Old Quilt
 

Hello,
I remember growing up my mom had a quilt in the closet, and I recently asked her if she could send it to me. It's a lot older than I realized, and I was surprised to see it was much more yellow/brown than I'd remembered. My great great grandmother made it as a wedding gift for my grandmother. I used retro clean to soak it and that took a lot of the residue and old smell out. But now that I see how worn it is, I'm not sure if I should be using it in my home as a throw (which was the intention). I have a sewing machine but don't know how to use it. Is it bad to add wear and tear to such an old quilt? Should I treat it more like an heirloom and try to preserve it? That seems like a bit of a waste to me. It's just been sitting in a cedar chest or closet since I was a little kid (and I'm 44). Any thoughts on the matter from all of you with quilting experience? Thanks!

I am a believer in using those quilts. If they were meant to be heirlooms they should be in a museum. Can you pick out the damaged pieces and hand sew new ones in place?

This is a family heirloom. Perhaps it's not worthy of museum display but certainly worthy of the tlc of something made as a special gift by your grandmother's grandmother on your grandparents' special day. To use it routinely and put it through everyday use and repeated laundry probably will not be the best thing for it. Do bring it out to display and enjoy in your home but use it gently and remember these women who went before you. No doubt the quilt was hand pieced and hand quilted so a lot of time, skill and love went into making it. And apparently it has been protected through the years as something of family importance. Treat it with care.
And by the way--does it have a label so anyone who sees it in years to come will understand its significance?

I have a sewing machine (with table) that I picked up at a yard sale about 10-15 years ago. I used the table for a TV stand for all of those years. About 3 months ago, I pulled it out to see if I could get it working. I knew almost nothing about sewing, but I watched a bunch of youtube videos on sewing machine repair, and got it going.

My partner does a lot of quilting, so I thought "I could probably do that..." Well, I did a placemat that turned out pretty well, so next I did a full tablerunner and placemat set that turned out even better. I just finished my first full size quilt top!

I'm saying this because, you might find that if you pull out that sewing machine, add a little oil, watch a few youtube videos - you'll really enjoy it! At the very least, you'll really appreciate what your great-great grandmother did. And I agree - I'd use that quilt, and then repair it when you learn how... It's a truly beautiful quilt!

What a beauty! Use it gently and enjoy would be my vote.

I would display it on a shelf or throw on the back of a sofa, but not use it. It's beautiful! and so special - a wedding ring quilt given as a wedding present.

If used do so gently.

Do not let the kids use it for a tent or let the cats or dogs on it. Those claws are hard on fragile fabrics.

It is beautiful.

Your story should be an inspiration to many.

I'm going to add to my earlier comment. Seeing the torn/missing pieces indicates that the quilt indeed has been used and loved in the past. Look closer. Are those pieces "brown"? It seems the dyes of the past for brown have not held up well over the years. I don't know that you will want to fix that quilt if there is a lot to be done. I'd simply fold it so those aren't as noticeable and display it in my home. It does indicate that the family has loved it and used it through the years.
I notice that my daughter has hung the worn quilt from her childhood on a wall rack, tatters and all. Memories on display!

What a treasure!
I would just drape it on a ladder, chair etc and enjoy it. Agree not to let dogs or cats use it!
To be honest I think the amount of time needed to repair it wouldn't be worth it.

Also- if you have children to pass it on to I would write down everything about it for them. That's what I'm doing with things I want my kids to have. One of them requested it so now I do it for everything. Example- I have a pendant that belonged to my great grandmother that I'm going to leave to my granddaughter. It came from Italy, as did my great grandmother. So many details get lost over generations so I wrote down everything and will include it with the pendant.

Do you have a spare bed that you can spread it out on to leave until the next guest arrives? Don't let it be used as a quilt in case it is less intact than it looks. Hand appliqueing patches to the worn out patches is not that hard to do. If those occasional patches is all that has worn out on the quilt, practicing your applique technique will be easy if it is spread out on a bed to ease the weight of the quilt. Getting replacement fabric is as easy as getting an old feedsack print that you like or even a solid color print (matching the tone of one of the colors in the quilt -- nothing brighter!) to make it easier for future generations to see where their relative repaired the quilt.

Your great great grandmother is very happy that you have intentions for this wonderfully made double wedding ring quilt!

That's an awesome idea Susie! My mom did that with a lot of old family pictures. I would never have know who any of the people were in them if she hadn't. I love this way of passing family stories on to the next generation.

What a treasure! I would definitely put it somewhere you can see it but where it won't get worn out by use or sun damage or anything like that. How lucky you are to have it and I'm sure your predecessors would love to think you cherish it like you obviously do. :-)

I think this quilt is beautiful and such a wonderful legacy. If I were you, I'd replace the worn fabric with similar fabrics and hand sew the pieces in place. Then you will have added to your family's quilting story. What a treasure! I'd display in a prominent place, but not use.

I have an old quilt I believe was pieced by my great great grandmother. There are some rust-looking spots on it and a hole in it. I choose not to change it or alter it. I like that it looks well used and loved. I couldn't possibly add anything to it that would look different than the original fabrics.
You've gotten lots of opinions and ideas. I'd give yourself time to think about it then go with your gut. It's a beautiful quilt!