I Spy Crawl Quilts

I was recently contacted out of the blue by someone who bought one of my I Spy Crawl Quilts several years ago.

I started making these quilts when I lived in Darwin ten years ago, every time a friend or relative had a baby. They were inspired by the hard tile flours in Darwin and the number of soft little babies I knew at the time, including my daughter. Novelty fabrics were really popular then too and everyone was making "I Spy" quilts. When we first moved to Maleny, I started to make the quilts to sell in the local arts and crafts shop.

I designed a label which outlined all the positive features of the quilts and sewed them on the backs. I made the quilts using either a black or white sashing to stimulate the eyes of babies and because they both complemented all the colours in the fabrics.

That label has turned out to be one of my better business decisions, although I didn't know it at the time! I received so many repeat orders for the quilts then...and now a new generation of nieces and nephews have arrived and the orders have started up again. I wrote the label up in my design book at the time, so it was easy to go back to it and copy it out again. The original was dated 2004.

The latest quilts have evolved a bit from the originals:

The I Spy Charm Squares (you can get these from my eBay Store if you press that link)

are now 5 inches instead f 6 1/2 to make it easier to add Moda Charm packs to them if wanted,

(These are the latest two on the design wall.)

The sashings are 2 1/2 inches instead of 1 1/2 inches,

The wadding is 100% organic bamboo rather than thick polyester, and

The quilts are quilted in a crosshatch and tied with wool, rather than just tied.

They still have:

49 charm squares,

Multicoloured solid corner squares and wool ties,

Durable, funky cotton backings,

Bold stripey machine sewn double bindings, and

The same label.

The moral of this story?

Always label your quilts!

Happy sewing,

Ann ♥

p.s. Thank you Chelle, for the sweet photo of your little one on one of the original quilts.