klswift

I think you are on the way to knowing what to use. Look at the city and what is the first memory that pops into your head? Like the gladiator thought, something that meant something to the 2 of you. What a wonderful adventure it sounds like you had.

MadQuilter

What a great idea.

Jeanne S

I made and gifted a travel themed quilt. I used more generic travel prints that had old world maps and airplane/luggage rather than specific cities or countries. I used the BQ pattern by Maple Island Quilts, putting the travel prints in the large squares and two coordinating solids for the background.

Sleepy Hollow

Thanks for all the ideas, please keep them coming!

He will definitely receive a few quilts over his lifetime (well, as long as I can keep making them!). I do have some specific memories to use, but need more ideas for all the other blocks! Travel has a lot of memories for us, these countries were visited between ages 9 and 17, so it will definitely resonate with him (for example, one thing I will include is the phrase "Take, take!"-- we got to meet and stay with family in Southern France, and had to communicate with some language barrier. To get us to eat more, they would pick up a plate of food and say "take, take!". We now say that often.) For our last trip, it was five weeks of pretty spontaneous travel, so he got to select a lot of the sites and cities we visited. So, along with theater, it's a pretty major interest.

As for using photos (love this idea), does anyone have a good tip for something that will wear/wash well? And, what to avoid if you have had a bad experience? I don't always trust ideas on blogs and pinterest, I prefer when I "know" someone with the experience. I'll also search on the rest of the board.

Also, thank you for specific brands to check out, it will help my searches!

SuziSew

if you like to paper piece, Quilt Art Designs has been doing a BOM called Wanderlust. Here are a couple that might work that you can find for sale on Craftsy:

Berlin: https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/pat...n-angel/308926
Venice: https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/pat...-venice/304170
Paris: https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/pat...m-paris/299347
Holland: https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/pat...holland/294569
London: https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/pat...-bridge/289379

There are others but they aren't in Europe (i.e. Wall of China, Sydney Harbor, Rio)

Dina

Your son is going to love this travel quilt! What a good idea.

Dina

fred liniger

I love the double 4 patch for that Big block for main subject pic's and small one for events. People I've made one just loved it. It displays a lot of pictures of their travels.

marietta

I use Spoonflower for fabric pictures. I upload a pic I want to use and most times have it printed on a swatch 8x8.

Jane Quilter

wow....what a great pattern set as a travel quilt idea
and each is only $4.00 or free.

sshell

I have made several quilts from the pattern "Quick Trip Quilts". by Eleanor Burns. Whenever I visits a new location now I try to buy fabrics that remind me of that area. But I also have made quilts for my sons that will remind them of their home state. Example: dogwoods, cardinals, NASCAR, Virginia Tech. (Can you guess they grew up in south side Va). These quilts go together quickly and are quite lovely.