Colorful Fabric US Map Framed in Embroidery Hoop

This idea is everywhere - but this picture is the one that stayed with me.  It's crazy adorable.

So then when I found a large oval embroidery hoop at Goodwill - I bought it.  Then it sat around for about a year.  It seemed like a really big project and I wasn't sure where to start.  Also, I have always had a mental block about fusible interfacing.

Finally, I decided to tackle the project.  I found this tutorial at See Kate Sew, which included a printable map pattern, so that is where I started.

I have a lot of scrap fabric, but I ended up buying quite a bit more.  I kept updating my family on the project using the hashtag #theresalotofstates And I wanted a variety of colors and I wanted the fabrics to have a connection with the states...in some cases.

I printed two maps.  I cut out the states of one and laid them where they go on top of the other.

Then I picked fabric and ironed heat n bond to the wrong side of it.  Then I cut around the state pattern.  Then I laid the fabric state on top of the map.

I love this fabric that I used for New Mexico!

After all the states were done, I ironed a piece of muslin and layered the map pattern under the muslin.  That allowed me to place the states in the right place.

Then I peeled off the interfacing and ironed the states into place, starting with the west coast.