I have a sewing machine (with table) that I picked up at a yard sale about 10-15 years ago. I used the table for a TV stand for all of those years. About 3 months ago, I pulled it out to see if I could get it working. I knew almost nothing about sewing, but I watched a bunch of youtube videos on sewing machine repair, and got it going.
My partner does a lot of quilting, so I thought "I could probably do that..." Well, I did a placemat that turned out pretty well, so next I did a full tablerunner and placemat set that turned out even better. I just finished my first full size quilt top!
I'm saying this because, you might find that if you pull out that sewing machine, add a little oil, watch a few youtube videos - you'll really enjoy it! At the very least, you'll really appreciate what your great-great grandmother did. And I agree - I'd use that quilt, and then repair it when you learn how... It's a truly beautiful quilt!