David, so many others have made good suggestions about fixing your quilt and I'm certain you can do it. The love from your grandmother is still in it. and it will be all the more special because you are able to do this. God bless and chin up. It is fixable and you are able.

David - you've gotten a lot of good advice here. You'll get the tear fixed, and no matter what, the quilt will still always be your treasure from Granny!

I feel your pain, David. Perhaps if none of the suggestions are successful, you could cut off the torn part and make the quilt smaller. It looks as though the tear is near the edge. I know it would break your heart to do it but it might be the only think that works.

To preserve the quilt where it is torn, I would probably use some lightweight fusible interfacing to reinforce it.
Straighten out the damaged part as much as you can to fill the empty area,add a little thin batting to fill in the empty area, doing this from the wrong side,lay a piece of fusible interfacing over it, protect your ironing board with pressing paper or typing paper and gently drop your iron on the interfacing, don't iron, just put it down one step at a time to hold the damaged area together.
With muslin or patchwork made from faded clothing, make a new area and stitch it over the damaged part and for your own sake, think of Grandma whenever you see this area. If you wish, you could put a new piece of cloth on the back where the interfacing is. Hand or machine stitch the repairs and hand quilt or tie the new fabric through all surfaces. That is how I would fix it. I have a quilt my grandmother made me in 1934 and I have to repair the top edge, we used it lovingly. Having it brings her back every time I see the quilt and yours will too.

Carol J.

too bad - I think that you could find a matching or close to the same type of fabric and construct a simular block.

I agree with red madder. Also once you have it closed as best you can with mostly basting see if replacing a patch or two might look better. Or maybe some kind of thin wonder under type reinforcement behind the repair might help. There are people who repair old quilts ask the closest quilt museum to you for recommend someone. Your grand ma's love for you is what will never change or wear out. Thats way more important than any thing else. Diane C

Hi Dave, I am a newbie, saw your problem. You have my sympathy. I was wondering about using that area to put a label with the info about who made it and when. Maybe put some batting behind it and use some muslin, tea stained to look older. Just a thought. Good luck

David this was my first inclination too. It seems like you got some wonderful options and ideas. I am so sorry this happened.

Isn't it amazing how the Lord works? Bless you David and Debbie and all the wonderful folks on this site! I 'm sooo glad I found it!

David
Do you know the name of the pattern so you can get some templates?

Hope this gets fixed pronto.... in the meantime... hugs and think about how many people here care.

David...All is not lost. Remember that your patch in the quilt will now become a part of its history. Good luck with your patching and matching.

I repaired one of my girlfriend's quilts that her grand had made for her. It was so worn thru the fabric & batting & backing. Luckily it near an end. So I took the binding off that end & around the sides. Then cut off the quilt to where the holes were ( it was probably half a block) & sewed the binding back on. It was a long quilt so was very usable afterwards. Hopefully the hole in yours is towards an end. Being you're in a wheelchair, it might be an easier size for you. Hope this helps & good luck.

You are a dear. Kudos to you and many hugs!

I just read what happened to your quilt. So sorry that happened. I might have some of this material. If you take a picture of the good fabric I can go thru my vintage fabric and see if it matches as some of it looks like some I have.

Best way I can see is to put a false/new square of batting into the quilt and salvage what you can. Try to use some old shirts which may match in. You could put interfacing under the material and iron it to the fusible interfacing, but it may require more extensive quilting to hold it in place.

good directions. just what I would do.

David, I too, am in a wheel chair and sew. My remendy for your quilt is to take apart each layer in that spot and rebuild it just like on a new quilt when an error has been made.It don't have to be perfect but look good yes. I would repair the top first. You got lots to consult with.
Cut new blocks the best you can and reattach them. Press.
Next reline it with as close as you can. Then replace the torn bottom layer with whatever color remains in the quilt.
Then had place the binding. Retye it and your back in business. I been there and did the above method. Lasted anothe 20 years.Need help you can contact me. ShirleyAnne

Oh my gosh.

Hang in there David! Just be a little patient.

So sorry for you, I just don't know what to say! Thinking of you!♥

I got 2 of my baby blankets and 2quilts that my grangmother made over 70 years ago so badly falling apart that I forever made them live on inside of quilts I made.

Hope you are able to fix it or get it fix...I wish you the best...

i agree just get a matching material if you can and hand sew it together with your older material i wouldnt worry about alot of batting i would just use material to bind it together

Really all I can offer is sympthy and the hope that you will get it repaired in time. It does sound like you have some good advise. I myself am fairly new to quilting. I've made 2 quilts at this point. Good luck.

Sometimes I have to put something away until I decide what to do about it. Don't give up on it..

David, I know this seemed unrepairable when you first posted the tragedy but I hope now you feel much more hopeful of returning your quilt to many years of continued service. Help is just posting away here! I'm a former MA resident of 40 yrs. we New Englander's never give up we're related to some of the most unique people this country has ever had. :thumbup:

Sorry to hear about the quilt dilemma...I am sure Debbie will be able to mend it beautifully. Would love to see a pic of the whole quilt...like many others here I love old quilts, especially those made with lots of love, like yours so obviously is. Chin up and happy quilting.

I'm sorry this happened. It would make me sick, too. I repaired a couple of old quilts for someone about 20 years ago, not having a clue what I was doing. I found some material (some of it ended up being from diapers!) that matched fairly well, and I more or less appliqued it over the worn and torn spots. No one could tell where it was patched. The batting was mostly in place with those, however. Good luck, and I hope you'll post pictures and a tutorial on what you did to fix it. It would help so many others of us here!

