a bit so the blocks "float" within. I saw a friend do this with her exchange blocks, which were all slightly different sizes, and it looked great. You'd never know the original blocks weren't identical.

You could make more blocks the smaller size with a frame & it would look planned. If done on point you can run them down the middle! Please post pic when finished. Love to see it!

There's a book "Setting Solutions", by Sharyn Craig. The book has all kinds of interesting ideas for setting blocks, and many of her ideas address blocks that came out different sizes. There's some good deals on used copies:
http://www.amazon.com/Setting-Soluti...ting+solutions

You could also make them all wonky. Instead of just a mini border around the smaller ones, add a larger border 3 or 4 inches around each one. Then turn them slightly and make them all a standard block size by cutting them so that the 'border' is wonky triangles.

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Turn-Fra.../dp/1885588100

Take them apart and sew with smaller seams?

Blocking the block will work for 1/4" undersize but not up to 1/2". Justabitcrazy's suggestion is fabulous. so is the wonky setting.

Sounds like that would be the easiest solution.

well you could slash them and add strips inside. it would make a different looking block, but definitely interesting.

That was going to be my answer, put on point

I recommend Sharyn Craig's book as well. Has some fun ideas for different size blocks.

That's what I was going to suggest. I did this with a quilt in similar circumstances, and you couldn't tell that the inner blocks were all the same size.

Capri thank you so much for this info. I watched it and know I will use it as I often end up with different size blocks.

Some absolutely fabulous ideas! Thank you!!

I had a limited numbers of blocks that were made thru an exchange group at the local quilt guild. They were various sizes so I saw this pattern and used it. Just sewed an oversize half square triangle on each side of a block. I thought the quilt came out cute. :)

1/4" can most likely be starched and pressed into size. 1/2" is pushing it.

When that happened to me, I ended up cutting all the blocks into circles and insetting them in a background fabric. Turned out great! I have another batch of blocks to do that to.

madquilter...I was just about to refer to this. It was the first thing that popped into my head....it was a brilliant move! When I grow up, I want to be just like you!
Maniacquilter...have to say, this is also genious!!!!

These are some really good suggestions. I am taking note for when (not "if") I need this information!

I think I would add a a wider border to all of them, then trim them all to the same size, which would leave some with a slightly wider border, but would give a cohesiveness to the overall design.

This is a terrific book. I bought mine from Alibris.com really cheap. She even shows you how to put together blocks that are completely different shapes/colors by adding the same borders and the quilts were beautiful. You'd never know they were orphan blocks.

I did this method to make a Christmas quilt from guild members blocks. Blocks from others are almost never the right size and I love my quilt with the twisted block setting.