Quilting finished quilt question
 

Now that I have overcome my fear of FMQ, I want to quilt another one! My question is: Have you quilted on earlier quilts after they have been washed? My earlier quilts are literally large squares cut and then sewn back together in order to create a ditch in which to stitch. (I really did not know what I was doing.) Anyhoo, they are really plain to me now, and I started to wonder...

I don't see any reason why not. At times I have fixed some loose quilting that was pulling out on a quilt that had been washed many times by putting it in my sewing machine and going over that spot. Plus, a lot of quilters wash their fabric before they even start quilting, so it being washed isn't an issue.

The only thing I would watch is: if your backing and front is a little loose you might want to pin baste it in the area you are working on, as you go, to keep the backing from getting 'pinched' 'caught' and doubled or folded over while you quilt it.

Edited to add: nice quilt!

Nothing wrong with adding some new quilting on a finished quilt. The original quilting should hold everything in place for you to quilt some more on it. Have fun with your FMQ. It is kind of addictive. I love plain old stipple for the texture it creates.

Haven't done it, but can't see why it wouldn't work. Let us know how it turns out.

Sure go ahead. Why not make your early example shine a nicely as those you finished just a few days ago. I watched Pat Sloan add some quilting this week to a piece that she did years ago. Because of the lack of stitching on the large bear in the center of the quilt, the bear was beginning to sag. The link is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJDIYty2sxE Start at about 12 minutes. She gave a good tip to do a quick practice on a sample to get your quilting juices running again.

Happy quilting!

I re-quilted my daughter's quilt when it fell apart after many years. I cut off the tattered binding, layered a new backing right on top of the old one, machine quilted the whole thing (it was originally hand quilted) and then put on a new binding. All the fabric, both in the original quilt and in fabric added, was pre-washed, so there was no problem with shrinkage or any other issue. She was very happy that I could give new life to her old favorite. So, go for it!