Thursday, September 30, 2010

Completed I-Spy Strip Quilt

It's done!
I actually finished it last Friday night. I got all obsessed and put together the back, quilted, and bound it all that evening! It was a late night -- but so worth it!

After counting there is a total of 76 DIFFERENT I-Spy fabrics in this quilt -- ALL SCRAPS!


After staring at the photos from my last post multiple times and reading all your comments and suggestions (thank you!) I ultimately decided I liked it ending with the colorful I-Spy borders.


For the back I dug out a few options for fabrics I had on hand. There were three "I-Spy-ish" options, but I liked this funny dog print best for theme and for color. I had 1 1/2 yards of it, and needed just a few more inches -- so HOORAY, I got to paw through more of my I-Spy scraps! :o) I created a long strip to set in, and laid it on top of the backing to see how it looked. All those spies got lost in the print! So, I looked around and found I had a couple strips of black scrap fabric sitting on my cutting table. It was destiny! They frame the strip of spies just right, and give them some POP.




I really wanted to have a nice crisp finished edge, but I still wanted to stay with the I-Spy theme. Black fabric with tiny white paw prints! It's a very narrow binding (had to squeeze it out of the fabric), and I love how it finishes the quilt.

This quilt has been SO MUCH FUN to make! I truly enjoy embarking on projects without a finished product in mind; it really tickles and stretches the creative part of my brain in a way that starting with a plan just can't!

I counted carefully, and there is a total of 76 DIFFERENT I-Spy fabrics in this quilt -- ALL SCRAPS! I had everything on hand -- with the exception of that binding, which cost about $1.50 (a necessary expense; it's too perfect!). Even the batting was a leftover scrap.
TRIUMPH! :o)

15 comments:

p.s.phyllis sews said...

Awesome work in putting this together!
I have one done and a couple more that will be ready to show you soon, I hope!

Connie said...

How innovative! I LOVE. THIS. QUILT!

Brandy@YDK said...

It just looks like so much fun.

Candace said...

It's great! A little of this and a little of that and you have a masterpiece. I have a 9 month old great-grandbaby who gets excited over her quilts and kicks her little legs. She'd get plenty of exercise over your quilt.

Leslie said...

this looks so great. i like the new twist on the i spy

Carrie said...

I love it! And what makes it all the more awesome is it is completely from scraps! (well except for the $1.50 border)

Darling Petunia said...

GO CARE! :)

Cathy said...

It came out great!!! Love the stippling too!

My Handmadehappiness said...

it's ace love it!! x

Suzi said...

It's beautiful. It looks like a stack of books with the spine showing.

Heidi L Barber said...

It looks AWESOME! Good work woman!

elliesue said...

Way to go Girl! you have triumphantly lived up to your blog name, and not only that have done a wonderful job, congrats.

Anonymous said...

Care! It's so wonderful!

Anonymous said...

Care, the quilt is fantastic! Can't wait to see what you come up with next;) Have a wonderful weekend!

Cammie said...

I love it! I need to see it and play with it.

I keep meaning to tell you this, so you get it in a comment. You know on the 1st quilt ever project how so many of us had our squares turn out just a little small, consistently? I think they were 1/2 inch smaller or so. I think that we all may have assumed that the standard foot on our machine was 1/4 inch. It's 3/8 inch. Just 1/8 wider may have thrown everything off. Just a thought for you :)