Hi everyone!!
With the Halloween swap winding down, I wanted to do another holiday swap. I don't have any Valentine quilts, so I thought it would be nice to have something I could pull out for this time of the year. Therefore the theme of this swap is Funky Valentine's Day. If it has to do with love or Valentine's Day, it will work for this swap. I know all of you can get creative with this!!
Here are all the details you need:
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. 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! Even if you are new to quilting or swapping, please feel free to jump in. We want some fun and funky blocks, so if you love your blocks, we will too!! The fun thing about a funky swap is nothing needs to be precise, so this is a great swap for those of us that are not quite proficient at those perfect points yet!
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 September 30th. You can post your intent to sign-up in this thread or you can PM me. Once you sign-up, I will send you my mailing address.
Your blocks must be in my hands by October 31st. This will allow us to have the swap done prior to the holidays (as I know how busy that time of year can get) and give you plenty of time to put this quilt together for Valentine's Day! I will swap the blocks in early November. Of course, if you have your blocks finished sooner, 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?
From doing more recent swaps, it is my suggestion that you purchase a flat rate envelope stamp from your post office, and attach it to a flat rate envelope. Address the envelope and fold it in half and mail it to me with your sets. In previous swaps I had people paying over $12 for sets that could have easily fit in the flat rate mailer for $5.15. Also, including the envelope with the stamp on it this way, makes my life a lot easier when I am ready to mail.
If you choose not to do this, 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). Remember, since we have all different size blocks it may cost more to send back to you then it cost to send to me (unless of course you choose the flat rate option above). 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. Here is the link:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/groups/...-swap-g22.html
This is going to be such a fun swap. I am so excited to see what everyone comes up with. There are always so many more creative ideas than I can think of on my own. I am hoping to have a quilt I can hang on my walls during this time of year since I don't tend to decorate much for this holiday, and I am hoping it will be fun and funky, just like me!!
So let's get funky with the day of love!!
Cheers!
Rachel