Embroidered USA Progress Report.

A week ago, I started my quest to hand embroider the United States of America.

Just as I did with the United Scraps of America quilt, I started with California.  Sunny California, depicted in yellow, felt like the perfect place to begin this journey.

By the time I reached Wyoming, I was wishing I had instead decided to embroider Canada or Australia.  50 states, when you've only finished 8, seems like such a daunting task.

Committed to finishing what I had started, I made my way into the Midwest.

I tried to keep the colors of the states bright and colorful but none too "girlie".  Of course, when I came to Illinois, home sweet home to this blogger, I selected a bright pink, the only pink used.

I spent 2 days on the East coast.  Very few states were given a color for a specific reason, with the exception of New York.  New York is apple red which seemed fitting for the 'big apple'.

The 50th state was finished on Easter.  Though the 50th state added to the union was Hawaii, the 50th state added to the embroidered USA was Connecticut. 

The embroidered USA is ready to be handed off to the Queen of Quilts, my mom, who will transform this into a quilt.

Perhaps I should go start on that Canada quilt now :)

Embroidered USA Quilt - Part 1

I've decided to tackle another USA quilt. 

this time, instead of hand appliqueing each state, I want to embroider each state.

Interesting in joining me?

Find a map you like.  I found mine from Mr. Printable.  Import your map into Block Poster.  Block Posters allows you to enlarge an image to poster size and print it out.

Tape the pages together, so it maintains its form.

Lay at least a yard of fabric over the map and pin it into place so it won't move.

Using a water soluable pen, trace the outline of each state and the state's name onto your fabric

And, then start embroidering.

I used a stem stitch for the names of the states and the gray border outlining the outside of each states lines.  For the inside boarder of the states, I used a back stitch.

This is what I'll be doing during my spring break.  What about you?

When one door closes.

Who knew...two years ago, a door would close in my life and I would lose my job. 

Who knew...8 months later, I would started a blog called While Wearing Heels and that in the process, I would discover this creative and artistic side of myself I never knew existed.

Who knew...Mary Janes Farm would discover, on pinterest, the United States Quilt I made.

Who knew...they would then ask if it could be featured in their January/February issue.

Who knew...that the philosophy I have lived by since that unforeseen door closed, the philosophy that saved me would become an inspiring quote in a magazine.

Who knew?   Not me.

It just goes to show, when one door closes it doesn't mean your story ends, it just means you have to figure out what your next chapter will be.

There is no telling where life will take you.