Homemade Gift: Embroidered Map Going Away Gift

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are moving out of the state. 

They're moving back to my sister-in-law's hometown.

We had a farewell dinner Friday night and I gave them this going away gift.

A homemade gift from the heart, to remember us across the miles

and know that we're thinking about them. 

It's also a nice reminder for my niece and nephew about their 

Aunt MaryLea, Uncle Geoff, and their crazy cousins! 

I started with a frame I found at Michaels. 

Then,  I printed out a map of Virginia and a map of Ohio 

(use whatever state or place is meaningful to you)

from a google images search. I printed the maps on natural colored

vellum paper to make them look more "map like"

If you had real street maps that would be awesome but I didn't so I had to improvise. 

I cut out the shape of each state out of the maps 

(they're not perfect or accurate and they don't need to be.)

For the state shapes I googled "printable state maps"

as a google images search to find the right shapes.

Because I didn't want the paper to rip when I sewed it, 

I pre-punched holes with a straight pin on a piece of folded over felt

(to act as a little pillow behind the paper while I pierced it.)

BTW, this is a map I tried to use but didn't because it didn't look right. 

Then, to protect the map from ripping while I sewed it, 

I backed it with a small piece of clear packing tape.

I hand-stitched a heart shape on each map with some red embroidery floss.

Here's the back of my messy heart.

When the two states were finished, I mounted them to a piece of blue 

scrapbooking paper with some double sided tape. 

At a farewell picnic/party last weekend, I asked a good friend to take a 

photo of our two families together. 

I printed it out and added it to the middle of the frame.

Here's the finished project. 

Todd and Darb, we will miss you terribly 

but know you're off on a wonderful new adventure. 

Here's to new beginnings.

We'll be road-tripping to visit you soon! 

Fondly,

Pink and Green Mama

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