What a story behind that top!! So sad for those 2 women, and so nice they did something together :)
I really wouldn't want to see it machine quilted but that's if I owned it.
What a treasure!! :D Glad you are enjoying it.

I agree that if you don't hand quilt, you should hire someone to hand quilt it rather than machine quilt it. Just a personal preference for a quilt this old to have it quilted as would have been done in that period. Congratulations on this wonderful find!

I have many vintage tops that I will leave unquilted. I like being able to see the back as well as the front. But that is a personal choice and you should do what would make you feel best.

:thumbup: i agree

If I decided to quilt it, I would handquilt. I'm not a handquilter myself, but I have had a vintage top handquilted by a Menonite lady. It's costly, so if that isn't an option, I would leave it as is. It's beautiful just the way it is and what a wonderful story behind it.

A marvelous treasure and a great story behind it. (sad one but one that carries precious hours of healing between the two women who worked together a stitch at a time) A great name for the Quilt... "Healing a Stitch at a Time" :)

If I remember correctly, Eddie on this board quilted several vintage quilt tops. He might have some insight for you if you PM'd him.

for sure finish it! perhaps you could have an old fashioned quilting bee with some friends and get it hand quilted that way. i would sure love to be involved in a project like that! make a nice label with all the info you have about the quilt to really add to it! :-) what a treasure!

I would contact a quilt appraiser and ask her/him what they think about having it machine quilted or handquilted. It was a lot of work putting it together by hand and I say you have a real treasure.

Agreed. Something so old and hand pieced should be hand quilted. If you don't want to, I'm sure you could have someone do it for you.