What do I do with antique quilt Tops?
 

I lost my mom 10 y ears ago, and recently unpacked a storage unit of her belongings, and discovered some quilts I didn't know she had
...
1. A quilt top that was made by my grandma in 1932 or 33 - mom's note said it was made before she was 1yo (she was born in '32).

2. My great grandma started a sunbonnet sue quilt for mom when she was about 4 (1936) - there are probably 12 complete 16/18" blocks, and six "blank" blocks. The quilt blocks are obviously heavy flour sack material.

3. I found three additional quilts from the early 30s (judging by the fabrics in comparison to the aforementioned two quilt tops)

What do I do with the quilt top? Should I get backing/batting and let a professional LA quilt it for me, and keep it? It's pieced by hand, and has some brown spots here/there (rust spots, I think they're called)? Or, should I have a quilt appraiser look at it first?

The Sunbonnet Sue - I have the pattern pieces. Should I create my own appliques and finish the remaining blocks, and assemble the quilt - or? (Open to ideas!)

The three other quilts ... They still smell like mom's house. I love them for the sentimental value. Should I have them appraised and insured in the event of an accident? In 2015, a huge tree crashed through the middle of my home, nearly totaling the house, causing me to lose pretty much everything I owned. I would've lost these quilts if they hadn't been in a storage unit with mom's other things.

Thank you in advance. I'm new to quilting - started my first quilt in March and finished last night, so I want to make sure I do due diligence preserving these old beauties for my daughter (My boys will likely not care about them).

nina

I have a top that was made by my grandmother in the 30's. I'm going to have it quilted by my long armer. I am going to use muslin for the back and 100% cotton batting to keep things more authentic. After it's quilted I will see to the stains. As far as the Sunbonnet Sue's I would frame them and hang them together. I'd be worried sick trying to sew that old fabric myself.

I wouldn't personally bother with an appraiser. Unless the quilts have some sort of historical significance, the chance of them being "valuable" is small. The real value is in the connection those quilts have to your family. Since you're a new quilter, why not hang onto everything for a while? As your skills progress, you may find that you want to finish the pieces yourself, whether by hand or machine. At any rate you will learn more about the craft of quilting and will be better equipped to decide how to handle these heirlooms.

I would suggest not having them machine quilted. You should stick with the way it would have been in the 30's which is to have it hand quilted. I don't know if you have Amish out your way but they do a great job. I would use the muslin which they would have used back then. Also the quilting should be what was in then too. Of course, I am only suggesting this. Have fun with them. Make sure to have them labeled accordingly.

What you have found is a treasure from your mother to you. Value is most likely in the sentiment. I'm guessing, because of the age, they are, at best, double bed size. So, (1) pick the one or two you like the best and pay to have a LA quilt them for you. (cost would be $100 - 200) depending on how it's quilted --i.e. all-over design or free form. Enjoy them. Though i agree hand quilting would be wonderful, I question the costs. Remember, if your mother was making that quilt today, she certainly would have machine quilted it if she'd known how. These tops would have been made and finished to be used.

Pick one the "play with". Either try FMQ or hand quilting if you'd like. If you put them away, there is always that chance they'll get lost or forgotten. What a shame that would be.

Enjoy the connection to your mother and her labors of love for her family. That's the treasure.

Those quilts deserve to be quilted and enjoyed. If you want to hand quilt them, go for it. If you don't want to hand quilt them, sending them to a LA is a great plan, or learn to machine quilt them yourself. The important thing is to finish and enjoy them rather than letting them go to waste in storage. Congratulations on your wonderful treasures.

I second this.

I agree with this.

I agree with Dunster, hang onto them for a while. If an idea comes up to use at a later date, you can decide then. I "inherited" a few UFO's from a friend's mom. I finished three of them for her and her sister and the rest I didn't. Older fabrics decay and they just couldn't hold up to modern usage and washing in a machine. An appraisal isn't necessary.

I agree with Dunster!