Created by Flamingo Toes Blog

This US Map Quilt is perfect to take along on a road trip! It's covered with a fun map of the US - all appliqued in scrappy, colorful prints. You could even add a little line of embroidery to remember your trip by, or decorate the map with little hearts for places you've visited!

It would be a fun gift for someone who loves to travel too!

Materials:

Step 1

Begin by printing out your US map. You'll be making a grid of paper that is 7 across and 4 down. The states will overlap just a bit, trim off the white portion along the edges and tape the map together.

Step 2

Cut apart the states. I cut down the center of the thick black line, but you can do it any way you'd like. Begin cutting out your states. To do this, I recommend cutting a piece of fusible webbing a little larger than the state you're cutting out. Cut out a fabric piece as well. Fuse the webbing to the back of the fabric.

Cut out your state, making sure that the wrong side of the pattern faces the right side of the fabric so that the state is the correct orientation.

Continue cutting out your states, varying your fabrics as you go, for a cute scrappy look. Leave Alaska and Hawaii as one piece on the paper until you have your fabric fused. That way you can keep track of your little islands more easily.

Step 3

Cut your top fabric to 60" long. You'll leave the width at 45" - so your top piece will be 45" x 60". Lay out your re-taped paper map and then lay your top fabric over the top, centering the fabric over the map. Place Alaska and Hawaii in the bottom left corner.

Step 4

Begin removing the paper backing from the states and laying them over the top fabric, lining up all your edges as close as you can. It's ok if they overlap just a bit. Iron all the states in place. I did this on my kitchen island - it is granite and can take the heat.

Step 5

Once your states are all fused down, you can start the applique! Using a medium zig zag stitch, sew between and around all the states.

This will take a bit but I promise it will be worth it! It's so fun to see the states all sewed in place.

Step 6

Make a sandwich by laying your backing fabric wrong side up, then your batting, then your top fabric, right side up. Smooth out all the wrinkles, then pin everything together.

Quilt everything together however you'd like. I outlined each state, and the entire map, then filled in the rest of the area with a free motion quilting.

Step 7

Now onto binding! Cut out 2 1/2" strips of binding from the mint plaid fabric - you'll need 5. Sew the strips together, then press them in half.

Bind your quilt in whatever method you normally use.

Once your quilt is all done, you can pop it in the wash so it gets all soft and crinkly!