Does anyone know ...?
 

... what I should do with these diamond pieces? They are about 2 feet long and one foot wide. I have 15 of them. They were given to me by my grandmother more than 30 years ago. I think her cousin made them, I'm guessing, in the '50s sometime. They are all hand-pieced with decorative stitches on the seams. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Susie in Ohio[ATTACH=CONFIG]574781[/ATTACH]

You know, looking at the colours, I think I would try my hand at a lonestar or lemoyne star (I can never remember which one uses 60% angles. With so much red and blue, I think it would make an interesting patriotic piece. Try laying them out on a white sheet and see what it looks like.

The diamonds in hat I call a LeMoyne star have equal sides and 45-135-45-135 angles in them.

One could also do some interesting things with the 60-120-60-120 degree diamonds.

GingerK's suggestion to just lay them out and see what happens is a good one. I think one could maybe add dark navy strips for that stained glass effect to define the triangles and or diamonds.

From the picture, the triangles look like they might be 60-60-60 degree ones - and there are a zillion possibilities using those triangles. Measure them and see.

I think I would cut them up into smaller pieces. Then make blocks and a quilt.

Well, I guess that's part of the question. I also have a completed quilt top that I don't know what to do with (completed by the same person). Should I try to finish it or just display the top alone? Here's a photo:
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All that lovely decorative stitches in the seam....a crazy quilt comes to mind....and a bit of creativity..maybe making same size triangles of black....
and that crazy pieced whole top......cool!

I agree with others to lay it out and see what you get. I would want to keep as much of the decorative stitching as possible. I like the idea of adding navy sashing. The one above does not have decorative stitching so, after making sure I didn't need any of the pieces for a scrappy border for the first one, I'd cut it up for an Irish chain.

What are the dimensions of this top?

If it were mine - what I would do next with it would depend on the condition of the fabrics and whether it is laying more or less flat.

I kind of like it - this is what I think of when someone says "scrap" quilt.

If it looks like it could handle being used, I think I would layer it as usual. From the picture, it looks like it was assembled in rows. I would stitch in the ditch on those seam lines. Then tie it. I would finish it with a narrow binding.

You could add a border - but I am thinking (I do not know for sure) - that this type of quilt either had the backing brought to the front - or it might have been "birthed" - with no binding at all.

If it seems too fragile to use as a quilt - it is an interesting conversation piece.

I have a top that I made of brushed arnel that looks a lot like that waiting for me in a box.

Susie, those are fabulous crazy quilts.
Our guild just had a bed turning from a quilt museum, and they told us that if you want to maintain the 'antique-ness' of your heirloom quilts, you should not finish them. They said that quilts are as old as the newest fabrics and threads used. If you want to maintain the age, then framing is the way to go. If you add thread or fabric to a 1930s quilt, it becomes a 2017 quilt for example.

Interesting info