Originally Posted by momymom
Before you do anything to this quilt, make yourself a reproduction of it. Exact scale. You will have the new quilt to remember your ggm with. I'm against cutting up an old quilt. You could find a museum to donate it to and preserve for future generations.
I understand your feelings but museums don't take quilts in this condition. What I would do with this is fold it up in such a way that the worst of the damage is hidden and the rest can be displayed, such as in a quilt rack or on the back of a chair or couch, or even across a dresser. Then you could enjoy it's vintage ambiance without exposing it to further deterioration.
If you tried to wash it, I'm sure you would have nothing left-- just a washer load of lint! :-(