What do you do?
 

If/When someone donates or exchanges a quilt block that 'isn't playing nicely' with the other blocks -

it's too small, or too large, the colors are wrong, the seams are coming apart, etc. -

What do you do?

I mend the seams, resize the blocks, and set it all together with my favorite color; and it becomes a beautiful memory quilt.

I would do the same. Maybe the person who made it really doesn't quilt....but at least they tried, and I would make it work into the quilt.

I would check the seams, press any folds and resize the block. I would make it part of the finsihed project. Someone took the time and made you a block, and you should be honored that the block was made for you. Now if I have an extra block when I am done, the special blcok would become part of my quilt back with my label. I would still feel blessed by having the block.

I will take it apart and re make it adding a border around if I need it bigger. I try to use all of the given blocks except if the block smells of tobacco I toss it. If the person asks about where is her block on the quilt I tell her the truth. It smelled of tobacco smoke. No excuse to be giving a quilt block that is saturated with odor.

Couldn't you just wash it - soak it in whatever would take out the smell?

(Just seems odd to me that if you are willing to take a block apart and redo it - that you would toss it instead of washing it)

I'd probably mend it and if it really didn't play well color wise, incorporate it in the backing.

You can look for solutions in "Setting Solutions"
http://www.amazon.com/Setting-Soluti...5633451&sr=8-1

Hopefully there would be other such blocks such that I had too many to use. Then I could pass them on.

If you really wanted to use it you could always repair it and maybe put it on the back.

ali

I got a bunch of smal, wonky 9 patches. Cut them into triangles and used scraps to piece them into half square triangles, then put them together to make pinwheels. Turned out very cute.