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I Spy Something Sorta New

March 6, 2012 By crafterhours 39 Comments

Sometimes things come together when you’re not expecting it. I never thought I’d get excited about an I Spy swap, let alone become a hawker of gourmet I Spies. But that’s what’s happened.

As I was deciding what would go in the next I Spy assortment, I talked to my friend Kyra about it a bit. She took part in the last swap and helped sort it out, so she’s on the (very) short list of friends who a) understand what I’m talking about and b) at least pretends to care. She had a genius idea. What about a set of alphabet I Spies? Ding ding ding ding! I knew I had to do it because I want one myself. Yes. Sign me up.

We’re still building that set, and if you have a Spoonflower fabric suggestion for the set, pleeeease send it my way. I love that I’ve gotten some great suggestions so far and that it makes the whole effort more collaborative and fun. I’ve spent many, many hours combing Spoonflower and there are just. so. many fantastic designers.

So to accompany the upcoming set, I decided I wanted labels for my own project, and thought it’d be worth sharing. I dug through the Eden and Alloy sets and added a few squares from my swap stash. I’m obsessed with this work in progress:

The labels set is printed on Kona cotton and starts out looking like this:

A ruler and a rotary cutter make cutting these up a two minute task. I created both 4″ and 5″ sizes, knowing that Spoonflower I Spy loving folks have a lot of 5″ squares, and non-Spoonflower folks are more likely to have 4″ squares. And then there are people like me, with both.

I’m also in the category of “both” as far as deciding how to use these. I loved how they look with the full-size squares– and there are some prints that aren’t halved as easily as others.

But so far it’s the half-sizes that have gotten most of my attention. I’m working out the plan for sashing and a border, thinking that this will be bigger than a doll quilt but smaller than a toddler quilt. I’ve already had to say “hands-off” to K who wanted to run away with parts of it. I’m thinking my plan for this particular quilt as a gift might not work out they way I was hoping. Hmph. The cool part about the half-size cuts (two rectangles of 5″ x 2.5″ from the assortment/swap sized squares that were 5″) is that now I’ve got two A-Z print sets, ready to go. Really, the hard part is deciding which print to pair with each letter. Some letters have so many options. And if this is for a little kid, I’d choose different prints than I might choose for an older kid. I like to think about making the older ones work a little harder. And for grown-up I Spy lovers they can be really funny.

Whenever I work on quilts I get a little crazed to finish them. So I’m expecting to be back with an update in a few days. You can check the labels out in the shop. So far I’ve printed a handful of sets with blue letters, but there’s an option in the shop for special orders of other colors of lettering, if you fancy those instead.

You might notice in that top image that “Q” is for… quicksand. A square of sand-colored linen. In allll of the squares I have, hundreds, I had nothing for Q. I’m looking forward to the new alphabet set to remedy that. Have a fabric suggestion for Q? Lay it on me.

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Filed Under: quilt Tagged With: I Spy, quilt

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Comments

  1. Megan says

    March 6, 2012 at 5:15 pm

    Q is a tough one for me too! The only thing I have come up with is quilt. I also can NOT find anything for X! I have been looking for x-ray fabric and every time I click on a link, it is for a discontinued (or already sold cut of) fabric!

    Reply
    • crafterhours says

      March 8, 2012 at 11:50 am

      There may be an X-ray in the upcoming set. I heard a rumor…

      Reply
  2. ninjadesigns says

    March 6, 2012 at 5:34 pm

    q is for… queen? i didn’t seen anything appropriate on spoonflower, but something like this http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/41508 in a modified scale might work.

    q is for… quail? http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/957405

    q is for… quotation? http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/145

    i don’t know, that’s all i’ve got!

    Reply
  3. Erin says

    March 6, 2012 at 5:37 pm

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    Reply
  4. Kris @ everywhereorange.com says

    March 6, 2012 at 5:40 pm

    I LOVE THIS!!!! yesterday i FINALLY started the i-spy quilt for my son with squares from the last 2 swaps I started and finished the top of the quilt yesterday, i was just too excited to stop sewing!!

    Reply
    • crafterhours says

      March 8, 2012 at 11:51 am

      I knooooow the feeling. My family might’ve missed a few “real” meals when I worked on my first I Spy quilt.

      Reply
  5. Kristi says

    March 6, 2012 at 5:43 pm

    This is a great idea. I have always been interested in Eye Spy quilts, but I love the idea of incorporating the letters with them. Great work!!

    Reply
  6. Katy Cameron says

    March 6, 2012 at 5:59 pm

    Err, how about Q is for Quilt… ;o) or Queen or Quail

    Reply
  7. Kate says

    March 6, 2012 at 6:19 pm

    Looove it!

    Reply
  8. Heather says

    March 6, 2012 at 6:39 pm

    What about q is for question? There are a few question mark fabrics on spoonflower! http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/409748

    Reply
  9. Heather says

    March 6, 2012 at 6:41 pm

    Or quill! Then you can find a feather fabric like:
    http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/585750

    Reply
  10. Heather says

    March 6, 2012 at 6:43 pm

    Or for an older child…quadrilateral :)

    Reply
  11. Heather says

    March 6, 2012 at 6:53 pm

    Ok, sorry that I’ve left these in so many comments, but how about quarter?
    http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/339404

    (I keep on thinking about q words every time I click away.)

