Aha, okay, This is a queen sized quilt, with two small panels of lightweight silk. They are part of the pattern that is inspired by the the flickr feed picture I mentioned above, the rest of it is cotton. I am getting the feeling I may not be able to describe it in terms that make sense to anyone but myself.
I have washed a piece of this silk, it holds it shape very well, does not discolor, but it does wrinkle pretty badly.
I think I am going to proceed forward fearlessly. I understand that many want their quilts to last 50 years or more, but this is a piece I am making for a friends daughter who is going off to college. My biggest hope is that it is loved and worn out. (gives me an excuse to make another one) I will post a picture on this thread of the completed top which may be as early as this evening. Thanks for your advice, I think I will use the fusible interfacing, that was definitely something I had not considered. That's why I keep asking questions here, I am a self taught piecer, a recent student of a long arm and just making it up as I go.