I have had the idea of a magical forest quilt in my head for a while now, and I thought it might be fun to do this as a swap. I love trees in all shapes and sizes! I would love to see a whole entire tree quilt with some magical creatures scattered here and there. Think gnomes, fairies, forest homes, mushrooms .... just the things you would see in a magical forest. My vision is something like this:
With some magical creatures peaking around as well:
(these quilts/blocks are not mine, just some examples) Of course I know you ladies will go above and beyond my vision and come up with some even more awesome ideas that I haven't even thought of yet!! So do you want to join me on this crazy swap idea? Here are the details .... be sure to read them all, then you can post here or shoot me a PM with your intent to join us. Just let me know roughly how many sets you'll be doing, so I know how many piles I'll need to be climbing over round here.
What size are the blocks? Your blocks should be divisible by 3” when finished. The blocks can be square or rectangle, so long as both finished sides are divisible by three. Be sure to add seam allowances to your unfinished blocks. So a finished block of 6x6, should be sent to me unfinished at 6.5x6.5. A rectangle that will finish at 6x12, should be sent to me at 6.5x12.5 and so on…. If you are unsure what to add for seam allowance, please PM me.
How many blocks do I send? Please send blocks to me in sets of 6. You may send as many sets as you would like to receive back, so if you send me 2 sets (12 blocks), you will get 12 different blocks back. There is no limit to the number of sets you can send me, just keep in mind how many sets there are total in the swap, and remember that not everyone can get everyone else's blocks!! I will be swapping all 6 of your blocks, so if you want to have one for yourself, be sure to make an extra! (Note: Since we are all sending in different sizes and different amounts, no one will end up with similar sets, so please feel free to make your six blocks in a set the same, similar, or different. It may be easier on you if they are the same, but so long as you mail to me in sets of 6, you can do whatever fits your stash!)
**Note** 3x3 finished size blocks (3.5 x 3.5 unfinished) are wonderful to have for this type of swap as they work great as filler. Since these smallies are quick and easy to make, I am making the rule that 2 of these count as 1 full size block. So in order to swap your smallies for another block, you must include 2 (so if you sent a whole set of the small fries, you'd need to send 12 small ones to get 6 blocks back). If you don't follow this rule, you may end up with fewer blocks than you had hoped for back. This makes it more fair for me to trade out your smallies for a larger-ie. Also, I don't mind a few of these, but let's not go crazy with these little guys.
Who can swap? Anyone can swap! I haven't officially called this a "funky" swap, but these blocks do not need to be super realistic, they can be a little off kilter. The more fun and playful they are, the better!! So even if you haven't mastered the skill of matching points, have no fear, you can do this swap!!
I don't live in the US, can I play too? Yes!! I am more than happy to accommodate international swappers. What we will do for postage is once I am ready to mail back to you, I will send you a paypal invoice for the shipping amount plus paypal fees, then I will use that to ship back to you. This is truly the best way to handle this rather than trying to send American currency, as shipping amounts overseas can vary so much. If I do not hear back from you regarding the shipping fees within a reasonable time frame after you have been contacted by me (a week say), then the blocks become mine. All mine!! mwahahaha (hehe sorry I couldn't help myself) ... but seriously if I don't get payment for shipping timely, then the blocks will stay here and probably be made into a donation quilt. So be sure to check your PMs here around the time that I should be mailing if you are an international swapper. Also, be sure to mail to me extra early to make sure they arrive by the deadline!
What style of blocks are you looking for? The blocks can be traditionally pieced, paper pieced (
here's my favorite method), embroidered, or appliqued. Choose your favorite method and show us your skills!
What are the deadlines? Sign-ups for this swap end on May 15th. You can post your intent to sign-up in this thread or you can PM me (remember to tell me how many sets you'll be doing!). Once you sign-up, I will send you my mailing address. I must have all the blocks in my hands by June 1st. I cannot accept late packages for this one as we are going on vacation mid-June and I want to have all your squishies back to you before I go. Any packages received after June 1st will be returned unswapped. Sorry to be strict on this one, but if you are worried about this, I encourage you to mail sooner! Get them out of your way! Send them to me so they can be in my way!! LOL
How do I get my blocks ready to mail? Please attach a slip of paper to each block that includes at the very least your board name, this will help me know which blocks are yours when I am swapping (so you won't get your own back ). It’s also fun to include your real name, email address, and state on the paper so people can see where all the blocks are coming from and possibly send you a thank you! Before putting your blocks in the envelope (or box) to mail to me, place them in a large Ziploc bag and close tightly, then write your name and address on the outside of the Ziploc bag. If you have ever swapped before, you have probably heard of swap blocks separating from their envelopes occasionally, putting your blocks in the Ziploc bag will help ensure that the blocks make it back to you if this should happen. I would highly suggest mailing in a priority box for this reason, but I will leave that decision up to you.
What about postage? Please include in your package, a Self Addressed Envelope and the amount of postage it took to mail to you, plus a few extra stamps (or even a dollar or two). If you want to mail priority, I will get the box from the post office myself, just make sure you include enough postage or cash for a priority box (I believe it starts at $5.35 now, but may be more depending on the weight). Remember, since we have all different size blocks it may cost more to send back to you then it cost to send to me. All loose postage and money sent will be pooled and used to mail the boxes and envelopes, if I have extra they will be set aside to use in a future swap!
How do I keep track of the swap? I have created a group to use to keep track of members of this swap. You can find it here:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/groups/...-swap-g16.html You will be invited to the group once you sign up. I will keep track of who has joined us, how many sets they plan on doing, and I will mark when I receive a package as well. I think that is it for now (a lot of reading I know, but it should answer all the questions!). I am very excited for this swap, and I can't wait to see who wants to talk a walk in the magical forest with me!
Cheers! Rachel