Suggestions re: quilt in progress
 

My Mom began a brightly colored calico Dresden plate quilt for me in 1979 and would like to have me finish it. She hand sewed many plates on a thin muslin type of fabric, leaving almost no edge of fabric on some of the pieces. Any recommendations on how to attach these together? It is difficult because I cannot sew neatly by hand, and feel bad to think of machine stitching when so much of the quilt has been done by hand.

I'll be getting this project in a month or so; it is not possible to post photos presently.

If the ( original) background is a thin muslin why not start with larger better muslin squares. Then you will have more to work with. Then you could machine stitch the squares together. Dresden plates are often hand pieced, appliquéd, then the squares machine pieced together

Sounds like you could applique the 'plates' on squares then sew them together or add sashing strips. You might not want to keep the muslin fabric if it won't wear well. Have fun finishing and enjoy mom's work!

My suggestion is to finish with the method that will result in the best construction.

30 years ago my husband's grandmother died, and left a quilt's worth of Maple leaf blocks. She had cut the sashing and even had a graph paper with her design, showing she meant for them to be set on point. She had them packed away in such a way that made us think they were from the 40's or 50's.

All I had to buy was the batting and an outside border fabric.
All the blocks were already hand stiched, and I machine pieced it together according to her design.

I decided on hand quilting it, using Perle cotton in colors that coorcinated with each color of leaf. I found a mewthd online called 'Big Stitch'

I did not feel bad in the least using my machine, I considered it more of a way to respect her handstitching, knowing I could not do as well as she did.

All her blocks were uniform in size but I think to enlarge a Dresdan, I'd probably unstitch it a little, and add just enough background fabric to attach a sashing. I'd stitch the dresdan back on (this is one area I'd hand stitch), and let it be a detail of the quilt that 'tells a story.'