My expectations about swaps -
 

I did do swaps for a while.

As has been mentioned in the rules/guidelines of the swap section, send what you would like to receive.

I think these expectations are reasonable:

1) That the colors listed should be the colors used.

I am aware of one swap where the colors listed were red, green, gold/yellow, and white. Someone came along and said - "Oh, I did not read the guidelines, and made my blocks in blue and yellow." (The blocks were pretty and nicely done, but did not go well with the other blocks.) Another instance was blue and yellow - I received a block made with blue background fabric with pink roses.

2) That the size should be very close to the expected size.

I know one can "improvise" - but how many newbies/beginners are even going to think about checking the dimensions? or what to do if the blocks are not the same size? I considered myself an "advanced beginner" - but it did not occur to me to check to see if all the blocks were close to the same size until I had them laid out and I was about 1-1/2 inches off in one row.

Sorry you've had such bad experiences in the past. I have participated in too many great swaps on this quilting board to have that be my conclusion. Off the board, you are spot on, and I too have been burned, badly. But on the board, the members make a great effort at accuracy, maybe it is the widespread use of great tools like the cutting die machines. And they make a great effort at color adherence, and count. I've also noticed when someone is displeased with what they got because the fabric was not to code such as color , size, type, there is a great scramble to "make it right" between members. I don't know if this is because of the threat of negative feedback on the board, or because we are all good friends on the board and want to treat each other as good friends and not as anonymous recipients. I also give great credit to the swap leaders, who work hard and have to deal with these issues in a loving manner, and they are very successful. I guess you can tell, I love to swap, trade, and donate with my friends on this board, and I hope you will jump in and try again. We would love to include you.....Jane Quilter

We do block exchanges at our monthly modern guild meeting. There are always some that don't conform to the guidelines usually with color or fabric choices. I've stopped participating because I don't want to use the odd blocks in a quilt. Making a quilt with the blocks is required.

I've never done a swap but from what I've read they seem satisfying on the board.
I have a couple of hangups about them. One is that my block won't be good enough
and two, that I'm picky about fabric.
So I guess I'm not a good candidate!

I have participated in a couple of swaps and decided that they are not my cup of tea.

For me, it's like going to a restaurant - if I order a pork chop and the server brings chicken - even though the chicken may be delicious - it was not what I ordered and was expecting to get.

Thank you for the invitation - but for now - I think I will pass.

I don't participate in swaps. My reason is different than the reasons already mentioned. I have had the experience of not being acknowledged when my item was received in the mail by my partner. My best quilting friend has also had this experience. Ironically, both our partners (at different times) were the swap hostess! Yes, there was tracking data to prove our packages had been received, and there was the partner, on the board chatting happily about her storage container solutions or making something for her mother in law, but no PM or public post about just getting the items from me or my friend.

I've participated in a few swaps on the board ad I think for me it's more about sharing the experience with others (as a social experience) rather than the final outcome. I find also that it helps me expand my horizons and 'get-out-of-a-rut'! I received some gorgeous blocks that contained a variety of black fabrics...I don't quilt much with black, but having these new blocks gave me the nod to experiment and I love how it's turning out. Don't think I would've gone that way myself, but with friends yes!!!

I have done swaps over the years. The most interesting one was in my quilt guild where I had to supply a 10" square of one fabric for each participant. The result was to be a 12" block using the starting fabric (the swap rules). The results were interesting -- the print I chose had a lot of colors and of course everyone chose their coordinating fabrics (which is what I wanted), but the resulting blocks were interesting -- not only different blocks but the size ranged from 6" to 18" with everyone having a fascinating reason for the non-12" size. Fortunately, I was not bound to make a single quilt, so I sorted the blocks to the closest size, added enough sashing so they were all the same size, added a few blocks of my own and got 2 table runners and a lap quilt. They turned out very nice and were a matching set but not identical. Turned out to be a lot of fun figuring out how to use the blocks. What was even more fun was that everyone participating in the swap had to contribute at least one block to the charity quilts we make. When enough blocks were gathered we had a sew day to assemble them (and we all got to pick which blocks we put together). Most of the blocks were orphans from quilts or classes and they were fun to see and assemble, too.

I've done many swaps over the years and if you don't read the guidelines, you simply get your own blocks back.

I did a swap once of placemats. I made what I thought were really pretty ones with apple fabric. I barely got a thank you from the other party. Guess I will keep my own placemats.

I feel I need to apologize to who ever it was. I was in a swap and I received the package, but did not acknowledge that I had received it. Ooooppss! I got a real dressing down.

Perhaps I am banned now, I do not know. I was a newbie and did not know how to use this board, find a PM address and just now discovering that I can click "Whats New" and get a days jump on what every one else is talking about.

Still shaking head......

