New Life? Using old pieces of needlework

I have lots of old pieces of needlework. I have some I inherited or received from my family, and lots that I bough in Sweden. Sweden is a wonderful place, you can find tons of old embroidery and crochet pieces in the second-hand shops and flea-markets.
I have quite a few I am collecting as my personal museum, really beautiful works.

On the other hand, there are quite a lot in the collection that are not all that beautiful. They are worn or faded and I wouldn´t put them on my wall or table. Or they are in a colour that was fashionable at a time (probably the 60s and 70s) but not any more. However, I wouldn´t want to throw them out either, because I keep thinking of the unknown people who spent weeks or months making them.

I was thinking about using them for something else. For a while I was not really sure if this is a good idea, it almost feels like a kind of sacrilege. Finally, I decided it is more like giving these things another, new life. Here are a few examples.


First, although it might be too late now for making autumn-projects, I would like to show you what I made with my students in the "creative crafts" lesson a few weeks ago.




It´s a branch of tree stuck in a jar filled with gravel. Then each student made a leaf and we hang them on the branch.

You can also see me in the reflection. :)
I took another picture at another place, perhaps you can see it better.




I also made a few leaves myself, and this is what I want to share with you.

I had these old pieces of crochet:



I sewed a leaf shape with zig-zag stitch, and cut it out. I made experiments, because the crochet got more than once caught in the sewing machine. So I tried sewing it with tissue paper, which was difficult to tear of the crochet, then I sewed it on a piece of fabric, I think that worked best.

The first one:



You can see how the thread is tangled in once place where it was caught in the machine.

Then with the tissue paper:







Finally with fabric:





Another "new-life project:

My first patchwork, a hanging folder for bills and receipts for my boyfriend:



Look at the inside:



It is a piece cut from an old cross-stitched tablecloth that has really faded colours, in some places the embroidery has even come undone, but I think it works well as the lining for this little project.

I would like to hear your opinion about this question. Is it all right to make new pieces of old embroidery or crochet, or is it a disrespect to the original creator?