Grandma's quilt
 

I was given a box that contained a quilt that my grandmother and her 5 sisters put together when they were young. The box was kept on the floor of an old shed - the quilt is in sad shape. I do hand quilting and want to begin repairing and restoring this. Fabric is pretty worn, thin and very stained in places. I'm looking for ideas on removing the stains.

I think you need to repair it first and then attempt to remove the stains. There are plenty of previous post if you use the Advance search (located in the green bar to the far right). Good Luck and welcome to the board.

I haven't used it yet, but Cindy Needham recommends Retro Clean for cleaning vintage fabrics. Depending on the stage of construction, I would try to clean the fabrics first. If it still looks really sad, don't feel like you have to finish the project. Keep it in its present state (although cleaned up a bit) or give it a proper burial. Not all projects have to be finished, as evidenced by the 6 sisters leaving this one in a box for all those years. Perhaps you could save just parts of the quilt and quilt and frame them as gifts to other family members.

I agree with dunster. We have to give ourselves permission to not save everything.
Using pieces of it for family members is a good idea. :thumbup:

I'm with Dunster. Frame the salvageable parts and get rid of the rest. Then move on to something fun.

Try retro clean...just soak fabric in a tub with the retroclean...sometimes it takes 5 days. I have ironed a light weight fusible on the back of fragile fabrics...and then carried on. Sounds as if this will be a wall hanging.

Something's just can't be salvaged. But what about recycling into ornaments. Like a mitten or Christmas shape? Calla

Retro Clean for the stains is the way to go, as others have said. I used it in a plastic storage bin and placed it outdoors in the sun (needs heat to be activated). I did one quilt, then another, then another...using the same water and solution. While the cost seemed high, being able to get all the stains out of all the projects that needed attention was worth it.

Good advice on cleaning the stained quilt.

The older I get, the more I am thinking that some things are beyond repair and not worth the time, effort, and/or expense of trying to save them.

Most quilts are not holy relics to be saved at any cost.