I did one swap Secret Pal Swap on this board, my package was received, but not acknowledged. The following month my entire package was acknowledged as a package sent by my recipient to her new monthly partner. That was my last swap Secret Pal Swap on this board.

Shame to hear some of you al having such bad experiences. I'm sorry that it has turned you off the swaps.

I join in the swaps more for the social and sharing aspect and experience than for what I myself get in the end. (It's true, I never knew there where so many differnt 9 1/2" sizes!) But everyone's cutting mat may be differnt. I know my cutting mat doesn't even line up with my ruler, and I got them as a set!

I love sharing my work and chatting with the group. And looking forward to the mail is the most exciting!

I have done a couple of block swaps. I really enjoyed them. I received some really interesting blocks that I never would have done myself. I find that I am too picky about the fabrics I like for swaps. Swaps just aren't for some people. I do love the fabric swaps and have participated in several. It is a wonderful way to get a huge variety of fabrics.
Thanks to everyone who run the swaps.

My experience has been, in some cases, that the sender used such thin, flimsy fabric that the block was useless.

Yeah, that's a concern of mine. I'm snobbish about fabric lol

With all these negatives, let me give a shout out to the Boomerang Swaps here on the board. They are block swaps. JaniceMcC runs them so well that everyone ends up happy. She 'reminds' us many times Not to send in our blocks until we measure and get that perfect 12.5" square. Sometimes you have to adjust seams to get them there. But having a good leader who will hold you accountable to the standards of the swap really makes a difference.

I've been involved in four swaps. Two for were fabric swaps. In both cases, the fabrics were not of lqs quality and very thin. Another swap was for miniatures quilts. The one I received was one regular sized block/pieces w/binding. Nothing was miniature except for the overall size of the quilt (somewhere about 12"). And the last was for a small wallhanging. The one I received is very nice and I was so appreciative of it as it hangs with two other small wallhangings in my K.

Three disappointments out of four. Swaps are no longer for me. When I corresponded w/the coordinator, I was told that we need to make allowances for beginners. I agree, but one single block of regular-sized pieces is not miniature. Perhaps an explanation of miniature should have been more explicit in the rules/regulations. And perhaps the beginner had not read the requirements. Anyhow, . . . .

I participate on block swaps here and two other boards. One board has a quilting nanny and if the blocks are off by more than a quarter inch or if there are other problems she sends them back. She also has a tutorial to help folks learn how to sew scant 1/4" seams, get perfect points, etc. The other board is "anything goes". The last swap was for 8 blocks and I ended up with 5 usable. With postage as high as it is these days, it's not worth it to me to get unusable blocks.
Actually postage is what has made me re-evaluate participating in swaps at all. But I do enjoy they when they work right.

I don't participate in swaps. I have many, many yards of fabrics that I want to use.

I have never been in a swap but was wondering if you could use the odd blocks on the back of your quilt.

yes please use left over blocks on the back if you like. it will make an interesting backing and help out if you are short of backing.
I have one king size qlt with lovely swap blocks. most from around the world. one is an applique block of roses. wonderful work! a few years ago i had to stop swapping due to postal rates going so high. shame.

I used to participate in a block exchange with some fellow employees along with their family or friends. There was always someone who "did their own thing." Half square triangles were supposed be half white or light and half dark. A lot had almost no contrast and those look strange in the pattern chosen. Another exchange sounded great, but the squares could be any size from 6 to 12 inches and those are proving very difficult to put together.

i suspect that if you join a swap of any type, anywhere, with expectations, you are almost certain to end up disappointed to some degree.

join with hope;
join with whimsy;
join with patience;
join with generosity; or
join with a sense of adventure.

you are far more likely to end up feeling good about it. ;)

Maybe the "guidelines" should read something like this?

Send in five blocks - any shape, any color, any size, any pattern, any quality of fabric, any quality of workmanship, made from washed or unwashed fabrics - and get five blocks back.

Would it still be a "reasonable" expectation to get five blocks back? :shock: :rolleyes:

I don't feel "bad" about the swaps I participated in - I consider them to have been "educational" - I learned something from every block that came back - and from the blocks that I sent out, too.

Actually - it might be interesting to send four - of what I would consider "coordinated" sampler blocks to someone - and get four of what my trading partner would consider "coordinated" sampler blocks.

