Kimmy_T

Hi everyone. I'm relatively new to quilting, though I have made various sewing projects and a small quilted bag before. To be honest, I don't have a lot of time to dedicate to sewing, as I have five children ranging from teen to toddler.

The reason I joined is that I am looking for some advice. My great-great-grandmother liked to make quilts, and I inherited a quilt top that she made. As you might imagine, it's rather old, and I want to try to preserve it the best that I can while finishing her work and making a quilt. Do you have any advice for me as to the best way to go about this? Would it be a good idea to reinforce the top with another layer of fabric underneath?
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Thanks I'm advance!

KalamaQuilts

#1, I'd wait until I had more experience
#2 Find out when the closest quilt guild meets, go with your top, and ask advice there
#3 take it into a local quilt shop and ask advice there.

we can't offer much help without lots of pictures, and our advice might just confuse you...lots of opinions here
Welcome! we have a number of young mothers here who share your time constraints! I'm a childless cat lady, but when I worked full time, because I'm a morning person I always got out early and dedicated at least 15 minutes to a project. Amazing what you can get done with organization!

bearisgray

I second KalamaQuilt's advice.

It has been "waiting" for this long - another "while" won't hurt it any.

A lot has to do with the condition of the top - are the fabrics deteriorating? are the seams holding together? do you like it?

cjsews

I think it would depend on the quality of work GM did. Did she do quilt show quality or more average sewing? If not show quality, I would finish it and make her proud that it is finished. Back in her day quilts were most likely backed with muslin. I put together and quilted blocks my mother made that were 60 years old at the time. She was proud to have them put into a quilt. Also make sure you add a label acknowledging her work and yours

just my opinion on the subject

Mkotch

I finished off an old (maybe 50 years old at the time) quilt top a few years ago. All the blocks were embroidered. The first thing I did was wash it by hand with Oxyclean as it was quite stained. Then I repaired rips and tears by hand which involved some applique in a few places. I backed it with muslin as the top used muslin, quilted it simply in the sashing by machine, and matched the binding with the sashing. I put a hanging sleeve on the top - the recipient wasn't planning to put it on a bed. It was somewhat intense work but not that difficult. I guess it all depends on the top and the condition it's in. I agree - check with a few other quilters.

ibex94

Welcome Kimmy!!! Your great-great grandmother's quilt sounds like a wonderful project! Do you want to hang it on the wall after it is finished or use it on a bed? Are you going to hand quilt it or machine quilt it? A thin layer of cotton batting with muslin on the back is how it likely would have been finished. Do you have access to any other finished quilts to see how your g-g-g would have ordinarily finished the top? That being said, if you prefer to do something different -- go for it! You will be making your g-g-g proud no matter what.

The advice already given to take it to a guild meeting or quilt shop for evaluation is a good one. Please post some pictures so we can all enjoy the quilt, too!

Some say to keep the quilt top rolled so that you avoid the crease fraying that can happen while it is in storage. If you roll it, put a cotton sheet under it to add a touch of extra padding to protect the stitching. After making the log, you can gently curve it around to store it in a more compact space. Most folks just try to refold on different parts of the quilt when in storage. Keep it in an acid free environment -- not plasic box, not regular cardboard box.

Here is a website that might help with dealing with older quilts. https://antique-marks.com/antique-quilts.html

Thank you for coming into the quiltingboard! It is always a great place to get advice.

bjsmith57

Welcome from Arizona