Well I've read through this whole posting... IMHO quilts are made to be used even to the point of using up. There is too much work for me to consider repairing something that could only be looked at. I get that it is interesting to have something very old made by someone maybe very precious to you ...
Mom kept two quilts made by her mother all through her marriage and never used them. They were given to me when mom passed... I kept looking at them and finally figured that grandma made them to be used and that she didn't put that much work into something to be looked at. One was a log cabin and the other a double wedding ring - both from scraps. I'm proud to say I used them up and thought of grandma everyday.