Basting Together the Second Antique Pieced Quilt Top.

There is no organized pattern of these squares.

Last eventing (Thursday) I finished the embroidery of my children's Great and Great-Great Grandmother's names as well as mine on three quilt blocks since I am finishing these quilts.

1869 was the birth date of the first hands to work this fabric, then 1889, very humbling for me to touch this.

I am having second thoughts though that maybe I should go back and include the grandmother who gave me these even she said she did none of the work on them???  There are later ones she did do and I will put her name on them.  I don't know, anybody want to comment?  I am all ears!

Hand basting helps a lot when working with big pieces of textiles.

You can tell these again are very old fabric patterns.

Anyway this afternoon I cleaned off the dining room table and put the backing, batting, and quilt top all together and got it pinned and then hand basted together.  Lastly I trimmed it.   I still am unsure what to do next.  The fabric is old, old, old as you can see.  There is no planned pattern, more of a made for warmth and necessity quilt by country folk of generations ago.  Which is what I love about these! 

Since it is not just old but all hand stitched I think it might be fragile and be better less worked.  Also since it is dark it might be nice tufted with red yarn?  There is a red tiny tiny candy cane pattern in some of the squares which makes me want to take it to a more holiday feel?  I don't know though!

I love the blanket stitched edges on this heavy old comforter.

Normally I am very decisive but this one has me in a quandary.  I loved the way the blanket stitched edges turned out on the first one (The Crazy quilt.) and am thinking I may repeat that again here.  I think the dark colors will carry it....well maybe?   Here is the link to the first pieced top I worked if you would like to see what I am speaking about.      thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2013/09/today-crazy-quilt-ida-bell-and-ellen.html

One thing is for sure,  it is 3:30 PM on Friday and I am pooped!  So I will sleep on it.  Tomorrow is another day.