My collection of vintage quilt blocks is sorted first by "period", then by size of the blocks. My goal in using the blocks is to basically preserve the wonderful fabrics from which they were made.
I recently worked with a set of small blocks, measuring ~6", pieced from fabrics dating back to the late 1800s. With the exception of one block, they are 9-patches. (In order to have enough blocks to make a lap-size quilt, I included a Bear's Paw of the same size.)
The blocks were examined closely before working with them. They had been hand-pieced and the stitching was still intact and seam allowances were decent. There were a few spots on the blocks, most of which were not really noticeable. The Bear's Paw block had the darkest spots--it was gently washed in a solution of Dawn and cold water. The spots really didn't go away, but the block was definitely cleaner. When I found small holes in two of the blocks, the "holey" squares were replaced with squares of reproduction fabric. Once that was done, all of the blocks were ready to use.
Should the blocks be set side by side? Doing so would make the wonkiness more obvious to my way of thinking. It would be better to sash the blocks.
I chose a brown/black print with which to sash the blocks. Each block would be framed and could stand alone. The sashing strips were cut 2 1/2" wide. But what fabric should be used for the cornerstones? If cut from the sashing fabric, they would not call attention to the shape of the 9-patch block and would truly frame each one.
A 2 1/2" wide border was added to frame the whole piece. The finished lap quilt top measures ~44" square, and the fabrics are nicely preserved!
