"I Spy" quilts
 

I want to make an "I Spy" baby quilt for a friend, who already has a 3 year old. I think it will be fun for the 2 little boys to play "I Spy" with each other, and for the older boy to "teach" the younger one the names of things.

My question is this: how in the world do you accumulate enough fabric to complete such a quilt?? Since I want a lot of variety, I'll need a lot of interesting fabrics to "fussy cut" the objects. I haven't been able to find charm packs with novelty items in them, and it would cost too much to buy a yard of material just for one small block. [I don't have these kinds of fabric in my stash].

So if you've made an "I Spy" quilt, please tell me how you collected/found the fabric without breaking the bank!

Thanking you in advance,

Jory

I plan to do this soon, I bought several hundred 4" squares from eBay.

Swap or beg from your quilty friends.

You can request them on this site. Just tell folks if you have a theme, like baby blue, toys, trucks, bugs, candy, space, miscellaneous, etc. Tell us what size squares to send and if you would like more than one of each square or all different.

There are layer cakes of I spy fabric. I've purchased them from Missouri Star Quilt Co.

http://www.missouriquiltco.com/shop/...ary-layer-cake

I'm sure they are available other places, too.

My LQS will also sell fabric in as small a strip as I want to buy. I've bought some I spy stuff that way, too.

When you get several purchased and cut you should have extra squares of some. Take your extra squares and try to trade them with someone. Someone like me would be a good idea. I love I spy fabric!

I'm working on one now and I participated in a swap. That helps tremendously!

Fat Quarters or Fat Eighths would be a lower cost than full on yardages.

Also, watch for fabrics with multi possibilities in the one piece.

For example, I was FC squares last night for a different project ... from one farm animal print I was able to get 6 different farm animals, and there were four other smaller farm items (tractor, corn, milk cans, hay) that I did not use.

I bought some from Etsy. I typed I Spy in their search and found people selling them.

What are you looking for; anything in particular? What size squares? I'm sure I got some you can use!

I think Marcia D is the QUEEN of I Spy quilts!

I host the 6" fabric square swaps with different themes. The current one is posted http://www.quiltingboard.com/member-...p-t224956.html if you are interested. I have accumulated a TON of I-Spy fabs from my swap. 1/2 yard of fabric, cut 12 squares and that's it. Also I have seen a lot on Ebay for sale. I also watch the clearance section and the "mistake" cut section for squares.

Also, check this section http://www.quiltingboard.com/offers-f24/ and this section http://www.quiltingboard.com/items-sale-trade-f20/

members have to qualify to ask for donations... please read the guidelines under the Free Offers and Donations forum

Wow! I'm overwhelmed by the response: so many options that I hadn't thought of! I like the idea of swapping, so expect to hear from me again! (BTW: my only quilty friends are all of you: haven't found a 'real-time' quilt friend in my area yet).

Jory

Same boat!!! No "real life" quilty friends except the ones I met on here. I have met up with a couple when I've headed to Dallas for the weekend, but none in my area.

Yep, just post on here what you are looking for and what size. I am sure a few of us will be happy to help you out!! Or PM me with what you need , I will send you something . I make 100's of kids quilts.

The "Member Swaps and Round Robins" section of this board often has an I Spy swap going on. I've participated in two and have 180 5" squares as a result. Don't know when the next one will be but probably soon. You might pm Owlvamp because she has hosted the two I know of.

I do several I spy swaps on the board - you swap sets of 20 squares on owlvamp's 5" square swap, so you need about 1/2 a yard per set - so you if you swap the max, which is 6 sets, you get 120 different squares back! Next swap is in September.

Collecting I-Spy quilt squares
 

Hi --OWLVAMP hosts an I-Spy - 5" block swap about every other month. Next one is in September. Keep an eye out for the announcement from her in Member Swaps and Round Robin Resources site. I've participated on at least 3 swaps...each time I received enough squares to make a lap quilt -- approximately 100 squares. Easy to make a nice I-Spy quilt from that many squares. Attached is the D4P I-Spy quilt I made for my 2 yr old granddaughter. - Julie

These are all great ideas. You never know on e-bay if the squares are fancy-cut or not but you might try 'Quilting fabrics I Spy' in the topic line. It never hurts to look.

