Help for a quilt sister please!

My friend, Lizzie, has posted a call for orphan blocks to make a quilt for her beloved friend who is terminal. Please go to her page and read her story. She is in Australia, but one block, folded will fit nicely in an envelope. Thank you for being a quilt sister, Elaine 

Flea market finds

I have re-homed these little blocks, @ 11 1/2" square, more or less. The petals are like the Lafeyette Orange peel. Rumor has it a young lady attended a ball with General Lafayette where he supposedly ate an orange and she carried it away. The petal shape itself, if pointed at each end, has also been called Bay Leaf, Tea Leaf and Lovers Knot, just to name a few. The pieces are all sewn down with a very thin white thread, not needle turned. The black ring is a little over 1/4" wide. I have never seen this before, very strange. Every block uses scraps with the muslin and black the only unifying elements.

Some of the blocks are age spotty. I love these blocks, all 23 of them. I think it might be wise to remove these flowers and re-applique them to new muslin. What would you do...try and wash the blocks as or re-attach to new fabs?