I learned recently that a quilt is dated by it's newest fabric/materials, so if you are trying to preserve it's antique-ness then try and find old fabric to match.

I personally think do whatever bring you/her the most joy.

Wow -- what a beautiful gift!! I would get it finished however I could afford to get it done! :D

That is a treasure! I agree with others who said it looks like 30s/40s fabric and the stitches are very nice. However you decide to finish it will be wonderful, finished is better than perfect.

Maybe ask around the senior centers in your area. I know that sometimes senior centers will have hand quilting groups, that often hand quilt for hire, often quite inexpensively.

In my little opinion, I beleive if you had it machine quilted,, it would take away from the beauty of the hard work that the person did. Sorry if this offends anyone,, It is a beautiful piece,, I love to hand quilt,,,

Not experienced enough to comment on the quilting but the fabrics remind me of 60's. The minute I saw them I was reminded of my grandma.

I don't believe that is true. I have seen beautifully repaired quilts from the 1880's, and they are still "antique" even with the recent repairs. I think if it has several decades of different fabrics in the original quilt, then you could date it by the newest fabrics. But as far as repairs, I don't believe that is the case.

The fabrics in this quilt are most certainly mostly from the 30's, with a few from the early 40s. Most people don't think there were "modern" prints in the 30's, but there really were some quite modern looking fabrics back then.

I see one fabric that I would put as early 50's, but all the rest look like 30's or 40's. There were lots of very modern fabrics in the 30's and 40's, but there is a black with circles that looks really 50's to my eye. I collect and love mid-mod fabrics. I would say its a quilt made in the early 50's or late late 40's, with earlier fabrics as well. It's beautiful. Quilting it will actually help to preserve it and stabilize it. What a great find!

If you have to choose between getting it machine quilted or not quilting it at all I would machine quilt it. Hand quilting would be beautiful but I'm sure it's maker wants it to be finished.

I agree 30's and 40's fabric. If your going to finish it I would hand piece and quilt by hand. I have restore and finish old quilts that way. Sometimes I left at is and preserve them.