When I asked my niece if she wanted me to make another soft and pretty quilt for her daughter (like this one) or an I Spy Quilt, she jumped at the idea of an I Spy Quilt. My niece, Serena, is a teacher, and she loved the idea of the quilt being a fun and interactive way to learn and play.
If you haven’t heard of an I Spy Quilt before the idea is that you use a variety of different fabrics in fun children’s prints and patterns so that children can search for and identify them. This helps develop their visual recognition and cognitive skills, while also providing a cozy and comforting blanket for them to snuggle with.
Chain Piecing
Not only is this I Spy Quilt super cute, but it’s perfect for mastering chain piecing because we are sewing 100 blocks together for this quilt.
If you have been following me for a while you will know I have struggled with chain piecing because I always get into a pickle.
But stick with me and in this tutorial I will show you how to chain piece with a fail-proof method, using my handy dandy Number Cards. Get your free copy HERE.
Use as Many Different Fabrics as You Can
The best I Spy Quilts have many different fabrics to make them as interactive as possible. This quilt pattern uses 50 different 5″ x 5″ pieces.
You can buy precut fabric packs on Etsy, find my packs HERE, and other Etsy seller packs HERE.
You might already have on hand a lot of children’s scrap fabric or don’t mind buying lots of different fabrics to make up this quilt.
Another idea could be to do a fabric swap with friends, which sounds like a great excuse to get together and have a fabric swapping party!
Tools Needed to Make an I Spy Quilt
- Number Cards – get your free copy HERE
- Pins
- Scissors
- Rotary Cutter, Ruler, and Mat
- Sewing machine – I have this one
Fabric Requirements to Make an I Spy Quilt
I always recommend using 100% quilting cotton fabric for quilt tops.
FABRIC:
- (50) 5″ x 5″ Pieces of Quilting Cotton Fabric
- 1 Yard of Fabric for the Background
PLUS:
- 2½” Yards of Fabric for Backing
- ⅜ Yard of Fabric for Binding
- Batting
Please watch my video for step-by-step instructions on exactly how to make your own I Spy Kit. If you enjoy my tutorial please hit the like button!
Thanks for checking out my I Spy Quilt tutorial! If you enjoyed this tutorial, be sure to take a look at some of my other quilt tutorials, which can be found HERE.
Pin it! Want to make an I Spy Quilt later? Don’t lose this tutorial, pin it now to one of your boards on Pinterest!
And if you have any suggestions for other projects you’d like to see, feel free to drop me a line!
Thanks again for stopping by, and happy quilting!
Stacey x
