Have you repaired old antique quilts?

This afternoon my mom brought over 3 old quilts that my grandma made and they need repaired. My grandma died a day after I was born as she lived long enough to know that she had a granddaughter. I am now 54 years old, so you can figure how old the quilts are so now I need to find some old fabrics.

My dad is now 81 years old and was his mom that made these quilts

I will also be watching this board. i to have a beautiful star that my Grandmother did over 50 years ago. All pain stakingly cut and pieced by hand. It was never completed and one of my life desires was to learn to quilt so I could finish it. I started quilting a month ago and so far I love it! It is my sanity time! LOL

Crafty, can you post pics??

yes, when hubby gets home will have him to help me lay the quilts out and post pictures

Everything I have read in articles from antique fabric appraisers was never to cut or replace the fabric in a rare or cherished old quilt. You sew bridal tulle over the rips, shredded, and worn areas.

If you can find some old clothes that are about the same vintage as the quilt, you can cut them up to use as replacement fabric. Goodwill maybe? Estate sales or yard sales, maybe?

The old clothes should be a good match for the old quilt. That is how I have repaired old quilts.

I know what the "experts" say, but I guarantee that someone along the way will toss old quilts in bad condition, I have seen it time and again, so.....I vote to fix them.
Make tracing paper templates of the pieces that are needed and find fabrics that are similar in feel and tone to the damaged ones. Applique these over the damaged ones. If whole blocks are shot, make a new one and applique it over top of the old one and hand quilt it if needed. THEN make a label that states that the original maker was ______and that the restoration work was by granddaughter_________. This makes them double valuable to family members, and if somebody 100 years from now wants to put it in their museum, they have the information, and can unsew your work if they desire.

Good for you. This is in the finest tradition of quilting, they were often done by different generations, sometimes working together, or, in your case, over time. It makes it a real treasure.
My quilting grandmother died before I was born, and I never even saw a quilt she made. Makes me sad.

I agree. I usually look on ebay for what they call cutter quilts or quilt tops that way I can take them apart and use the vintage fabric for repairs on the quilts. Also estate sales for the old clothes since so many were made from leftover fabric after making the families clothes.

the part about sewing tulle over damaged parts is for museum quality quilts, I think. This is a family heirloom that the family wants to use and love.
Crafty, you are the same age as me!! Quiltstodo has given you some good advice. When I was doing work like this I kept a stock of junky tops just for the fabric, could usually find something to match.