I concur with all who have recommended taking this apart and starting with the completed top and finishing with a method the new quilter is comfortable doing. BUT FIRST, please tell the person who is asking you to finish this about your frustration with how the quilt is now and the finishing. The top is great but the owner should know the quilt as it is now presents some problems for you and what the finishing might require. The "fix" should not be a complete surprise to her. The top would still be the original. Perhaps the owner wants it to be all original and would rather have it as a UFO but, if she wants it finished, give her some options on how it might look if you do it with your own methods. It lets her have some input on "making the quilt" her own, too.

Man, that dark green flannel is going to fade big time! I would definitely take that off and wash it, since you probably don't know if it was prewashed. I would take out the stitching and start over with just the top. I always hate to come in on the second act on any project!

It's a toughy. I understand that you might want to preserve what quilting was done if it was hand quilting. If it was machine quilting I would forget it, take the quilt apart, check all seams on the top. (By the way, I love the top.) I couldn't tell for sure, but the back didn't seem straight with the top, maybe it was the way you moved it for the photo. If it isn't straight, you will never get it straight without taking it apart. You can't replace the batting without taking it apart, you'll have to judge how bad the batting is. In the end, it's a judgement call, you have the quilt in your hands. I think taking it apart and starting over with the top will give the best result. Agree with the person who said you should talk to the owner before doing that. Do they want a better quilt, or do they want everything preserved?

Unfortunately, I agree with the others: take it apart and redo. You'll save yourself frustration in the long run. Good luck and be sure and post pics as you go.

And once you make the decision to take it apart (are resigned to do it) it will go faster than you think. I recently took a lot of (my own) quilting out of a project and once I started, was glad I did it. Then you can move ahead doing it the way you know it should be done. You offered to finish it; it is now YOUR project, so do it the way you think best. Think of it this way: otherwise, it would still be lanquishing in a box somewhere, never to be finished.

Good luck!

I kind of agree with keeping it as it is and adding a new backing if the batting is preservable and finish quilting it the way it's been quilted and then just bind it. Slice the edges off and bind. I wouldn't want to change it too much. My sister died and left a few quilts in different stages and myself and a few of her friends "finished" them. We didn't undo any of her work. We were confused a little by some, but we managed to finish without changing anything too much and I'm glad we did it that way. Now I look at the quilts she made and I see "her" in them, not "us".

Pretty fabric and design....well, lots of good advice - happy quilting.

I echo this. Since the backing is flannel it will shrink when washed a lotttt. If you end up using the flannel, wash and dry it more than once. It will be loved and treasured when done.

piney

Agree, agree. It's about the love and memories. Honor the worker and her intentions as much as possible.