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Thread: Old quilt tops

  1. #1
    Sandy Navas's Avatar Sandy Navas is offline Senior Member
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    Default Old quilt tops

    I'm curious to see what others think. I quite often will buy a quilt top if it is reasonably priced and in good shape and it's something I like. At some time in my life I became the main keeper of several tops of questionable origin, maker, time frame, etc. Some were partials, some were complete. I recently donated all my hexagon quilt tops to a wonderful lady who collects, tours and lectures on geometric quilts. She was ecstatic and I found some new space to stash some more . . . well, stash.

    While looking through these pieces that I donated, I came upon two tops that I'd completely forgotten about - my memory doesn't even share where I got them. Once is a partially complete periwinkle and the rest of the blocks are there to make a twin size quilt. I have no qualms about finishing that one, quilting it on the long arm.

    The second top, however, I have not been able to come totally to grips with how to finish it. It is a postage-stamp quilt of sorts, individual pieces may be 1 1/4 inches square (I'll have to take pictures later and share) and part of them are set on point. It is all hand-pieced and I am guessing the fabrics are probably 40's. I would love to use this quilt but it seems sacrilege to machine quilt and I sure don't have the gumption to hand quilt it. Quilt appraisers say that you date a quilt by the last materials used in it and this definitely isn't a museum piece . . . I know what I want to do with it . . . but . . .

    what would YOU do?
    WOODEN SPOON SURVIVOR

  2. #2
    Cathy F's Avatar Cathy F is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Old quilt tops

    If you love it and it's not a museum piece or heirloom I say do what your heart tells you.

  3. #3
    Bubby's Avatar Bubby is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Old quilt tops

    This will be a no-answer answer. I recently read an article by Pilgrim Roy about unfinished tops. Something he said really resonated with me and that was that all quilt tops are not destined to be quilted in our generation. He stressed that it's okay to pass them along in their raw state. If quilting the top would diminish it in any way, it would be better to leave it as it is and enjoy it as such as a display piece. You could also baste it onto a foundation to give it some support from coming apart.

    That article really made me think because as a quilter I have a drive to try to take each quilt that comes my way to what I consider it's best state.

    Good luck with your decision, Sandy.
    Last edited by Bubby; September 4th, 2015 at 01:04 PM.

  4. #4
    jjkaiser's Avatar jjkaiser is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Old quilt tops

    I would hand quilt it of course no matter how long it takes. Maybe just do a little at a time when the mood strikes? My DH and I always watch the PBS news every night which is one hour. I always quilt during the news and just listen. Because really you don't need to keep your eyes on the TV for that show. Those one-hours really add up. Good luck. I am sure in the end you will do the little beauty justice.
    songbird857 and Sylvia H like this.

  5. #5
    Amy R's Avatar Amy R is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Old quilt tops

    that is a tough one. On one hand I would display it out of an era appropriate conversation piece. Then there's that nagging desire to finish her up, it would technically be a 2015 piece then right?
    That is quite the choice... it must be a beauty though.
    Sylvia H likes this.
    Quilter since 2013.

  6. #6
    oldsewer is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: Old quilt tops

    The museums are already full. I'd consider it a utility quilt, finish and use it.

  7. #7
    Hulamoon's Avatar Hulamoon is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Old quilt tops

    I'm going to agree with Barb. I have mentioned a couple of times that my mil didn't quilt hers. They are about 50 yrs old, maybe older, she had eight kids and I can't even count all the kids after that. I think we got the last one about 23 yrs ago for my youngest dd before she passed.



    Lorie

  8. #8
    kensington's Avatar kensington is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Old quilt tops

    I'd machine quilt it after the top is done. I have two beautiful quilts that my great granny made by hand. My quilter said my great granny was one of the best hand piecers she had ever seen.

    But, I wanted to finish them and use them, I had them machine quilted, I love them. When my grandmother died my aunt gave me one of her handpieced quilt tops... she kept a few of them, she said she would never machine quilt them... I machine quiltd mine.. hers is still not done. That was 15 years ago. I used mine and enjoy it.
    Sylvia H likes this.

  9. #9
    sewluvit is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Old quilt tops

    I'm with oldsewer, I would probably want to finish it and use it. Give it a real life now, the next owner might not appreciate it and love it like you do.
    Sylvia H and bhaggerty like this.

  10. #10
    quiltingtrish's Avatar quiltingtrish is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Old quilt tops

    I would do with it what you want to do with it. It is yours now. You don't know where it came from so it doesn't sound like it is from a relative where it might mean more to you or your heirs. Some people even cut them up and use them in various projects if some of the blocks are bad enough. If they are all good, I would finish the top however way you want to, machine quilt it, and use it. What's the point if it's to just sit around and look pretty all unfinished - all you will do is keep seeing what you want to do with it.
    Worrying about dating it - for what? Insurance purposes, value purposes? No matter how you finish it, it will still be done in the current time so there is already devalue there. And, what value is it in its current state?
    Life is short - do what YOU want, Sandy. And, remember, there are no quilt police.
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    What if you woke up today and the only things you had were the things you thanked God for yesterday? quilting trish

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