I have done a few swaps and disappointment turned to hilarity. I used quality quilt shop fabric. I got back blocks made from cheap muslin, cotton blends, old musty smelling fabric, points cut off, seams not meeting, seams sewn crooked, I could go on. Most of them went in the trash. I did a Secret Pal twice. The first time I got a card for Easter and package of plastic eggs, a stuffed rabbit, and a coupon for $1 off a package of Hershey Bars. Never heard another word until Christmas when I got a tin of cookies all broken. LOL The second swap I got a spool of used thread along with a poem about used thread. Then I got a ziplock bag of buttons cut off clothes, some still had fabric attached and a poem about old buttons. For Christmas I got set of placemats, one with a glass ring stain on it. I am tempted to join a Round Robin to see what monstrosity I will receive back just for the heck of it. ;)

I once did something like this at a quilt store. We had to buy the batik fabric, pay a couple bucks for the background fabric and enter the contest. I won the blocks but the fabric store owner didn’t reserve enough of the background so she substituted and the blocks didn’t work well together. Decided right then and there that I’m picky and these swaps aren’t for me. Also I once bought a lovely set of blocks sewed together on this board for $10 and when I received it, it was just horribly sewed, it wouldn’t lie flat if I steam rolled it. I stick to my own blocks for now.

I've been swapping with another on line group for over 3 years and it's been a great experience!

However, I have seen issues in other swaps where rules were not followed (and not enforced). If a swap is "anything goes" that's fine but just state that upfront so folks know what to expect.

I participated in exactly one swap with a group of quilters who used vintage machines. The design chosen was very forgiving if you needed to trim the blocks to a consistent size. That was a good thing since I probably got two or three of the twelve blocks that met the requested size! Much worse was that it was supposed to be white and a solid primary color - red, green, blue, etc. This was important for the design. I got prints and pastels. It completely turned me off swaps. The blocks are in a storage box now, and they won’t ever get used by me. I ought to take them to a guild meeting and see if anyone can make a baby quilt from them.

lol ...
that wasn't what i meant.

face it.
no matter how clear and detailed guidelines are, somebody is either going to misunderstand, think they have met the requirements even though they haven't, or just plain not care.

our local guild does show-and-tell. no matter how gawdawful something might be, nobody will tell the quilter that they went wrong somewhere, let alone where or how to avoid it in future. that's just one example of how things work just about everywhere. so lots of quilters don't know their stuff is not what it could be if somebody had been brave enough to tell them the truth.

our swap hostesses are allowed to return items unswapped if they don't comply with the guidelines.
but "good enough" and "correct" are subjective.

so, by expecting only the unexpected, you won't be surprised or overly disappointed.

I find it very interesting that we have not heard from those swappers who have received better than they sent.

don't hold your breath unless you look really good in blue. lol

I've been reading this thread since it's beginning. I haven't made any comments to this point. I have participated in several swaps on this board and on a chicken board I am pretty active on. On this board I have participated in the Boom swaps for about 3 years, several mug rug swaps, and a couple of wall hanging swaps. On the other board, I have participated in fall color, chicken, underground railroad, and about 3 other specific block swaps (and a few crocheted block swaps). I listed the swaps so you understand I have participated in more then one. In all these swaps by far the majority of the blocks have been nicely made w/ good fabric. I have only received under 5 (of well over 100) that were unusable, and another less then 5 that needed a little rework to be usable. I have had more then this w/ cut off points, but every swap I have participated in has been up front and clear all skill levels were welcome, while I would prefer not to have cut off points, if I play w/ all skill levels I know going in this is a possibility. I have seen some quilters really grow and expand b/c of playing in the swaps, they get blocks back that inspire them to improve for the next swap. Especially in the Boom swaps those ladies I consider my friends we share our lives good and bad, we laugh and cry w/ each other. We have a core group that play in every boom, and others that come and go as they can.
Here are some of my finishes from swaps

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This last one isn't finished yet, but close.

I consider myself an above average piecer and love participating in the booms specifically and swaps in general.

I like the fellowship that builds in these group swaps, but don't participate because I have lots of quilts I want to make therefore choose not to make blocks someone else thought up or use blocks made by someone else :)
I know me, I'd never get around to my own stuff and then I'd start beating myself up...

In my original post - I mentioned only two things -
colors and size.

Kassaundra, that top quilt is marvelous! I love how your quilting accentuates the blocks! Also such a clever way to include the blocks that were left over. I will do that next time!

I love swaps although I haven't participated for awhile because I can't meet deadlines and currently have no sewing space. Hopefully, that issue will be fixed over the winter as we eliminate a ton of stuff. The thing is that I can't really afford to participate any longer either here or at my other quilting place primarily due to the cost of fabric. Most of the swaps don't allow me to use what fabric I have on hand. I don't mind buying solid background fabric, but then there are requirements that eliminate fabric I own and/or require me to buy batiks (which I won't). To actually make the quilt, I have to buy yet more fabric because what I have won't work with the swap blocks I end up with. So other than kitty cat block swaps, I'm out. For now.

And as an FYI - if you have mis-sized blocks from a swap, sashing will fix most ills. I just sash them all, take my ruler and cut them all to one size. I have never concerned myself with cut off points because I've never noticed them after I finished the quilt. Alternatively, you can do what Kassaundra did and make a beautiful back with those that don't quite work.