I have been collecting embroidered patches of trails my husband and I have hiked and now I want to make a small wall hanging to display them. Have any of you used patches to make quilts? Any ideas for fabrics, layouts, tips for working with embroidered patches... I know you quilters are a treasure chest of creativity. Thanks for your help.

I would take squares of fabric and sew a patch to each one. Then I would put sashing around each square and then sew each row up. If you have an embroidery machine your could even label each square with a personal note.

Here's the link to a boy scout quilt someone on the board posted. This may give you an idea. There may be others on here if you go to the top of the screen and click on search and type in boy scout quilts.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-48183-1.htm

Attic windows, with a patch in each window

I love how these quilts were done!!!

That's exactly what I was going to say....I think that would make each patch stand out.

yes that is great

If you are going to sew them with a machine, use a denim or leather needle right next to the satin stich edging. If it has the iron on gunk on the back it will break your needle if you try to sew through it. If you want to just iron them on the quilt and they don't have the iron on gunk already, use the heavy duty double sided pellon it seems to work best. Put it on the patch first then iron the patch on the quilt top.
Old Girl Scout Leader.

depending on how large you want to make it...how about an outline map (including states) of the USA and the patches placed in the areas they are from on the map? Or perhaps a smaller map in the center of the wall hanging and the patches surrounding it?

cool ideas!

So many great ideas. I like the attic windows idea, also the US map as a medallion maybe. Thanks, "old" girl scout leader for the tips on the needles. I would have broken them. You've got my juices flowing now.

There is a beautiful quilt using fire department badges made by board member "shequilts" that was made for their GA
fire dept. I dont know how to add the link but do a search here for it. It's vvveeerrrryy nice.

This is just what I was thinking!

Thanks! This is the post from the fire fighter badge quilt if anyone else wants to see it. http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-37359-1.htm She did indeed do a beautiful job. I'm not sure I want anything that big, but ideas are percolating...