IMPORTANT CHANGES
Please read the posted information below before signing up. Although my original intention was to keep the swap the same as previous ones, the changes became necessary. Particularly different is the way the Fat Eighths (F8s) and blocks are sent to members. This swap still remains a great opportunity to “meet” people from all over and to receive blocks made personally for you and to make them in return. ALL SKILL LEVELS ARE WELCOME! This is a 2 month (fast) or 4 month (slow) swap. You may work at your own pace once the F8s are mailed so long as you make all mailing deadlines. I hope you'll consider joining Boom 11.
Here's the plan:
1) You will receive a list of Board Names of those in your group with the same time frame.
2) You will choose a fabric (or fabrics ). Cut your fabric into Fat Eighths (F8s are 18” x 11”). You will need one for each member. (Please do not use Eighths (9” x 22”) instead of F8s. F8s are a better size that allows more block options.)
3) You may advise members of colors you’d prefer they use, or not use, on your block but please do not request specific blocks. This is meant to be a “friendship” swap where your friends pick a design and sew a beautiful 12 1/2” unfinished block for you based on their creativity with your fabric.
4)
Send ALL F8s to me in a tracked pkg, with $6* in stamps, Money Order or well-concealed cash. Upon receipt of all your group member’s F8s, I sort and ship you ALL of the F8s you’ll need to complete blocks for your co-members using the $6*. I will provide you tracking info also. (Pls allow me a 3 biz days to sort and get to the Post Office following receipt of the last F8 pkg.)
5) You will sew a block for each member out of the F8 you’ve received from them.
When you have finished ALL blocks, you ship them to me in a tracked pkg, once again with $6* in stamps, Money Order or well-concealed cash, and I sort the blocks into pkgs for each member and return them to the owner using the funds you sent me. I’ll provide tracking info. (Again, allow me 3 biz days to sort blocks and get to the Post Office following receipt of the final pkg.)
*Actual cost will be determined by how much I can carefully stuff into a USPS Priority envelope. I believe one envelope can handle a small group’s F8s or blocks but a larger group will need a larger package so the costs will be higher. I’ll test envelopes with F8’s and blocks of my own soon so I’ll have a better idea of the cost before sign-ups close.
Rules/Guidelines:
Please make sure to also refer to the basic policies that apply to all swaps through the board:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/member-...-a-t20154.html. Please pay attention to the mailing requirements. The Quilting Board requires tracking for every item sent and you must supply me with the tracking numbers. I will supply them to you for the packages I send out.
1) Please prewash your Fat Eighth (F8) fabric or fabrics prior to cutting and mailing them to me and be certain that the fabrics used to complete the blocks you make have also been prewashed prior to making the block.
2) When mailing your F8s to me for distribution, please make sure they are individually sealed in a Ziploc bag or tightly wrapped in Saran Wrap. Label each F8 with your QB name, the member for whom the fabric is meant along with any instructions. Peel-off labels are useful to help the recipient prevent fabric mix-ups, something that’s easy to do. Pls seal and label your completed blocks in the same manner as you did the F8s before mailing them ALL back to me for distribution. (You may advise the member of colors you would prefer they use, or not use, but pls do not request specific blocks. Block choice is the maker’s.)
3) Please mail your F8s to me within 3 wks of the start of the swap, anticipated to be about Jan 1, 2014. The sooner you get them to me, the sooner they go out! Be sure to send me the tracking number as soon as you mail.
4) Carefully handle all fabric received and blocks, placing them somewhere safe until mailing time comes.
5) To help keep track of the fabrics and blocks made, I will email a chart to everyone to complete as you go.
6) Please keep in touch with your group members by posting. I’d like everyone to post at least every two wks with a status of how you are doing. You may post more often (daily?) but just be sure to keep in touch so nobody is left in the dark.
7) All blocks must be completed within the time frame for the group and mailed to me with a tracking number. Please remember that everyone is permitted the full time period to finish. So long as the final mailing date hasn't come and gone, please don't urge a member to hurry. Encouragement is good, pushing isn't. Faster members must be patient and wait for the remainder of the group to finish. I will give reminders as deadlines approach.
8) All blocks should be 12 1/2” unfinished. They may be regularly pieced, paper-pieced, appliquéd, whatever the block maker decides to do. It is up to each individual. Again, the feeling is to get a true friendship quilt out of this. Please do not request specific blocks as the idea is to let everyone, of every skill level, join in and try new things and grow.
9). Please clean up the blocks you’ve made before mailing them to me. Trim your threads, cut your dog ears - remove any excess work from the back. We do not want to have any unnecessary bulk that makes them harder to quilt.
10) Most importantly, HAVE FUN!
Also important information:
You MUST be in good standing with previous swaps. Anyone with unfinished blocks from a previous Boom will not be permitted to join.
Mailing/tracking costs on this swap may seem daunting at first however you may actually find it to be cheaper than if you had to mail each envelope individually, especially in the larger the group. YOU are responsible for the cost of all mailings. (I will provide you with tracking info for any package I ship to you.) If you feel mailing/tracking costs may be an issue, you may not like this swap.
PLEASE do not send fabrics or blocks with perfume or overwhelming fragrances on them due to allergies. There are swap members or family members who have severe allergies to certain things so plstry your best to not send anything that could cause an allergic reaction.
NO public complaints or criticisms of other swappers, items received or other type for any reason are permitted. ALL complaints must be addressed by Private Message (PM) to me. NO EXCEPTIONS!
To join Boom 11, please EMAIL me at
[email protected] (new address!!!) with the following info:
Board Name*
Full Name
Complete Address
Phone Number
Email Address
Have you participated in other Boomerang Swaps? Yes/No
If yes, what was your last Boom?
Do you prefer a Fast Grp (2 mos) OR Slow Grp(4 mos)?
Do you prefer a Small Grp (16?) OR Large Grp (35?)?
*Board name will be given to your fellow group members at the start of the swap. All other info won't be shared.
Please note I will contact everyone PRIOR to that start of the swap to make sure they are still interested in participating.
I hope you will consider joining us for Boom 11! I look forward to hearing from you! (I've previewed this post over and over but I do apologize in advance if I've forgotten anything important. If you have a question, please feel free to ask and I will try to reply promptly.) Thank you. Janice McC