I think that there are two types of people in the world, glass half full and glass half empty. Glass half empty people will look at a swap and sigh over crooked seams or "imperfections" that they "never" would have made. Those who are glass half full will oooh and ahhh over pretty fabrics and enjoy the experience.

Swaps are definitely not for everyone. I have done a doll quilt swap on another site and it was a blast. My daughter still sleeps with that little doll quilt that was sent to me every night. She loves it. I also participate in the BOM program at one of the guilds I am a member of. In that case, block and colors are shown at one meeting, folks make as many blocks as they want to/can before the next meeting. At the next meeting, you get a raffle ticket for each block you turn in. The blocks are then awarded to whoever has the winning ticket after a random drawing. That way the person gets enough for a quilt and the rest of us get a chance to practice a block and a chance to possibly win one month.

I brought some fabric to my retreat and friends each made a signature block (10 minute block to keep them from having to take too much time away from their own projects) and I'm in the process of making it into a quilt :)

I think the smoke thing doesn't seem like a big deal to smokers but it is a huge deal to those who don't smoke. I don't have any allergies, I used to smoke in High School and College. However, the smell of smoke on fibers is just nasty and makes me cringe. I would be extremely unhappy if I got smelly blocks in a non-smoking swap. I know the smokers picture fussy people opening the envelope and sniffing the blocks to find the smell, but when fabric or yarn or other fibers come from a smoking house into a non-smoking house, you can smell it on the packaging before you even open it sometimes.

I enjoy the doll quilt swap - and our small art tart group is doing a swap now - but other than that -that is it!!

Hi, I never get envolved in any kind of swap. I belong to two guilds that each have a BOM. It has been years since I even thought doing one of them. In my experience I always end up with blocks that are not the same size. There is always at least one block that is not the right colors or sometimes even pattern. Since piecing is not my strong suit I rarely piece on purpose. To have to try and cope with someone else's mistakes is to stressing.

As a hostess of several swaps, I do specify patterns and fabric selections because as Deb says, when the blocks are swapped out, one does want blocks of similar nature. That is why there are so many swaps being hosted, there is quite a variety out there to choose from. And swaps are not for everyone....I will say, that I have had a few people being 'disappointed' with what they received, mostly because they thought the work they received was inferior. Well, my swaps are open to everyone of ALL levels of skill, as I find that is a great way for one to gain confidence. Most of my patterns are very simple, and I even post step by step instructions when necessary. I am not offended by your question, each has their own reason for swapping or not. That is one purpose of this board, to share!

I did a few swaps with a theme. The first on was sorta ok will have to resew some of the blocks to use but the second one I did the blocks were awful. I would be ashamed to think I sent out the crap I received. Some of it was pretty bad & to boot they weren't sent out on time. It wasn't the lady in charges fault. One of the swappers held it up for everybody. The last one I did was for a single item. I did something really nice for my pal but what I received was truly sad. So I don't swap any more for all these reasons.

Luckily this board allows people to participate either way...you can swap, or you don't have to! I have done several swaps and Round Robins- both participated and hosted. I tend to rebel against lots of rules myself, therefore the swaps that I host don't have too many rules. They are open to all skill levels...so anyone signing up needs to be aware that they might recieve blocks back from beginners. The "pet/smoking" issue is a dilemna....I quit smoking several years ago and the smell isn't all that pleasant. I find that airing them for a few days takes care of it though...mostly. I have pets too...so all my quilts have that "hairy patina".

I see both sides, but truly when I participate in a swap, its more for the "social" aspect, the blocks are a bonus.

I do not swap blocks.
The first time I did a block swap (on a different board)
I was extremely disappointed.
Several blocks were smaller than the size they were suppose to be. Several didn't follow the color placement the block called for. Which was really important in this block for the overall look of the finished quilt. And I had a couple blocks the fabric was thinner than a tissue and would not have held up to washing.
Out of 14 blocks I could use only 6 blocks.
Because of the disappointment decided then and there never to do another swap. :cry:

I have participated in a lot of block swaps, round & row robins, etc over the yrs. One thing I have learned is to choose a fairly simple block when it is my turn to have the others make blocks for me, such as in a birthday block exchange. You will be more apt to get back blocks that you are happy with than if you expect everyone to make a complicated/time consuming block. Also, I must admit that I'm fussy who I exchange blocks with. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but I don't believe it is right to send out very poorly made blocks made with the cheapest fabric they can find. Believe me, this is not always done by beginners either as I have received some gorgeous blocks from people who have not been quilting more than just a few months as well as some horrible ones made by people who have been quilting for yrs. I too prefer not to receive blocks that reek of smoke or are covered w/pet hair. I think it is just plain good manners not to send stuff like that. Right now I'm not joining in on block swaps because I'm grounded from starting anything new until I get more of my older projects done, but I will join in some time in the future. And yes, it is difficult being both the grounder & the groundee! The 2 sides to my personality fight with each other over this all the time! LOL

my dh is making me cut back, todays shipping bill will be over $30
two weeks ago it was $19
i swap and don't always get back, that stinks.

Ditto