Embroidered Map
♥ From my collection ♥ When I first started embroidering, my mother told me about a large, embroidered map that she remembered being in the family for a very long time. "Where is it? Where is it??" I asked, desperately hoping it was still around. So, we asked my grandma (who was born in 1910 and lived to be 94!) if she knew where the map was. "Oh, I think it's probably out in the garage." (I probably gasped in horror at that point) And there it was, folded in a box, somewhere in the vicinity of the washing machine and my grandfather's fishing poles. A large (about 32" across) map with disintegrating stitches on badly stained cotton. Grandma said it had been in the family for as long as she could remember, but no longer recalled who did it. Me being the one in the family with a new-found love of needlework, the heirloom was bestowed upon lucky, lucky me.
Any specialists of embroidered maps reading the blog who can weigh in on this piece?
Judith Tyner
I am working on a book on the history of embroidered maps. The style of this map and the fabric suggest that it is 20th century and probably American. Some women’s magazines published patterns and kits in the 30s and 40s.
chaoscreations
I just found your site and blog a little over a week ago. I’m going back through all of your older blog postings now and catching up. :) Just wanted to say that this map is really great. I can understand why you were so thrilled to find it. Glad you saved it from slow death in a box.
stitchy
heyyyyyyy….that’s not a bad idea! I would totally buy my state (and then add a special “X” marking where I live)…oh the possibilities…
donnajean
Timely post because my sister just visited from NY and brought some embroidery pieces she had done over the years. (She does perfect work! Arrrghh! I am jealous)i fell in love with a map of US, pre-Hawaii & Alaska, that has little pics on each state representing industry. Factories, fruit, pigs, corn, hay, cows, tractors, sheep, etc. The drawings are very good. The whole thing reminds me of those placemats you would find in a diner way back in ‘the day’. (I am aging myself.)
Anyway I had to jump online and low and behold….I actually found the exact transfer pattern on eBay. In perfect condition. I cannot WAIT to do this piece.
Question (I am very new to embroidery.) What fabric would you recommend? The stitches will be very small (1-2 strands of DMC cotton). I have some linen but weave seems to large. Pillowcase type fabric seems too tight.
redhand
Hi Jenny,
I found these 2 links to 2 maps and they are from the 1800’s!
Hope you enjoy these:
1.) http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum/artifacts/archives/002893.asp
2.) http://www.library.yale.edu/MapColl/oldsite/map/curious.html ( on this one it is about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way down the page.)
A BIG FAN,
Julie Barkley
TabbyRed
Wow! That’s beautiful! I’d love to embroider something involving all the different States somehow. Get your thinking cap on, Jenny! That’s potential for at least another 50 pattern kits! Haha.
Namita Wiggers
Does the map include Alaska and Hawaii? Curious, because I just picked up a 48 state quilt at an antique shop here in Portland. Each square includes the state bird and flower – but no Alaska (became a state in 58) or Hawaii (statehood in 59).I’ll send you picks in the next few weeks. Fabric is not fancy at all, and colors look comparable to those in your map. Based on your grandma’s story,it may have been in the family longer – but perhaps there is some correlation to making embroidered USA maps around WWII?