Thinking About Maps

The theme for the May Twelve by Twelve quilts is "maps."  Maps.  For me, this was definitely a think-as-you go project.


I thought first of those pictures of very old maps.  Vague maps with more writing than actual pictures because, after all, the thinking was vague.  I started with a piece of muslin (only because I couldn't find the Kona I bought for this project) and drew an abstract land shape, then used a micro pen to write words.  Lots of them.  I bought a brush pen by mistake, so the words were more bold than I'd pictured, but that's ok.  Then I used a bit of Caramel latte Smooch Spritz in the lovely glass tube to add just a little color.


Next, I superimposed lines for roads and rivers like a more modern map might have.  Painted a spots of yellow for cities.  Remember what treasures those maps used to be?  You might pick them up at a Welcome Center or from AAA every few years.  Carefully save them in a drawer.


Even though I'm not done, I did the quilt sandwich next, then quilted grid lines.  Grid lines were an important part of reading a map.  You might note that Bluffton, Ohio, for example, might be B,19 on the map and you'd look for the intersection of those lines.


The last part will be to make something that looks like the GPS on your car or your phone.  Angular roads, purple for the road you're traveling.  Curved arrows to show you which lane to take for your exit.  You get the idea.  Maybe there will be more than one stand-alone piece.  My thinking about this is that we don't treasure maps like we used to.  We just put in the data and the device tells us how to get somewhere.


This (or these) will go somewhere on the quilt, appliqued on the top.  I want to show maps from ancient to modern.