The silk came through my job as samples from fabric makers and designers.
I started saving them in 2004 or 2005 and decided in 2015 to start piecing - which went pretty quickly.
To be honest, I saved them without any real goal in mind because I had no idea how much I would have.
I left the job in 2011 so that was the end of any more! It's amazing how far it went actually - some of the pieces were less than a fat quarter.
I finished the embroidery just after Christmas and put it together over the weekend.
I did not stabilize the fabric but I did sew it to muslin so only the outside edges frayed badly. On a few I had to piece some very small scraps to really bad edges . . . Originally the squares were 10.5 inches but I had to trim off quite a bit and navigate my embroidery in the process. 9.75 is what they ended up being.
How is your friend collecting them? I was extremely lucky that all mine were free . . . one of the perks of corresponding with the companies and clients.