Riebejamen

Hi all!
I'd like some suggestions for ground rules for a UFO/Gadget swap within my Bee. I am probably over thinking this, b/c my co-leader has a tendency to dismiss any interactive ideas I have with our Bee members. (She repeatedly reminds people that "no one is forced to participate" in whatever idea I have.....snacks, projects, single member do-good projects.) From talking to other members in my Bee, they are excited to swap UFO's and gadgets, but I'd like some thoughts on what works, what doesn't. No monies are to be exchanged. I thought about including fabric, but I think that would be complicated the first time around. Thanks!

Snooks

Hi Riebejamen,
First what part of AZ are you in? I'm in AZ too (Yuma).
Second, back to your question. One of the first quilt groups I was in, did a UFO swap. They also did Gadget swaps too. One time they did an Ugly swap, but you all so needed to add the Gadget you liked the best or least. It was fun, because we found out that what some one doesn't like in the block or gadget others liked. It was fun and some of the gadgets got passed around again and again. Good luck and have fun.

hoppa

WE have a yearly ugly fabric swap at our guild You set a guildeline for your swap such as a block or blocks. Have everyone wrap them or put in brown bags so no one knows whose they are. You can then play misic while eveyone is standing and the bags get passed around and when the music stops thats whose pkg/bag they get. What we do is read a poem at a times it says switch right. switch left. so the bags are constantly being turned and it fun to see people get mixed up. They cannot show anyone whT they get and are given so many months ti complete the challenge.

Hope this helps.

fmhall2

We did the same thing in our guild in Illinois some years back. If I remember right, we were to bring a fat quarter of our ugliest fabric in a sealed brown bag. Then we swapped the same way hoppa described they did, and we had until our summer picnic to make something and bring it then. It was fun.

BarbaraSue

My guild had a "white elephant exchange" at Christmas. It had to be under $10, and Quilt related. I thought it was fun. The leader of this read a story to us that was Militarly inspired so we had alot of "right, left,right,left,right" lines in it.

Riebejamen

Hey everyone.... Thanks for the great feedback! My Bee is called the UFO Bee, the Bee started as a gathering to work on those UFO's that we all tend to have; and it's become a bring any project to work on, get ideas, give ideas and talk alot Bee. LOL I was thinking of the swap as a bring an UFO that will never be done for whatever reason....."learned the technique, hate the colors, what was I thinking?, the kid is now in college...." and let someone else either swap it, or just take it. I'd encourage members to bring back the finished project, but otherwise not put any limits on it. The idea being to move/repurpose the I'll-never-finish-this project(s). After all, we ARE the Unfinished Objects Bee. I've had a few who want to sell their UFO's, but I don't think selling project(s) would work too well. We all have more time/money invested than we'd like to admit or that someone else is willing to pay. The idea is to find new homes for unloved and unfinished projects. Several ladies expressed interest, some asked if we could do gadgets as well. I want this to be fun, without obligation.