World Quilt or Quilt the World!

Quilting the world - my journey!

It started when my SiL asked if I would undertake a commission.  Of course, I don't / won't - unless they sound fun, are for no money and I get the final say on how it happens.....so obviously this project was a 'yes'!

She and one of my nieces bought these lovely fabrics for my eldest niece and showed me a couple of world map quilts on line.  The quilt is a birthday gift from them (and her dad!) to her.

Aren't the fabrics great?  Lovely and bright which is what I like!

 I chose to use the Shwin and Shwin free map pattern from here.  Lovely web site with some fun patterns that they share.  This one prints out over 40 or so A4 pages which you then stick together.  That took up most of the kitchen table!

It was straightforward to trace onto the fusible - once I'd redrawn the map through the paper so that I had a reversed map to copy!  Perhaps I should check my printer settings to see if I can reverse things at source!

 Then it was time to slice up the fabric (this batik star didn't make the end quilt, but I did play with it in my piecing at one point).  Clean pizza boxes were great for keeping colours separate.  This was 'Africa' with a little of Asia.  I cut the fabrics into 2 1/2" squares.

 I'd decided to try and make each continent a different colour.  Each set of patches were set out in an 'efficient as possible' layout and then sewn together.

 Then the traced shapes were placed on the patchwork and fused.

Cutting out followed - hard work through the patchwork seams!

Then the map was traced onto the blue background fabric so that the continents could be placed into the right places.  This blue fabric was quite opaque, so I had to use a light table (mine consists of two LED camping lamps under my sewing machine extension table -  Heath Robinson but workable).

 Once the land was in place it was time to back and baste the quilt.  It's about 60" x 38".

 Next, time to dive into the quilting.  As you know, I did have a tiny crisis of confidence between quilting the land and quilting the seas.

 All was well once it was evenly quilted.

 This was the quilting design that I chose.  I'm better at it than I used to be!  Overall I spent about 16 hours on just the quilting.  It felt like a lot for a piece this size, but it is all quite dense.




Ta-da!  This is the finished quilt.  Bound in some of the left over fabrics in 9" strips for a cheerful finish.
I'm pleased with it.  Hope that the commissioning family like it too!

Time to spare to finish these string blocks for charity quilts at my quilting group too.

Now I need to use the rest of the 2 1/2" squares - watch this space!

So are you inspired to make your own world quilt?  Mark on the countries you've visited with buttons?  Applique symbols to represent the world and your family?  Do share if you undertake your own version of a world map quilt - whilst I sit and work out how to to quilt the rest of the world!