Quilted Wall Hanging: State Outline Collage

Step 1: Prepare Your Materials

Start by cutting out the state outline from your template. I Googled state of Missouri outline and found the darkest outline that I could print. It needs to be dark so you can see it through your interfacing in order to trace it. Then the outline was uploaded using blockposters.com where you can choose the size that it needs to be. The outline will print on several pages to tape together. See video above for instructions.

Lay the interfacing on top of the outline and trace it on the interfacing with a pen or marker. Anything will work as long as you can see it on the other side.

Then, cut your fabric scraps into small, varied shapes and sizes. Think of this step as creating a colorful mosaic that will fill in the state’s outline.

Step 2: Arrange Your Fabric Collage

Lay out your state outline template on a flat surface and begin arranging your fabric pieces within the outline. This is where your creativity can truly shine. Mix and match fabrics, colors, and patterns to create a visually appealing collage. Don’t be afraid to overlap pieces for a textured look.

Another tip is to lay the fabric past the outline because the fabric and the interfacing will be cut according to the outline and you want to make sure that it is all covered so there are no empty spaces.

Step 3: Press the Fabric Pieces to the Interfacing and sew them down.

Using a hot iron, press the fabric pieces onto the interfacing. Some parts of the fabric will not iron down because it is on top of other fabric and that’s okay. They will all be sewn to the interfacing.

After the pieces are pressed, turn the interfacing around and cut it on the outline so you have a perfect shape!

Now it’s time to sew the fabric to make sure that it is secure. I like to use invisible thread on this step because I want people to see my collage, not my thread here.

You probably noticed in the last picture that I’m not using the same fabric. I wanted something professional for my office so I decided to switch to a fabric design called Stonehenge Surfaces to make the state pop on the background fabric.

Step 3: Sew the state outline to background fabric using a satin stitch.

I set my machine to zig zag stitch, the stitch width to 5.0 and the length to 0.1 to make a satin stitch.

Step 4: Add the Batting and Backing and Quilt the wall hanging

I just used straight lines to quilt the wall hanging but you can use any kind of quilting design that you choose!