In our lives, places become special. Sometimes it’s more than a building or specific location, but rather a neighborhood or area. Quilt blocks are a great way to memorialize a place that is special to us. Maybe it’s your hometown or part of your community you want to remember in a special way. Turning a map into a quilt block is a great way to do this and it only a takes a few easy steps to go from map to quilt block!
To start with, visit Google Maps, or a map program you like. Enter the location you are looking for in the search box, then move the map around to find your special spot.
Use your mouse scroll (the little wheel on the top of your mouse) or the buttons in the bottom left corner of the screen (circled below) to zoom in and out to get as much of the area as you want on the screen.
Now take a look at the Satellite View by clicking on the picture in the bottom right corner of the screen (circled below).
It will change to this:
Once you decide which view you prefer for your block design, capture the image on the screen by using the Print Screen function.
- For my keyboard, there is a button after the function keys with PrtScn on it.
- I hold down the Ctrl key and push the PrtScn key at the same time and the image goes to my clipboard.
- To access the image I open a program like Word or Paint and paste the image in by pressing the Ctrl and V key a the same time.
- (If you are using a program like Word, you will want to have a new document open to paste the image into).
Resize or crop the image to the block size you want to make. Now you are ready to print out your image. Once printed, trace the elements you want in your block and use the pieces for templates. You can piece or applique, but if piecing, be sure to remember seam allowances.
Feel free to abstract the design. Don’t forget – You have a creative license!
Below is an example of Lower Town Paducah in map form and then a fabric mock-up.
You can get as detailed or as abstract as you like with your block. Create a block that resembles your map or reinterpret the design into a creative expression of your map!
My Quilt Story Project
Add a map block to your quilt story project. Maybe it’s a place that inspires you or holds dear memories of quilting friends.
Want to catch up on the rest of the project? Here are the details:
Between now and Fall Paducah in September, we invite you on a special creative adventure. Each week we will offer you ideas, techniques, blocks, and embellishments to help you tell your quilt story in stitches.
If you didn’t catch the beginning of the project, visit here for the quilt story worksheet.
Did you remake your first block? You can find some help here.
Have you decided on the monuments representing the moments that changed your quilt story? Here’s a look at how to start.
Are you building your town? See how we built a building.
Have you created a quilting garden? See some sample blocks here.
What quilt construction techniques have you learned along your journey? Take a look at our list.
Want to add some memorabilia? Take a look at our quilt blocks great for showing off your favorite quilting pins.
Do you have special people who filled your quilting heart through the years? Here’s an idea to include them in your quilt.
Do you have special fabric collections you’ve been saving for years and want to include with a special commemorative block? Take a look at our Original Memory Collage Block!
What about those orphan blocks from past projects, inherited blocks that haven’t found a home? Turn your forsaken & forgotten blocks into treasures.
Have you noticed your color selections for your quilts change through the years? Record your color history by creating a block to display your color preferences through your quilting journey.