I have repaired some antique quilts. Usually I fix and applique a matching piece/square over the small hole that is torn. I completed a repair similar to yours twice. In this case, first you need to stabilize the front, batting and back. As the lower blocks in the patch are nearly shredded and fibers are exposed, I would not whip stitch it, as the thread will be stronger that the antique fibers and will cause more damage. Gently pick/cut out any quilting around the torn space. Then I would smooth the layers, place a light MistyFuse on top of the back, between the back and batting, and another on top of the batting, between the batting and front. Fuse with an iron. MistyFuse is an ultra light, paperless fusible. After that your block should lie fairly flat. I would then hand stitch (use only matching silk thread-very light) a very basic design (poke stitch - up and down so as not to stretch fibers) meant to hold the three fused layers together. Do not hoop, just stitch. It will be forever weak in that spot and should be treated with extra care. Good luck
Johanna in WI

Oh David, I am so sorry this happened. Looks like you are dealing with two things: a really bad tear and very old fabric. I have a couple of quilts that didn't receive an injury but just are falling apart with age and wear that are family heirlooms. I have them put up...don't know anything else to do. Again, so sorry.

the archival way to repair and restore is this:

lay it out as flat as possible. wherever the batting missing, pat in thin layers to bring it up to the level of the remaining batting.
we're still keeping it flat. layer tulle (netting) over the holes or the weak places that are apt to tear in the near future. think of this as the framework. the rest of the quilt will hang onto this. with teeny stitches, do a running stitch all around the torn places, not pulling, but butting the edges up against each other as best you can. we're still working on the first side, but it doesn't matter if the stitches go through to the other side. don't make big stitches. they'll get caught again. after the edges have been sewn, start stitching inside the weak places or torn palaces. you'll end up with a rewoven area, loosely filled with small stitches. flip it over and repeat. drink some wine.

trim away any excess tulle there may be along the outside edges and patch the torn areas with soft fabric as close in color as possible to the original.
as long as it's soft it doesn't have to be old. faded is good, but old will be weak. the tulle on the inside will allow the quilt to hold onto something without putting all it's weight on the weak, old fabric around the tear. the patches will cover the tear and the tulle. make your stitches as small as you can.

remember, this is a loved quilt. it's done it's job. it won't last forever. eventually it will be beyond repair. start loving a new quilt.

That is what to do. Take it apart and re-make that section of the quilt. Don't panic! The quilt will tell you what new/old pieces you will need.

David I think I may offer some help to you. I have done repairs on quilts. I just finished with one. First there are 2 options to consider. First can you see enough of the other pieces to cut some material to sew over the torn pieces? It need not be new so as to keep in with the other blocks. Maybe some retro of 4os style material For white in the older quilt they used unbleached muslin. Get a good grade of this if you can. Pin the prepared pieces over where the tear is I like to prepare the top first. After you add the prints and color to that part torn Hand sew this in plac. Turn the quilt over. You can cut smaller pieces of low loft batting and place it where the old batting was. Just in the torn area. Now I could not see what kind of backing was originaly there. If you have too you can replace the whole backing. After it pleases you ,pin in place Now check the edges. If they are okay Then begins you journey of hand quilting. Maybe you can get some volunteers near you to help. Idone one that had been in a fire and did not have to replace all of the back. I then hand quilted the repaired parts in the same design the quilter had used. When these people came to pick it up He cried as it was made by his GM. I asked a small fee asI felt it was more important he have his quilt. He sent his daughter back with more money and he gave me 2 1/2 times what I asked.
Can I send #2 idea in another post?

Debbie as we know our quilt family has probably got scraps that may match any he has to replace . I would be glad to go through mine to ceck and see. The pattern looks like it may of been an Inproved 9 Patch. Where the corners of the 9 patch come to a sort of point. There seems to be turquoise and some white like shirting. An old pair of pillow case from Goodwill could furnish some maybe the right weight and softness. We can all use this as an oppertunity to help a fellow quilter.

Sorry, Im a day behind reading the posts so you may be feeling better today, I hope. I too am disabled with a pain disease and clinical depression. Do not let this get you down. We have enough that gets us down. Your sweet grandmother would just tell you not to worry about it. I hope that you have found the answers you needed. You got alot of good responses. the quilt on my bed was my first ever quilt and our beagle slept with us on it for over 9 yrs and completely wore out 2 of the squares. I found some scraps and remade them by putting in a new square of batting and then whip stitching the blocks back and on the back I did the same with a new block. Then I requilted on top of them. Noone can tell. I pray that God will send his angels to comfort you and your quilt will be just fine.

When he gets it to me, if he doesn't decide to take it on himself with all the wonderful advice on here, I will look at it and then see. I have old pillowcases too and older scraps. Will have to see it up close and personal to see. Thanks♥♥

As you pin the pieces back together as well as possible, maybe try using some 505 Basting Spray to hold them since that may be less stressful on the old fabrics than pins...?
or even some fusible webbing to hold them until you can requilt them to the reinforcing fabrics behind them that were suggested here.
Bless you for loving that wonderful old work of art so much!

Please post photos of your restoration, too, because we all care and appreciate your frame of mind over the damage.

I would unpick the square and try to find fabric similar colors. Make the block(Sandwiched) and hand stitch it into place. Do the back first then whip stitch tiny stitches on the front. Please let us know how it goes.

Oh David, I just got back from a computerless vacation. Your story hurts my heart. But...you did get some great suggestions from out lovely quilting boarders...please keep us posted on which method you use and the outcome. It will be an inspiration to all us newbies...