Enduring Memories of a Grown-Up Map-Girl

When I was small, I loved pulling them out of the glove compartment of my grandparents’ mint green Oldsmobile, with the cushy, padded top. There weren’t many; just the nearby ones that got used often: Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and our own state – Michigan. I’d flip them open one at a time, navigating the folds so only small sections were visible at a time. There was only so much room on my small-girl lap, you know. I had to be practical!

I didn’t care much about the ‘mappy stuff’ of maps (in terms of directions), but I loved the parts that featured beautiful

illustrations about all the state symbols. If I got lucky, the map had been folded such that this *prized* section was on the back cover, but most of the time that back cover section was reserved for a photo of the then-governor, with a lengthy schpiel about (in the case of Michigan, at least) what it meant to be a Michigander. Anyway – I was always looking for a section that looked a bit like this:

It’s pretty isn’t it? This one isn’t as detailed with the specifics of the State symbols (like the state rock – the Petoskey Stone – since I double as a rock-girl too), but it shows our state flower, the Apple Blossom, which blooms every spring as a symbol of hope and new beginnings.

Hope and New Beginnings. How ’bout that? Who doesn’t need a little of that in America these days, eh?

(lest I sound like a proper Michigander from the UP, eh – except I’m a Kalamazooer, not a Yooper, but that’s just a technicality, I think. We all have a little bit of EH eeking out from time to time).

The State Flowers – these were always the prettiest illustrations, from state map to state map. So when the opportunity arose for me to support an upcoming new fabric collection by Andover Fabrics which features state flowers from all 50 states – you can bet my little map-girl heart just beamed with joy.

What’s more – my scrappiest pattern ever, Jiggity Jig, employs just the right scrappy scattering for just a simple fat 8th bundle of the whole collection to feature every state’s flower fabric – can you imaging? Let’s pretend it’s a unifying way to pull us all together, like a glove compartment full of maps.

If you’re in love with Floral States like I’m in love with Floral States – DO encourage your favorite quilt shop to order it! In the event Serendipity Woods happens to be your favorite quilt shop (SQUEEEEE!), we’re thrilled to say that Floral States will be arriving to us in April 2024. We’ll have kits too.

(and we just can’t wait either).

In the meantime – I wish you happy sewing throughout this long holiday weekend, as we celebrate our great nation of our hard working friends. 💚