I Spy Quints (not a typo!) and counting...
 

In my intro to the board, I explained how I had taken quite a long break from quilting, but found myself getting back into it when I was living in lockdown due to the global pandemic. I was, at first, very limited in terms of what I had to hand, and so that dictated my first quilting endeavours. One of the first things I made was an I Spy quilt for a friend/colleague's child - I had quite a collection of novelty prints (mostly FQs or less) left over from the 90s, and so I started. As I laid out the quilt, I learned that a LQS had set up online ordering with curbside pickup, and so I filled out my stash a bit. I spent a couple of weeks planning and cutting and putting it all together, and using this process to maintain some sanity. Fast forward a few weeks and I was finally able to deliver a quilt to my friend's daughter (socially-distanced, of course). My mother really liked what I had done and asked if I would be willing to make one for her friend who was expecting a grandchild. I had the fabric and the time, so I said I would. In the meantime, pictures of these quilts got circulated among my mother's friends and I started getting requests to make more quilts. No... not really more quilts. More of _these_ quilts. So they multiplied (as did my collection of novelty prints). I'm at the binding stage of I Spy Quilts # 4 and #5. I have one more "order" to fulfill, and I intend to take a long break after #6. I'm pretty done with novelty prints for now. Don't get me wrong - I have enjoyed this. They are quite fun to make and I enjoy the fussy cutting, but I've also been really glad for a few other projects that have allowed me to believe that I'm not "just" an I Spy quiltmaker! I'd be curious to know if others have had this same sort of experience - being "known" for a certain type or style of quilt and having trouble breaking out of that cycle.

What fun quilts! Kudos on such a undertaking, I am sure they will be treasured, sew much fun!

Well first of all let me say how much I love your quilts. My husband and I both like scrappy. Maybe it brings us back to our childhood when you used fabric you had on hand from recycle or feed sack, etc. I have never thought to put so many different blocks and that in itself helps the scrappiness. I see different size just squares, 4 patches, D9P blocks, love this. Was this an idea you conceived or a pattern you saw?
I made an I Spy Maze once because I sew for charity a lot. I want to make one like yours now.
Speaking of being know for a certain style of quilt, in my sewing group I guess I am known to like to work with panels and I can do so much more. I don’t like to make the same pattern twice.
Keep up the great work. Sewing and quilting has saved a lot of our sanity during these times.-Toogie

Love that your I-Spy’s have different size squares and rectangles. That really gives them a design edge!

These are great quilts! I love them. I love doing I spy quilts.

you asked if anyone has gotten caught up with requests. Mine haven’t been for quilts per se but for memory bears and pillows. I have made some memory / tshirt quilts but it’s the bears and pillows that bring in some of the requests.

thanks for sharing.

All the quilts are very pretty and colorful. The kids will love them.

Thanks everyone for the encouraging comments. I've so appreciated everything I've learned already here and it's because of this being such a great community. :-)

Toogie - back in the 90s when I started playing with novelty fabrics but didn't really have a plan, I started cutting the motifs in standard sizes that would play well with each other, and that's how the blocks got built. The smallest patches are 2-1/2", and I just play around with different combinations to finish up with a 12-1/2" block. I actually have a queen sized I Spy top using these blocks from back in the day... life's path may have got a bit twisted along the way, but I'm just not ready to get rid of it. I've thought about cannibalizing it for these requested quilts, but I remember how happy I was when I was making it and so it's staying in my UFO pile for now. :-)

=35pxactually have a queen sized I Spy top using these blocks from back in the day

i would love to see it! I’m like you, there are some for one reason of another I can’t let go of, especially right away.

Fatsewcat - I hadn't heard of memory bears before; what a lovely idea! Something like that would be such a cherished thing. <3

Toogie - I'll work on it. I don't think I can get it on the clothesline without dragging it in the garden, but I'll give it a go when I dig it out of its hidey-hole!

