I Spy Plus Quilt Finish

I wanted to be organised with my Christmas Gift Crafting last year, and I'd decided to some friends an I Spy quilt. They have two boys, one loves penguins, the other monkeys, so some eBay shopping in November helped top my my 'novelty' fabrics. Bright colours were important, as was big quilt for family 'sofa snuggling while watching a film' type activities.

So I had a grand plan, and naturally I started cutting on the 26th December.... Gripped to the news keeping track of the floods in York (where I live but thankfully on the edge of the city and relatively high up) I cut out lots of squares and decided on a layout. New extra space on the living room floor created by knocking a wall down came in handy for that!

I was a bit stupid and rather than tackling  it in section I chained pieced the whole thing in one direction, realised on the 27th I wasn't going to get it done before the 'grand tour' of relatives the next day and it was put to one side while I made my Mother in Law a bag to take the next day instead.

The quilt got taken to the January Leeds MQG meeting where I successfully finished the top.

Then it returned a month later to be basted and quilted (downside of new living room, no more basting on the living room carpet). I finished it off at home, then added the binding, and gave it a wash just in time to hand it over at the start of March.

The finished quilt is about 60 by 70 inches in a simple plus design, each fabric features either in one plus, or in one or more part pluses, but no more than 5 squares of each for a extra I Spy potential. Backing is some blue and red fabrics with life belts I've had in my stash for years. Quilting was just a quarter inch both sides of each seam line in a nice grid pattern.

I've already had photographic evidence of the quilt in use which is always lovely to see, and my stash of novelty fabrics has improved for future child orientated quilts too.

So 10 weeks start to finish in a particularly busy time of year for me work wise with a lack of time (and floor space) at home to finish so not too shabby. Hoping the next quilt is quicker though.


One finish from my Finish Along List at least!

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