SusieQOH

What a treasure!
I would just drape it on a ladder, chair etc and enjoy it. Agree not to let dogs or cats use it!
To be honest I think the amount of time needed to repair it wouldn't be worth it.

Also- if you have children to pass it on to I would write down everything about it for them. That's what I'm doing with things I want my kids to have. One of them requested it so now I do it for everything. Example- I have a pendant that belonged to my great grandmother that I'm going to leave to my granddaughter. It came from Italy, as did my great grandmother. So many details get lost over generations so I wrote down everything and will include it with the pendant.

ibex94

Do you have a spare bed that you can spread it out on to leave until the next guest arrives? Don't let it be used as a quilt in case it is less intact than it looks. Hand appliqueing patches to the worn out patches is not that hard to do. If those occasional patches is all that has worn out on the quilt, practicing your applique technique will be easy if it is spread out on a bed to ease the weight of the quilt. Getting replacement fabric is as easy as getting an old feedsack print that you like or even a solid color print (matching the tone of one of the colors in the quilt -- nothing brighter!) to make it easier for future generations to see where their relative repaired the quilt.

Your great great grandmother is very happy that you have intentions for this wonderfully made double wedding ring quilt!

cashs_mom

That's an awesome idea Susie! My mom did that with a lot of old family pictures. I would never have know who any of the people were in them if she hadn't. I love this way of passing family stories on to the next generation.

Gemm

What a treasure! I would definitely put it somewhere you can see it but where it won't get worn out by use or sun damage or anything like that. How lucky you are to have it and I'm sure your predecessors would love to think you cherish it like you obviously do. :-)

materialworld

I think this quilt is beautiful and such a wonderful legacy. If I were you, I'd replace the worn fabric with similar fabrics and hand sew the pieces in place. Then you will have added to your family's quilting story. What a treasure! I'd display in a prominent place, but not use.

beckyboo1

I have an old quilt I believe was pieced by my great great grandmother. There are some rust-looking spots on it and a hole in it. I choose not to change it or alter it. I like that it looks well used and loved. I couldn't possibly add anything to it that would look different than the original fabrics.
You've gotten lots of opinions and ideas. I'd give yourself time to think about it then go with your gut. It's a beautiful quilt!