Googlie Eyes On A Quilt?
 

Howdy y'all :c)

I know I've posted a lot of questions about this particular quilt, but to me it's the most important project I have ever undertaken! I am almost finished collecting all of the fabrics and specialty items I need to make the quilt for a little boy who is a Shaken Baby Syndrome survivor. As a result of his injuries, he has Cerebral Palsy and is blind in one eye and has 20/400 vision in the other one. His quilt will be bright and will be a tactile quilt with lots of textures!

Of course, the quilt has to be visually appealing to those who are able to see it as well. There will be an appliquéd Old English Sheepdog in one block (12" blocks), a fiberfill stuffed teddy bear in one, and a lamb in another one. The dog will be made with faux fur, the teddy bear with minky, and the lamb with faux sheepskin. I have buttons to use as the noses, but couldn't find a darn thing I liked for the eyes.

So I'm wondering.....is there a way to attach the little googlie eyes to a quilt, and to those types of fabrics, so that they can withstand washings? Does anyone make them in a sew-on variety? All of the ones I've seen are either peel-and-stick or glue-ons. Any advice and ideas would be welcome! :c)

Donna

I have not seen them but there must be a source since they are sometimes on stuffed animals etc that are manufactured commercially. Would it work to take two buttons of each eye one slightly larger than the other and sew them on together to represent the coloured part and the iris of the eye in a dark colour, just a thought?

There are some sew-on eyes. Amazon has some:
http://www.amazon.com/Sew-On-Wiggle-...dp/B001E5VR7K/

I'm pretty sure they would not survive a washing machine and dryer experience very well. I learned the hard way with my daughter's stuffed animals to wrap a long sock around the eyes and cover the head and sock with another sock -- all to protect the eyes from abrasions. This would be hard to do on a quilt. I would say, if you are going to use these on a quilt, the quilt would best be washed as if it were a precious quilt -- meaning it could be put into a top-loader machine but should not be allowed to agitate (stop machine and push down by hand to agitate), spin cycle, rinse but again with no agitation, then spin. It would also need to be laid out flat to dry.

What ever you use, if you use dental floss to sew it on they will stay on much longer/better.

Could you take a large black button and paint the white spot/arc on?

Alternately, could you sew a piece of clear plastic (like a wallet window) in a circle on, with bias tape covering the edges and providing some stability, with a small black flat button inside? Just a few rambling thoughts from me!

They make sew on google eyes, but even better there are child safe eyes with a post that goes through the fabric and a permanent push on washer on the back. They are used for stuffed animals. Might be available in Joann's or Michaels in the doll section. Be sure the child won't be able to get the pieces off and swallow them. Nice thing that you are doing

You're wonderful to be so excited about this special project. For a tactile quilt, don't forget corduroy and velvet. They both have wonderful texture.

Maybe applique eyes would be safer. Don't forget the satin texture.

Thanks for all the input y'all!! Lori, I thought about the 2-button eyes, but was afraid they might be a bit bulky since the heads of the animals will only be around 3" in diameter. I did find the eyes AND noses with the posts at homesew.com and ordered them this morning, so thanks for that idea pattypurple! I'm just hoping they'll be right size-wise. Thanks to those of you who were concerned about him getting things in his mouth, but I already checked with his Mom and his CP is so severe that he's incapable of getting buttons off or of getting them to his mouth. And dunster, I already have corduroy with a thin grain (for lack of a correct term) to use as logs in a campfire (which will have Angelina fibers in it for the crackling effect) and some of a much wider grain to use as a tree trunk with velvet as the leaves of that tree! :c)

Y'all ROCK! Thanks so much for the input! I'm really hoping this quilt turns out great!

Donna