No I don't swap or even donate. I am so put off by the venom of people on this board about smoking/pet hair and numerous other allergy related issues that their needs are the singular most important thing for any member to join a swap or donate. Frankly I wonder how some of them are able to leave their homes. I have smoke/pets in my home.

I have truly tried to be understanding of these people's thoughts but wonder why it is necessary to continually have these type of posts on this board. Frankly, I imagine many of them have annoying children, bad habits, bodily smells that would offend me but they act like they own the right to continually complain and whine. Good Lord it has to be extremely off putting to many members. I haven't responded to any of their topics/comments but decided to now.

I make quilts for people all the time, donate many, and have never had a problem with any of them. I only use LQS quality fabrics and I do wash after I make all of them. They don't smell or have pet hair on them. I have no desire to make blocks/donate to unappreciative people. But I have read so many complaints here about picky people, and all the other topics people wish to gripe about that as much as I enjoy this board I will not swap or donate here. It is their loss not mine. I will just continue to give to the people that are happy to receive a quilt made with love and gift to ones I know that are in need in my own community.

Diana, I hear what you're saying as I have read many topics here about what you are saying. It's a sad thing to me but that's the way it is. I am so amused about how everyone talks about how wonderful quilters are (I do believe most of us are) but there are numerous ones that only validate the fact that they are just like everyone else and not some special breed. Sorry to get off your topic a bit but it really is a sad situation when I am sure many people don't get involved because of what you are saying and what I am trying to say. ;)

There are some swaps that I would like to do, but I haven't joined any, and the main reason is I have enough problems working on my own things, little only something for someone else. Maybe if I was more efficient at getting things done, I might.

Not any more. Maybe if it's with my friends I sew with at church. I know their work and I know that they only buy quality fabrics and no one smokes etc.
I did do one on the board here and I was not all that happy with the quality of the blocks. I have not put it together, and if I do I will probably donate it to charity.

If there's a demand, maybe someone should set up a swap that specifically states that it's OK if the blocks smell of smoke or have pet hair on them?

I did a birthday block swap last year. It was fun, but I'm not planning to do it again. I just don't have the money, for starters. In the UK, quilting fabric generally costs about £10/m and international postage costs (everyone else was abroad) are high, even if you try to send batches of blocks to someone to redistribute every few months. The main problem, however, was that my birthday is mid December and a lot of the participants had stopped bothering by then. I really had to beg to get remotely near the number of blocks I'd sent out, and only got them because some kind people who weren't even in the swap made "angel blocks" (one person made five, bless her).

So it was interesting and fun as a one-off, but too many problems to want to do it again, even though it's supposedly better-organised this year (after the one person who said her birthday was in Feb and got an awful lot of blocks before we realised that she'd scammed us and not made a single block for anyone else). I asked for crazy quilt blocks with a female sexuality theme (one person took this fairly literally!), you know, the shape in the middle and the colours and such. I've just started sewing the blocks to the sashing tonight, it's shades of red and deep pink and orange and the back will be red. I'm really looking forward to the quilting: appropriate motifs (I don't think I'll dare post the quilt here, judging by the zombie quilt people will be too shocked by it!) and it'll be my first foray into big stitch quilting with perle 8. The quilt is going to this charity: http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/, it's a subject I feel passionately about.

I never have and please don't take offense anyone!!

1. I'm fussy about fabrics
2. I have way too many projects waiting!! haha

I do want to participate in the cat swap though b/c I can't imagine not liking a cat fabric!

I have enough UFO's to finish already. Did a birthday swap with my sewing group, each person was to show a finished project two meetings after their birthday--its been 5 months and mine is still not finished. That's OK I guess because I haven't seen any finished one. :)

I have joined many swaps on the QB and I guess I am missing something. I do the swaps, get mine there on time, and when mine come back to me, I don't smell them or check for hair or look for anything negative, I am thrilled to get them and I finsihed them with whatever blocks I have. I really like it when they sign their blocks or put a label so I can put it. The reason I am on the board is to meet people and this is one way I do it. I hope more positive responses make it on here too. I even have special emrboidered labels made for each swap for centers. I am in several again and will continue to join them and pray nothing like what is being said, happens to me. I do appreciate everyone's opinions though. Whether in our groups we see in person or groups on the board, there will alsways be the one that didn't come thru, but life happens. As for colors and patterns having to be the same, I would want them to be similar or we wouldn't have a matching set to make a wonderful quilt. For thsoe who chose not to swap, I am so glad you have the things you like to do on your own and can still enjoy your love of quilting. Fot those who continue to do swaps whether here or wherever, I hope we can withstand those "few" and make the best of it. JMHO And thanks to those quilters who sponsor the swaps, you go above and beyond and have to deal with so many personalities. Thank you.

I do swap, as a self proclaimed "intermediate beginner" I love to see others work, their techniques, color choices, etc. I am allergic to smoke, but when something comes to me from a smoker, I just give it time to air out then include it with whatever it was supposed to go with. I too have pets, or quilt testers if you will :) :) So far I have not been disappointed in any of the swaps I've joined. I'm not nearly as experienced or as good as a lot of you, but I do try and to me that counts. If a swap has too many particulars for me, then I don't join, but if I think I'll enjoy it I do. I've made some nice friends swapping also, we keep in touch, and enjoy the long distance friendship.

i used to swap and be a hostess but every single time there was a smoker involved even though smokers weren't supposed to join in.

people would complain about the smell and when i was the hostess i had to keep those blocks away and spray the room with febreeze trying to remove the smell from the blocks.


so needless to say, i do not bother any longer.

ABsolutely agree. I've been stung on it a couple of times. Prefer to work on my charity quilts instead.