I made a quilt for my husband for our 45th anniversary. It was from places we had been in the past 45 years, culminating with the center square being our home and paths (running stitch) to where our families came from. I used natural muslin and embroidered the outline of the states and then free hand or tracing, did the memory stuff - like grasshoppers from South Dakota when our cabin was being invaded by those marauding bugs, Chopsticks from Chicago, water lily from the Amana Colonies, Hoover Dam from when we were in Las Vegas, etc. I embellished it with a glass blue bead representing our 45th year (sapphire) and gold thread for the coins from the casinos, both in Nevada, New Jersey and Minnesota. It was a long project, but it turned out just perfect. That way you get exactly what you want and your embroidery is just as good as already printed fabric - if not moreso. Everything was totally related to our 45 years. Actually, I drew a picture of our home with the three paper birch trees. Anyone would know what it was. That was my project. It was sashed, bordered and then I did the shadow for the quilting. He loved it! Edie