I am a blessed girl to have this quilt top. My great-grandma hand-stitched this, but never quilted or bound it. It was passed on to my grandma, an avid quilter herself, but she didn't finish it either. She passed it on to my mom, who has been sewing all her life, but never a quilter has she been. I have made all of four quilts myself, but I guess that was enough for my mom to pass this heirloom to me. I squealed inside when she did. I love it so.

I, of course, would love to be the one to finish it. What a unique and special project that would be, adding my own stitches to hers. In a way, it would be like working alongside her, this woman I only knew as a baby. My favorite thing about this quilt is looking at every single fabric, wondering what it once was. She had twelve children. Did any of them ever wear these prints as they worked and played? Here are some close-ups of my favorites:

 Some of these florals remind me of the Liberty of London prints.

 Blueberries!

 Does anyone have ideas on what the little string in the center hexagon could mean? She did this with some of the blocks, but not all. I think it must be a marker of some kind, but for what? I would love to solve that puzzle.





 Another Liberty of Londonesque print.

 Love the yellow and black! This print looks so much like what we would call vintage with a mod twist, doesn't it?


 One of my very favorites!


 I love the way she cut these stripes, with a little of the floral print showing.

 The ever lovin' polka dot!

 Little farmer and his cute wife.


 At least I know what the safety pins mean. My grandma marked those as blocks that need some repair.



 Mosaic-looking flowers

 Reminds me of playing cards.


So, what's your favorite print here? It's so hard to pick, isn't it?
I am open to any and all advice on quilting an heirloom like this...