I Spy quilts

[sudokufan]

Any been there, done that tips?  Fabrics/motifs that worked great, or you'd avoid?  I've made a couple quilts but this will be the first I Spy, and I'm just starting to collect fabrics.  I'm planning to do pieced trucks with black yo-yo wheels, and the back of each truck will be the I Spy fabric.  I'll try to insert a pic of the block mockup I made - it's just construction paper, to figure out the size and details.

[MadApple]

Your idea is cute! How many trucks do you think you'll make for your quilt?

I've never made an iSpy quilt before, but I've been collecting fabric for one for a while. I try to save pieces that have small images and small pattern repeats because I don't know how big I want my pieces to be. I only save 100% cotton fabrics so I know they'll all be the same. I think iSpy quilts that have some sort of solid sashing/pieces between the patterned pieces makes it easier to search through them when trying to "spy" a certain fabric. It looks like you won't need that though since you are making trucks.

I'm a little hexagon obsessed, and I love paper piecing with them, so I've been leaning toward making a Hexie iSpy quilt. One with squares, rectangles, or tumblers would be a lot easier though, so who knows what I'll ultimately do. 

Here are some of my inspirations:

    

[sudokufan]

I love love love the hexagon quilts, but I can never quite bring myself to commit to one, you know?

I'm thinking of making 24 trucks - the block will probably be 8 x 12, so if I do 4 across and 6 down I'll have a 4ft square quilt. Good size for play or naps, especially if I add borders. Might applique his name in the border. Hmmm. I love this planning stage.

Thanks for sharing your inspiration pics, I've pinned them for reference :-D

[craftcrazymama]

I made one for my little girl and she LOVES it!

I spent quite a few months sourcing fabrics with discernible objects on them that she could 'spy'. Anything that would fit in a 4.5" square made the cut (mind the pun ; )). I then sashed them all. As MadApple said, I felt it would be much easier for littlies to spy with a plain surround.

It cost me a small fortune and a fair bit of time but it's definitely a favourite so well worth it. And I probably have enough fabric to make another one since I had to buy minimum cuts.

[MadApple]

craftcrazymama, can we see a picture of yours?

[cmeon]

Very cute way to do the blocks (as trucks).

I've been test-printing fabric this week, so that's where my head is right now- but, I think it would be perfect to print your own blocks for this type of quilt! You need so little of each fabric, and it would be so fun to put pictures of family members, pets, favorite toys, foods in the spy blocks, wouldn't it? Okay- so the people and pets might be a little weird with the truck theme- but, fun!

ETA: Here's my very first test print (done on a $70 Epson printer- which uses pigment based ink). It's Heather Ross's clothespin dolls on cheap cotton muslin. I need to work on the color- Photoshop's Epson preset didn't manage this very well, IMO- but, pretty cool.

SO wrinkled- sorry! But, you can see that the very edges get a little messy, but, most of the piece is very nice.

[sudokufan]

Jul 20, 2015 10:13:16 GMT -5 cmeon said:

Very cute way to do the blocks (as trucks).

I've been test-printing fabric this week, so that's where my head is right now- but, I think it would be perfect to print your own blocks for this type of quilt! You need so little of each fabric, and it would be so fun to put pictures of family members, pets, favorite toys, foods in the spy blocks, wouldn't it? Okay- so the people and pets might be a little weird with the truck theme- but, fun!

Oh man, I like the way you think!  I'd make the family and pets the drivers of the trucks - I was thinking of doing windows anyhow, and how funny would that be?

[craftcrazymama]

No a great photo as its late and dark here, and it's very crinkled from being folded and played in but here it is MadApple


I was originally going to do it as Polaroids but all the extra sashing meant I wouldn't fit at many images in so I went for this way.

[sudokufan]

craftcrazymama, I love it! I spy jellyfish! How fun. I really like the idea of incorporating alphabet fabric like that, I'll have to see if I can find some that will work with my blocks.

[MadApple]

Jul 21, 2015 5:05:07 GMT -5 craftcrazymama said:

No a great photo as its late and dark here, and it's very crinkled from being folded and played in but here it is MadApple

I was originally going to do it as Polaroids but all the extra sashing meant I wouldn't fit at many images in so I went for this way.

I love it it! I thought about doing Polaroids too and came to the same conclusion you did.

Do you remember what size squares you used and how wide your sashing was cut? I'm leaning in the direction of using squares so an I-Spy quilt might actually be made before my kids won't care anymore.