Albuquerque Airport
In my previous life — the one before quilting consumed me entirely — I traveled extensively for work. I found myself in some very unusual places: the bowels of hospitals, maintenance yards for trains, alongside bottling machines for soda, inside nuclear power plants, climbing out of quarries. My kids tried to shock me with Dirty Jobs or impress me with How It’s Made. 😄
It sounds exciting, but most of those trips kept me in airports, hotels, job sites, and the roads between them. Every so often though, I got a treat. Like the time a small detour led me to a restaurant on Route 66 featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. That meal sparked something — a quiet longing to drive the real Route 66 someday, not just the cartoon version from Disney’s Cars.
My husband actually did it. Every summer growing up, he drove that iconic highway from Joliet, Illinois out to his uncles in Arizona. I am still a little envious.
So while I wait for my road trip, I designed a quilt.
Main Street of America uses mini blocks from Northcott’s Historic Route 66 fabric collection, woven together with traditional pieced blocks representing places along the route: Chicago Pavement, Illinois Star, Missouri Puzzle, St. Louis Star, Kansas Star, Road to Oklahoma, New Mexico, Santa Fe Trail, Ozark Mountains, Texas, Arizona, and Road to California.
2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Route 66 — and I can think of no better way to celebrate than stitching my way from Chicago to California, one block at a time.
My fabric is on its way. When it arrives, I will be sharing pictures and videos here as I make each block. I hope you will join me as I fill the time until I can finally get my kicks on Route 66. Yes, I even love the song. 🎵
Find the pattern – here.
Happy Quilting
