There is something very satisfying about restoring an old quilt, especially if the quilt has a special place in someone's life.
I did this a couple of years ago for a family who had lost their 18-yr-old daughter in a car accident. She also happened to be my youngest daughter's best friend. The girl had been given an old quilt by her mother when she was very young. It was one of her most prized possessions. It went everywhere with her and she literally loved it to pieces. The quilt was in the car the night of her accident. It was found dirty, torn and wet with rain and blood. Some well-meaning person put it in the washer and dryer before returning it to the family. You can imagine the shape it was in when I got hold of it.
I spent weeks on that quilt, carefully picking out fabrics that came as close as I could get to the ones I needed to replace. I prewashed and re-washed, and even "faded" a few of the new fabrics with a mild bleach solution so they would look and feel worn like the rest of the quilt. Fortunately the quilt was made up of only two different shaped patches, so I traced each one and made a plastic template, then cut dozens of new patches, adding about a 3/8" seam allowance all the way around. Then I sat and needle-turn appliqued all those new patches over the torn pieces. I think I counted once and I had replaced over 1/4 of the quilt. In some places I had to cut a piece of batting to fit where it had completely worn away and baste that in place before I put the applique patch on. Strangely, the backing fabric was completely intact. I hand-quilted the new patches following the quilting pattern in the rest of the quilt, then unstitched and replaced the entire original binding.
This was a true labor of love. It was nit-picking and tedious, but the process was therapeutic for me and for my daughter as I worked on it. This girl had been almost like one of my own children through the years. It was an unforgettable feeling when I was able to hand the restored quilt back to her parents. I know it is a comfort to them and to Heather's sisters in her absence. It was the greatest compliment to my hard work when her mom told me she couldn't tell the new patches from the old. It looked just like Heather's quilt.
One other suggestion. Be sure to take before and after photos, and even of the progress. I did not and I really regret it.