Have a pile of scraps waiting for a good use? Need a quick last minute gift for the toddler or preschooler on your list? How about sewing up a Fabric I-Spy Book? I originally created this tutorial for the Holiday Bake, Craft and Sew-Along over at Skip to My Lou. If you’re looking for more Christmas cooking and crafting ideas, there are some great recipes and tutorials over there that you have to go check out!
This Fabric I-Spy Book is a perfect gift for toddlers to preschoolers, and it’s a great way to use up those scraps that you’ve been hanging on to! The book is folded accordion-style so your little one can read it like a book:
or unfold it to seek and find on multiple pages all at once:
Can you find a white measuring tape? a dalmation with spots? #18 celebrating? two barbecue grills? a swimming dinosaur with rainbow dots? a mama with six little babies?
Ready to get started? Gather up the busiest, most colorful fabric scraps you can find and click here for the downloadable pdf tutorial: Downloadable I-Spy Book Tute.
This is going on my list of things to do! Love the idea of it being a book instead of a quilt. Thanks!
Fabulous idea! I think My daughter would love this. I wonder if I could get it done in time to be a stocking stuffer?!
Hi Bonnie, I just want to say a Big Thank You for this wonderful little book. I made one to live in a pocket in his Christmas present …. a Quiet Book (or Busy book) made for my little grandson. I just LOVED making it. So Thank You, I hope this is encouraging for you, one of your brilliant ideas has gone all the way to Pride and Prejudice country (Derbyshire) in England.
Have a wonderful and productive New Year.
Val xx Berkshire UK
Thanks for sharing the tutorial. I’m going to make one for my boy…thanks:)
PS …. I forgot to say, if you have time to peek at my today posting you will see my effort. I will put the kettle on ….. just in case you can stop by :0)
Can’t wait to get started on this book. Just curious about the fusable fleece. When I think of fleece I think of heavy fluffy fabric. Is this different? Can you buy it anywhere? All I have to pick from is WalMart. Thanks, Kathy
Hi, Kathy! Yes, fusible fleece is sort of fluffy. It’s what gives the book it’s structure. I have found it in Walmart’s fabric section, in the area with the interfacing and stabilizer. I’d love to see your book when you’re finished!
Thank you for this great tutorial. I immediately dove into my fabric scraps after reading this tutorial. Great idea!
This looks really fun Bonnie!
Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing this tutorial. You have made a grandmother’s day complete. :O :O
I made one of these today for my 1 year old grand daughter’s birthday tomorrow and I think it turned out really cute but I’m wondering if I did something wrong. The right side of the book stays closed with the fastener that I applied but the left side springs up uncontrollably. I can get it to lie flat with much pressing but it’s unbound. Is that the way it’s supposed to be or did I forget something?
Hi, Marilyn!
The book does only fasten on one side which helps keep it neatly stored away, but it doesn’t keep it completely closed. If you are looking to prevent it from opening at all, you would need to figure out where to position a second tab on the opposite side. It’s been a bit since I sewed one of these and I’m on vacation so I don’t have one in front of me, but I think a tab placed opposite of the snap with a snap or hook & loop fastener placed opposite of the first tab would do the trick.
I just noticed that you asked about getting it to lie flat, too. I’ve not had any issues with that, but it sounds like maybe you used a really thick fleece or batting. I use Pellon 987F for the majority of my projects. It’s a low-loft fleece which gives just a little bit of cushioning: http://www.pellonprojects.com/products/987f-fusible-fleece/