We put out word for a guild meeting for every one to bring 6 in squares for " I SPY ". Hugs

I hosted a swap. 20 ladies each sent me 20 5" squares in 2 different designs. I sorted them all out and sent them back to everyone. So I'm 40 squares in now...

I bought remnants for years before I had enough novelty prints to make two I Spy quilts for gifts.

If you do buy fabrics, make up a template with a window of it for the finished size you want.
Not all designs/prints cut up well in a given size.
Some work well in a larger format - some in a smaller -

www.keepsakequilting.com has charm packs of kid friendly fabrics.

I Spy doesn't have to be all "pictures". You can do solid colors to learn different colors or numbers, shapes all of which you can draw or applique onto solid pieces. You can also has two of each picture and play "find the match". Sounds like you already have tons of good ideas to find fabrics, look forward to seeing what you make.

I Spy Quilt
 

I made an I Spy in a girl (pastels) and a boy (blues and bolds) version by using a charm pack of juvenile prints and then complimentary fabrics from my stash. I made the disappearing nine patch block with the juvenile/novelty prints in the four outside corners, which makes them the focus of the block. They came out adorable!

Barb A.

I am currently making an I spy quilt for my almost 9 year old DGD. She requested an I spy for her BD to put on her new twin bed. I am using blocks she specifically asked for...not an easy task, because she is not a girlie-girl and specifically said. "NO PINK!". She is very sport oriented, so lots of baseball, swimmers, etc. I am using 8 1/2" squares so I don't need so many. I asked my quilty friends to contribute some squares. I bought half yard cuts of fabrics, and figure I can get more blocks for charity quilts. It is becoming lots of fun looking for just the right pieces.

There are numerous versions of I Spy -- here is one I made where the magnifying glass image was supposedly coming out of the background.

Here's another using just squares with sashing.

Sometimes you can ask at a quilt shop for scraps from their scrap bin...I got 21 pieces for my apple core quilt
for $2; I was making a charm apple core quilt. I have the top done but I need to hand quilt it since I hand
pieced it on vacations in Colorado. It got too expensive to buy fat quarters.

I would be able to send you some, if you tell me the size, and perhaps for the postage.

I love I spy quilts. I have done swaps on the quilting board, check out the swap section. I have also purchased novelly prints on this board as well, plus gathering my own. It is quite fun but does take time to collect all the variety. You will have fun. Google I Spy quilts and you will see a variety of ways of doing them. I have made 6 I spy quilts and loved them all. I think they are posted on this board.

Check out this site... http://www.craftconn.com/Main.asp?Ta...productID=8300

I participated in a "charm swap" here on this board. They have them often. Just keep watching or start one yourself.....I got a lot of very cute pieces that I used in several charity "I Spy" quilts....

I agree with Marcia D...I know i have some fun pieces I'd be happy to share. I want to eventually make I Spy quilts for my granddaughters and I have plenty of fabric :) It'd be fun to see where all the squares come from too :)

I have made several "I spy" quilts. I just started collecting. I bought 1/4 yards at JoAnn's or bought them from fat quarter spots on Ebay. I took the time to fussy cut them into 5" and 6" squares. I used 100 different blocks that were sashed in black. It's time consuming but probably the most used quilts I have ever made. Every time I see my Grand nieces they run for their quilt and we play I Spy...priceless.

I will be doing another I Spy Swap in September. They will be 5 inch squares and 20 in a baggy. Children fabrics and they will need to be fuzzy cut as well.

I haven't seen any lately, but try looking for the panels for children's cloth books. I did one recently for my dentist's assistant. It was a book about jungle animals(sorry, no pics). Just used the pages for blocks and did wonky sashing.

Wow! I just googled "fabric panels children's books" and you would be amazed at the variety of cute ones from different suppliers!

I've bought many small pieces of fabric from the "leftovers" basket at quilt shops. They are usually discounted, and sometimes have an additional % off.