    Reply
    • crafterhours says

      March 8, 2012 at 11:52 am

      :) I love all of these!

      Reply
  12. Leslie says

    March 6, 2012 at 7:38 pm

    How are there no queens on on Spoonflower? That really surprises me. If you want to make an older kid think try a fabric with racecars or runners to elicit quick. Or maybe a finger over the lips for quiet. Or ducks for quack, which might even work for a younger child.

    Reply
  13. Anonymous says

    March 7, 2012 at 3:52 am

    For X, how about Xylophones? http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/162741

    Reply
    • crafterhours says

      March 8, 2012 at 11:54 am

      I’ve shied away from that print, even though it’s a favorite of mine, because it was included in at least one, if not both, of the swaps. It may reappear in a second alphabet set… part of the consideration set. :)

      Reply
  14. Jeni says

    March 7, 2012 at 5:42 am

    I thought quilt too! This one would work – alsofor a half square I think
    http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/443405
    or quill?
    And is it rude to suggest one of my own for E? http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/578545

    Reply
    • crafterhours says

      March 8, 2012 at 11:49 am

      Not rude at all, I love it! Adding it to my list! I comb through to check for scale and resolution and to look at how it fits with the rest of the set. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  15. Heidi V says

    March 7, 2012 at 2:29 pm

    I love the idea of x-ray for x…someone needs to design this!!
    Also…C is for camper: http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/99219
    and F is for fire: http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/99160

    Reply
  16. Care says

    March 7, 2012 at 8:02 pm

    I’M IN LOVE!!! I-Spy + Alphabet?? Sign me up!!!!
    The labels are genius!

    Reply
  17. April says

    March 8, 2012 at 9:51 am

    This looks really cute!! Is this something you buy, or how does it work?

    Reply
    • crafterhours says

      March 8, 2012 at 11:56 am

      Hi April! The letter labels and fabric assortments are both available in the shop: http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/162741

      Thanks for asking. Sometimes I don’t do such a great job of making what I’m trying to say make sense. Maybe too much coffee? :)

      Reply
    • Sasha Wheatley says

      March 9, 2012 at 2:36 am

      An ABC assortment sounds wonderful! I think you posted a wrong link. I found the labels in your shop but no ABC assortment. Does it mean it’s coming? If it is, THANK YOU for creating it – i am looking forward to it.

      Reply
    • crafterhours says

      March 9, 2012 at 10:57 am

      Yes! It’s coming! :) Susan

      Reply
  18. Jessica says

    March 8, 2012 at 11:27 am

    This is SO awesome! It’s given me so many ideas I love it! I think everything I can think of with a Q was already said though.

    Reply
    • crafterhours says

      March 8, 2012 at 11:58 am

      Thanks! There were a bunch here I hadn’t thought of. And now I think I need to dig back through my pile for “quill”. I might have one and I might’ve automatically jumped to “feather”. Although for now I think quicksand is kind of funny. We’ll see what my kids think. Ha!

      Reply
  19. UBee says

    March 8, 2012 at 1:40 pm

    I LOVE this idea! If you made up an ABC assortment of I-spy squares, I would buy it along with the printed labels.

    Reply
  20. Hannah Jean says

    March 9, 2012 at 12:11 am

    Q is for quintuplets?
    Queen, quote, quail, quill have already been said…
    How about quiet, quarry, or (barbershop) quartet? :)

    Reply
  21. Natasha says

    March 9, 2012 at 1:15 pm

    You HAVE to do quarters. I highly encourage you to eliminate all means of death from this project. It’s just a downer.

    Reply
  22. Caroline says

    March 10, 2012 at 10:32 am

    Quarts – any milk carton prints?
    Quavers – the musical note
    Quarks – the sub-atomic particle (spoonflower has a physics particle print i think)

    Reply
  23. tricialee says

    March 12, 2012 at 1:58 pm

    I like the Q is for Quilt suggestions, I think that instead of looking for fabric that depicts a quilt, you could actually just piece your 5 inch square. Although the pieces would be small it would be neat as 1/2 square triangles or something. Also, your W is for, is upside down.

    Reply
    • crafterhours says

      March 12, 2012 at 2:03 pm

      Yes, and I couldn’t decide whether to fix it, and then I realized I was “waffling”! HAHAHAHA! Okay, maybe I’m the only one who thinks that’s funny. But either way, I decided to keep it. :) Susan

      Reply
  24. Leslie says

    March 14, 2012 at 6:51 pm

    I neither quilt nor have an obsession for I spy, but I had a dream the the other night about a zig-zag I-spy in which the top zigs were brightly-coloured letters (as in alls a’s or all q’s) in fun fonts on a white background and the zags were the prints. I remember a lot of aqua, blue, red and orange. I hate busy quilts, so there must have been a row of solids between each zig and zag, most likely in a descending rainbow, knowing how much I adore colour. It would be cool to see someone bring this to life. Just an idea.

    Reply
  25. Manda says

    March 15, 2012 at 11:18 pm

    Okay, when does the swap start :) I’m in!

    I’ve done an alphabet charm swap before, and Q was for question.

    Reply
  26. Manda says

    March 16, 2012 at 12:30 am

    What did you have for Z?

    Reply

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