francie yuhas

I would machine quilt a baptist fan pattern...very traditional for that era.

PaperPrincess

A summer quilt has a backing, but no batting, so you would finish the edges the same as you would a quilt with a batt: separate binding or bring the backing to the front. summer quilts are also quilted to keep the 2 layers from shifting.

Geri B

beat me to it! My thought too........can also be hand quilted in the baptist fan design, if preferred.

Jan in VA

IF you chose to machine quilt it, I wonder if using an extremely lightweight fusible interfacing to the whole top, on the back side, would help it. I had to do this with a quilt I was commissioned to make of some African non-cotton fabrics. It did not noticeably affect the finished product when used with a lightweight cotton batting.

Jan in VA

Janan

As usual, great suggestions. I definitely will not tie it, now that I have such good advice. And thank you for helping me also understand that the quilt top is not fragile. The fabric is just thin.

To add to the mix, what is the best idea for the backing? A print like one of the triangles?

illinois

Another vote for hand quilting. I'd wonder if some of the maneuvering of multiple stitches by machine would be too much for the vintage fabric. How would your mother-in-law have finished the quilt?

popover

Again, traditionally, it would have a white or ecru muslin backing.

lwbuchholz

I am with Jan I think I would face it with another fabric to give it strength. I have some quilt blocks that are made of thin fabrics and they are a problem to work with and I think if the thin fabric had to support the stitching of the quilting it might tear. With an interfacing that would take some of the strain of the quilting stitches.
Lynda

Wanabee Quiltin

I have bought many fragile vintage quilt tops. I sent them to a long arm person who did a lovely panto on them. They are perfect now but I do not wash or use them to wrap up in, they are mainly decorative on my bed. I did wash them once after they were finished. and some I had to wash before they were quilted because they were either dirty or smelled badly. Good luck.

Ellen 1

I have never seen anyone use tulle for a large quilt. It is used on small-art type quilts to hold down tiny pieces so they don't fall off. Also, the tulle would be very "scratchy" if the quilt was actually used. As for your quilt, I would quilt it as if it were not "fragile". I also quilt vintage quilts and I use a longarm. (I quilt heavily).

One of my first "old" (1950's) quilt was difficult to quilt and a "learning lesson". I had heard that you should put interfacing on the back of the top because it is "fragile". I did this. There were a lot of problems with keeping the quilt straight, not quilting in puckers, etc. and the interfacing made it difficult to make any corrections. So....I do not recommend doing that either.

Ellen