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

great I Spy. I made one and discovered I'm not a novelty fabric person, Sharing/swapping with other quilters saved me from having to buy lots of pieces. And when I finished it, other quilters were happy to get pieces of the leftovers.

As to being known for something: about 6 mo into my Q experience, someone said, "this looks like a ***** fabric." Looked at what I had chosen and she was right. Put it all back. The next project I made new parameters: all fabric was from sale tables, the pattern had to be a challenge. That ended my predictability. I'm still known for my use of colors, more specifically- value.

I miss cut one of the fabrics so didn't have enough for 12 squares (I can only break a few "rules" at a time-just couldn't do 10 blocks). The pattern name is "Aquarium". The border I designed.
Attachment 634709

Awesome job. Love all the scrappy colors. Bet your pile of scraps went down (at least a little bit.)https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png

Cute Ispy quilts!

The quints are now sextuplets. I already posted this in the VQW thread, but I wanted to add a picture of the last (?) in this series to this thread as well. :-)

What wonderful I spy quilts

Adorable!! I love how you were able to keep all the prints upright!!! difficult to do sometimes.

Great job on all!! I am sure that your next project(s) will turn out just as amazing and fulfilling for you!

These are amazing works, continue in some form, mine were aprons, but I stop. They wanted me to go on ebay and I didn't want all that
cherryb

All are great "I Spy Quilts" and love how you added different sized blocks to help draw interest.

Very fun designs for these I Spy Quilts. You did a great job on them. I have enjoyed each and every one of them.
It is easy to get in a rut making the same quilt over and over. I did that with DWR quilts. Now I haven't made one in about 10 years. Take a well deserved break from you I Spy quilts and do something just for yourself now.

Thanks for all of the encouraging comments! Currently playing around with some bags of HSTs I found at a thrift store. No idea what I will end up doing with them, but it's fun to be playing with new-to-me fabric and having a chance to practice with triangles without feeling the pressure of "making it for someone else." :-)

They made me smile! Thank you for posting.

Wonderful version of the I Spy quits, I love how you use the different blocks. WOW how may prints did you end up with.

Those are some serious "I Spy" quilts! I love how you used different size squares. It keeps the interest! Well done!

Aaaaand...

Yet another I Spy! This is #7, which came out of the phone call advising that #6 had been completed. "Oh, lovely - I'd like another one, too, but I don't need that one until next summer, so there's no rush..." But we're heading to the town where she lives this week so I wanted to see if I could get it done before we go. Success!

Between that phone call and starting this top I had acquired a few more different novelty print pieces, so there are a couple of new things in this one. Sadly, I also had a massive brain fart this week (blaming a bad back) and forgot to switch out for a walking foot so it's not the smoothest quilting job I've ever done, although I think only I would really notice. I hope so.

Anyway, maybe this will be the last I Spy for a while! Maybe...

Definitely an I Spy quilt. Great!

Gemm, like many have said they are unique and wonderful. I've only done a few I spys and kind of followed the norm as many have done. These are beautiful and unique. I love being brain challenged when doing a quilt and your unique design would do it. Having to keep the mind active on where to place a piece or what size or color, and this design does that. Your gift of design will make some happy kids.

I LOVE the I Spy quilts. The books and museum displays always kept and still keep my kids and husband happily busy. Gave an I Spy book to my nieces who had a hard time wrestling the book away from their maternal grandmother. Now that is on my mind to do the same as my adult kids would like it and our youngest has started a family with a very alert boy. Thanks for the inspiration.

Thanks. I was wondering about your process. KEEEP the first one.

Thanks again for the encouragement and applause, everyone. :-)

Karamarie and Farmquilter - I have more novelty fabrics than I think I will ever use effectively... For now they all (mostly) fit into one box at least. See evidence attached.

Pbraun - basically my blocks are 12.5" - anything that goes evenly into 12 is doable, therefore - the .5 is added each time for seam allowances. After that, it's just about trying not to repeat too much. I'm much quicker than I used to be with the piecing - what takes the most time is having to fussy cut most of my motifs.