I've had more than one vintage quilt that used newspaper as a foundation. So naturally I tried it, removing the paper after the string quilt was pieced. Those little bits of newsprint kept turning up everywhere, even in my clothes. After that I use cheap muslin or even poly fabric for the foundation.
And I just have to say it. The antique quilts we find were stored and never washed and used rarely. Jane Stickley's quilt would have disintegrated if she had used it.