ladygen

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?

kristakz

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

ladygen

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!

Capri

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

JustAbitCrazy

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.

hairquilt

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!

PaperPrincess

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

lakekids

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

rebeljane

Take them apart and sew with smaller seams?

feline fanatic

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.