farm girl

What size block would be best for a three year old I Spy Quilt?

lindaschipper

When I do mine they are either cut at 4" or 5"... actually for me it depends more on the size of the item I'm trying to capture.

copycat

I used 5" squares for the I-spy fabrics. If you are wishing to make a smaller quilt for the child to drag around then a smaller block size works well. If you are making a larger quilt size for a toddler bed, a larger block size will make the quilt softer in my opinion.

bkay

I think 5" is the most common size used. I wouldn't think the child's age would have much to do with it.
The disappearing 9 patch is 5". The sashed blocks are 4" and finish at 6".

bkay

Tartan

Take a look at your fabrics and see what size of square you need to capture the image with a 1/4 inch seam allowance all around. 5 inches seems to be a good size for squares but I have also seen minis that are purse size quilts with tiny 2 inch square I Spy’s for keeping children amused at church or similar. Another option is a match I spy where there are 2 images the same that a child can find. Match I spy’s are also a good option if you have a limited number of conversation prints to work with. Have fun!

Gemm

When I am making my I Spy quilts, my smallest pieces are 2.5" and I try to go no bigger than 8.5". I am very much guided by the size of the print/motif. I know the little pieces/motifs will be more problematic for very young children, but I hope that my quilts will grow with the child and will keep their interest for years. Tartan's comment about match I Spy quilts is also a good one - anything that gives many options for play/interaction/engagement is great! Here is a link to some of my I Spy quilts: I Spy Quints (not a typo!) and counting...

farm girl

I like the idea of the plain blocks between the squares. Thanks for including the picture.

farm girl

I will have to think about the 2" squares but I like the idea of something to keep his attention during church.

wesing

We use 5” squares in our I-Spy quilts, and we buy fabric with that measurement in mind so we can be sure we get a good image on the 4.5” finished squares. We use a 10 by 13 layout and it makes a quilt about 45 by 58.5 without borders. That is a good size up through early school age.

Maire

I use 6 inch square, 8 across 9 down, nice size for toddlers and on the floor for babies. I use a bright color decorative stitch between the blocks to give them a little separation. I put an I Spy & Match 2 label on the back & baby’s name and get many requests.