My last finished quilt of 2024 is also my first quilt finished in my new sewing studio!

I planned out the binding and zigzag-stitched it in place last Friday.

For the first time in weeks, the sun was shining. Good timing because I was able to switch off the lights in my studio, using the newly-installed switch, so as to enjoy natural lighting again. Aaaaaah… so refreshing.

This 45” square baby quilt is a gift for a new friend of mine. She’s expecting her first baby any time now. This friend has an elegant, minimalistic style. At the time that I planned this quilt she was trying to decide between dark neutrals or light neutrals in the nursery. That’s when I realized that the silk scraps I had been gifted would be perfect for her project.

My Hourglass Curves quilt is sewn with drunkard’s path blocks. It’s straightforward curved piecing, which suited these bridal gown silk scraps just fine. The silk is crisp like quilting cotton, but lightweight as silk will be. Since I used cream silk for the background of every block and for the medium brown blocks, the overall weight of the finished quilt is significantly lighter than a cotton quilt.

I didn’t use interfacing for the silk or any kind of starch. It just wasn’t necessary. My impression is that mixing it with quilting cotton presents no drawbacks. The cut silk doesn’t unravel, like linen, and everything feels stable. I still have more silk leftover, which I will surely use in time.

For the backing I combined two leftover apparel fabrics. They each have a soft touch, which is perfect for a baby quilt.

I’m looking forward to surprising my friend with this gift at our next book club meeting, just after Christmas! Thank goodness for babies.

p.s. I wonder if she will be my last friend to have a baby? I am nearing that point in my life. Perhaps a new tradition is in order - quilts gifted to the parents when children move out of the home? That is a milestone also worth celebrating.