I have one of my baby quilts that was embroidered by one grandmother and quilted by the other. That quilt withstood years of use when I was a baby and again with all 4 of my children. Yes, it shows signs of wear now. Some of the embroidery has faded, but most of the wear is in the fabrics used for sashing and border. My point is that I wouldn't worry too much about the embroidered squares. They are probably no more fragile than the rest of the quilt.