Those are very unique! Great job!

Those had to be fun to make with all the different novelty prints!

Thank you so much for the story and pictures! I love your individual take on the I-spy quilts, I think it is great to have a style or viewpoint or approach. In my small group we all have definite differences and preferences of all sorts but it feeds on all of us -- one of the group is very improvisational, we do not work at all the same and just don't get what the other is doing until the final reveal. But I have learned a lot from her approach, but its hard for me to let go the way she does... When we share fabrics, there are definite preferences and styles too -- I tend to be handed anything with metallic embellishments or novelty prints...

Mostly I make my own designs and right now I guess I'm sort of bored of my own style-- I've been on a low for the last couple of years and my mojo is just starting to come back. Typically I like to sew/play a bit with fabric every day -- this past year mostly I've been making messes :(

I have a lot of projects on my to do list, and I've just finished a top of my own, but now I'm going to speed piece a top from a magazine just because I have the fabric and the will to sew -- plus I want to put off quilting down that other top for a week or two while I think of what to do.

I've gotten a lot from the Bonnie Hunter mysteries, and am planning to do this year as well. I have a box of solid fabrics that needs using, and one thing I've learned about mysteries is I can just let go and let the fabric and other designer take the credit/blame for whatever happens. I don't have to particularly like it myself -- someone always raves about the final result. It's a push to do it in "real time" and the mystery elements do not make the project go together the easiest way... but then again, it's not my project, I'm just doing it. It's kind of freeing really :)

Love your "I Spy" novelty quilts. I have made a couple but usually incorporated them into other blocks (like the center of a star). I love your approach and never thought to use some of the prints I see: alphabets, individual flowers, etc. It really makes them much more interesting too with the varied sizes of the blocks. I can see why you had so many requests, but understand your need to set that aside and create something else. So glad you shared everything with us.

Iceblossom - your comments about design helped me identify another reason why I enjoy making "my" I Spy quilts. Although as Sewbizgirl said, there is a design element to them, they are also very in-the-moment and spontaneous - as long as you have pieces to play with, the only rule is that the sides need to add up correctly. Sticking with squares is easiest. For the second quilt, I found this great alphabet fabric that I wanted to use and I made so much work for myself when I decided I also wanted to have the alphabet read in order across and down the quilt. It didn't work to have them all in squares, so the rectangles happened which affected how I cut some of the other prints. I really enjoyed the challenge, but you'll see I migrated back to squares when the pressure was on again. It's also an easy type of project to do a bit at a time - there's little need to "remember" where you are in the design - just make the blocks then see how they work together.

I've looked at some of what people here are doing in the BOM/BOW/mystery quilt areas. I'm not sure I'm quite ready for this level of challenge (both in complexity and time pressure), but I've definitely flagged a couple of quilts/block patterns that I'd love to try one day. I'm putting out new little branches here and there, expanding my quilting vocabulary and production!

I admire what you've done and all the people you've made happy!

Very nice quilts. You had a lot of I Spy fabric on hand! A lot of variety.

Beautiful quilts and they will give so many so much happiness! You got your mojo back and it is nice! I am looking forward to your next quilts.

I only did one I spy and really had a blast making it. I also like the mixed up sizes of your design.

Fantastic I spy quilts and they certainly will be treasured by little kiddos