How would you describe an I Spy Quilt?
 

I am in the process of making an I Spy quilt as part of a fund raiser for an special needs child in our community. I would like to include a little description on how to "use" the quilt but am not sure what to put on the card. This is the first time I have made one, I don't have grands yet, so I'm not sure how to describe it. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to word the accompanying instructions?

To me, I Spy quilts can be made/used in two ways. The first is a simple take off from the children's game "I spy with my little eye..." Game: you name an item pictured in the quilt and the child searches to find it. Teaches the child colors and nouns. The second is when an I Spy quilt is made with 2 of each item, and the child finds a named item and the second one that matches it.

Jeanne said it all

Thanks, Jeanne S! My cousin is coming for a week and we will be making I Spy's. Have never though of using matching squares!

Thank you, Jeanne! The top is finished, but I didn't think of the second version. Next time I will do the matching part as well. :o

To play with someone who says "find me a flower. Where is the puppy? Do you see anything blue?" I also put a few squares that are repeats so the person can ask "Do you see two the same?"

Thank you, Boston. More good ideas :thumbup:

I also wondered but didn't ask about the "I Spy" quilts. Gives me an idea for my nephews little ones.

They are great for counting, teaching colors- naming items- matching- etc. Also great for speech therapy- more fun than flash cards! These are my favorite type of quilts to make for kids.

I would not include directions. Maybe just put on the label " I spy with my little eye ". Whoever gets the quilt will know what to do

I make a quick I Spy version. Each block is a diff fabric, with 2 snowball corners. I trim the extra HST, sew them into a flying goose and that becomes part of the border. Not only can you look for things in the novelty fabrics, you can match them to the border. (and I use up all those leftover HST!)

That's like the "Memory" game.

You can also make them like "peek-a-boo" blocks with pockets/envelopes, so the kid has to lift a flap. That is a more specialized version, I suppose.

Believe it or not, if you google "How to play I spy" you will come up with a variety of sites with game rules which you could easily cut and past, then print out as a tag to accompany the quilt. We play lots of variations beyond the usual color clue-- a spelling variant -- "Something that begins with Q" or "rhymes with" or "the animal that makes this sound__". It's a great game for building vocabulary, conversational skills (unless you play thumbs up/thumbs down variation), turn taking. Great idea for the fund raiser you're doing.

You might say something like "great way for parents and child to play I Spy at bedtime. I Spy increases a child (and adult!) observation and language skills.

Just finished this for a baby shower gift.[ATTACH=CONFIG]543895[/ATTACH]

I am using an I Spy quilt in my toddler Sunday School class to teach them what God has made and what man has made. It is a huge success and keeps them involved. 1 and 2 year olds have short attention spans but they love a quilt on the floor and to look and point out pictures, colors objects, etc.

Thanks Jenny I didn't know the part of the I spy that the quilt was a matching game too. That to me makes it cool

Because I make my I Spy quilts for charity, I usually have one block that is embroidered I SPY. The quilts with double blocks are labeled MATCH ME.

Agree. Great description, Jeanne.

Some years ago I made several !I Spy' quilts using bright fabrics with black sashing and borders, I then quilted freehand with white thread "I spy with my little eye.......what do you see????" in the sashings and borders!!

I make many I Spy quilts, along with the washing instructions & fabric content I enclose a paper that says "fun for cuddle & play" so with the description in the raffle ones it says "I Spy, fun for cuddle & play"

When I do an I Spy quilt, I do it in 2 halves. I cut out two of each of the motif I want to use. One half is a simple search and find using one of each of the two fabrics. The second half the motifs are all scrambled around. That way if you fold the qult in half, one half will be a search and find. But if you open the quilt up, it becomes a matching game.

You can also do I Spy using fabric that represents letters of the alphabet. Instead of matching pictures you can have two figgerent fabrics that represent each letter. Then you can have them find the squares that start with A, etc.

I describe them as quilts with lots of identifiable objects on them. When I donate them I add a label that says, "This is an I Spy quilt. What can you find?"

I love what you did with the leftover triangles! I've always hated wasting those.

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*** An I Spy quilt that can be used to teach A B C's & identification of animal and other objects.
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