Old quilt: identification and restoration input appreciated
 

Dear Quilters: I'm sorry to intrude upon your forum but I wonder if you have any input for me. I was cleaning closets at my fathers home and we found an old quilt--I have no information on it aside from a note that said it came from my grt grandmothers family and has been in the family a long time (she lived 1875-1920 but I don't know if this was hers, her parents, etc). It is unlike the many quilts that I have from the other side of my family in terms of colour, fabric, pattern. This family would have lived in the Philadelphia area but I have no date of reference.

Attached are three photos, which I've sized down quite a bit and hope appear okay, and I wonder if you can help with approximate age / pattern, and considerations I should give to restoration. I'd like to find someone to repair the damage but I'm not sure where to start or if it's worth it as I'm not sure if this type of quilt should / could be displayed without further damage to it. I've asked a few friends of friends who might be familiar with quilting but thought I'd ask the experts here.

Many thanks from Columbus Ohio.

the pattern is carpenter's wheel... see these google images https://www.google.com/search?q=imag...w=1016&bih=693

What an interesting quilt! I love the dark colors. The lining does appear pretty bad but if the top is okay, I'd definitely have it restored. I love old family quilts :)

My friend recently had two quilts appraised in Columbus, Ohio. I don't remember the names of the appraisers, but she was very satisfied with the information they were able to give her, and also the cost of the appraisals. It was very reasonable, especially if you didn't want a written appraisal for insurance purposes.

I can ask for the names, but she is currently out of town, so it may take me awhile. Perhaps other QB members from Ohio will know who I am talking about. I might recognize the names.

restoration is incredibly expensive. This is a great quilt and a nice heirloom, but not of great value on the market.
I would put a new back on it...or use it for color on the end of a bed without direct sunlight.

the top looks like quilt as you go doesn't it? but I can't see that reflected in the back, the quilting looks quite scanty.

Many thanks!

Thanks--it is the first dark colored quilt that I've received and so I'm a bit taken by it. The top is in pretty good shape so I thought we could restore it and then do "something" with it (display in guest room, etc).

Thanks for the input. I wondered about a guest bed (end) or a quilt rack etc out of sunlight as I don't want it to fade. It's been wrapped up and stored for at least 50 years. I will definitely keep it (not interested in selling) but hope to learn a bit of detail so that I can pass to my children with some history. Most of my other family quilts were made by my other grt grandmother so those are easy to identify!

(Edited to add: Apologies but I'm not familiar at all with quilting and so I don't know about quilting as you go etc. I'll be glad to take another look or photo if that helps fill in a gap )

Excellent, thank you. I'm in Columbus but in no hurry as I just inherited this yesterday--if you or others have a name or two in the coming weeks I would be grateful. I gladly pay a reasonable appraisal fee in order to learn more and perhaps narrow down the history so that I may document it for future generations.

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Here is a pic of the inside (the back / the lining / the back of the front)