Welcome Happylab.

Our MacyBaby is back! I just added her to the my "Official" list and will add her to our final list in a few days, here on this thread. Fingers crossed for two or three more..... or more. :)

I first posted Aborning's birthday at the 17, but that was an error. I posted a correction that may have been missed. Her birthday was January 14. It is on last year's thread. If you haven't wished her a Happy Birthday, skip over to the other thread and send her a belated wish..

Drat! I missed the correction. Happy Belated Birthday Aborning! Good thing I mailed your candies well ahead of that date.

Yay Macybaby! I've been seeing your beautiful quilts on some of the other threads in the board. Glad you'll be in here to inspire us!

Thrilled to have you joining in again, Macybaby! Your quilts are always inspiring.

check out this gorgeous pixelated heart posted on the board: https://www.quiltingboard.com/vbulle...t-t248362.html

Perfect for our candies!

The day has arrived! It is January 20 and our group is official. We number 17 this year. We have three months with no birthdays, starting with February! So, my swapping friends, we have a little extra time to cut and package squares for the mail.

Just a few reminders: Cut accurately and avoid salvages. Sure, cut from your stash and use good quality fabric. When prepping your squares for the mail, layer them as thin as possible to avoid extra postage. Birthday Cards are fun but not a requirement. Make it a habit to post a message here on the thread when you mail your package. The birthday gal can begin to watch for your package. It also helps me keep track of any missed mailings. ;) Three cheers for last year's group for nearly perfect "on time" swapping Whoo-Hoo! On the 20th of the month, I will send out a PM with the next month's birthday recipient(s) with their name and address. That gives us time to pop our package in the mail and have it travel hither and yon to arrive on time for the birthday celebration.. Lastly, post a list here of packages that arrive.

2022 Birthday Swap Group
Ahwu
Crispy Frog
Gaiji
Gannyrosie
Happylab
Ibex94
IrishMom
JENNR8R
Kele
Logcabin82
Loveofquilts
macybaby
NZquilter
Patrick’s Mom
Sewbizgirl
Travelinggramma
WMUTeach

Post ideas, tips and cues for mailing. Love all of the chatter and ideas of how to use these "little darlings". So many ideas and so little time.:) . First contest/give away coming in February!

I was really on the fence about joining this year. Then I over cut 2.5" strips for the quilt I'm currently working on, and now have about 15 wof strips of different fabrics. I thought I'd need two of each for the scrappy quilt, and ended up only needing one of most of them.

Selecting the fabrics and cutting the squares is one of my favorite parts of the swap. I cut the strips and then lay them out in bundles of 5, then line them up and use my stripology ruler to cut several strip layers at a time. It goes pretty fast.

Thank you for the reminder about using the stripology ruler. I don't have one but I use so many scraps that it would not help with this cutting project. I also love planning and creating my little piles of fifty! Then my packages to mail out.

I made 20 sets, just in case one late person discovers us and wants to join. I can always use the 2.5's in one of my quilts. Tee-Hee-Hee. Keep warm and the drive shoveled!

this Pinterest page is by Nancy Smith. I believe she was in the first birthday swap about 9 or 10 years ago.

Barbara, I went searching her page and found a photo that was labeled 2014 Birthday Swap. Yea, us! That sent me searching for my first photos of quilts from our swap and I found quite a few dated 2014, which meant I got them for my 2013 birthday or that I saved them for a year then started to use them . Is the first year of the swap 12, 13 or 14? I was thinking it was 2012, drat I was thinking the group was in our tenth year.

None the less, Swappers, search the link IBEX94 sent. So many good ideas for using our little 2.5s. https://www.pinterest.com/quiltnls/2...square-quilts/

LOL, saw two of my quilts on that Pinterest page, both made from the birthday swaps. One is my pink and green “Scrappy Swoon” and the other is an Arkansas Crossroads I made with each block a different color family.
Don’t forget that Quilted Twins have many patterns for 2.5s on their free patterns page.

Found my 1 st birthday swap quilt on her page. 2013. https://www.quiltingboard.com/pictur...ctureid=445823, was suppose to make another one since I gifted it. Found some paper pieced flowers I had done with 1 of the swaps last week. Finally put them to use this week.

lots of great quilts on her page

Gannyrosie, sure do like your straight line quilting. Wow so simple and precise. Perfect for your quilt. I did one similar to your lay out but did diagonal corner to corner quilting.This let's us now that once we post a photo out in cyber world, it is no longer ours and that we are some terrific quilters that are admired by others. :)

Love that quilt, Gannyrosie!

Wmuteach is there a preference on mailing. I plan on using poly mailers since I have them. I also use pirate ship to make my shipping labels, it is a little cheaper than USPS.

is there anyone in this swap allergic to dogs? I do have a boxer, who does shed, but he is not around my fabric, ssoni can't 100% guarantee there would not be a stray.

Gannyrosie, If you have the poly mailers on hand use them. I use the plan brown 6 x 9 brown envelopes that I pick up from the dollar store 6 for $1 and they mail for slightly less than 80 cents. Other swappers send cards and pack the little squares in the cards. It is completely up to you. Everyone mails slightly differently.

It is so kind and thoughtful of you to ask about allergies. I have never asked nor been asked in the past. Let's see what every one says.

I have no problem with a bit of boxer hair.

Gannyrosie you have given me yet another reason to be thankful..... Pet allergies are not one of the things that keep me from sewing! Thank you for asking and this prompts me to issue this change of circumstance alert to the group:

My son and his family have moved in with me while their home is being built. They brought their labrador. So my normally pet dander free home is not a pet dander free air zone. I don't have dog hair problems from the lab but if you do have pet allergies my next batch of candies will be cut in a pet dander air zone. I hope this is not a problem for any of you.

I also have a half lab/ half collie that sheds in the house, but we try to keep up with it.

You are all so thoughtful, thinking of others and potential allergies! I'm totally fine with dog and /or cat hair.

I agree, it is very sweet to think of everyone with allergies. I am pretty sure I am good with cat and dog fur. We don't have pets right now. We used to have cats though. I'm all ready to swap! :)

So it looks like we're all ok with fur babies. Since it's been about 4 years since ive last did any swapping, there's lots of new names here and there were a couple of previous swaps where we wrote if your package was from a pet friendly home due to a couple of people with allergies.

Was cutting up some jelly rolls strips that I had made a few months ago from all the ombre material that I got on my travels this summer. We have 17 birthdays. That is 16 bundles that need to get made. Alas - a jelly strip produces 16 candies!! That was easy this year!!.
And this is the first year we have a shedding dog - and we have no issues with cats either!

Oh, yummy, Ombre additions to my 2.5 collection! :) Come quickly September. Tee-Hee-Hee.

Not pets in my home at this time. My dear kitty and sewing helper had to be euthanized a few weeks ago. But, I am sure her fur is still hither and yon through the house including fabric my stash.

Sorry to hear about your furry companion, WMUTeach. This is such a difficult thing. :-(

It's heartbreaking to have to put down a beloved pet. So sorry WMUT!

Such a beautiful kitty! So sorry for your loss, WMUteach.

She is a lovely kitty, WMUTeach! I'm sorry for your loss!

Sorry for your loss WMUTeach, it's so sad to lose them. Just the other day DH made a joke about life without a cat. I told him I knew what it was like, and didn't want to do that again.

Wmuteach, so sorry to hear of your lost. I'm on my 3rd boxer, had to put down my 2 ND 1 at only 8yrs old and I still get overwhelmed thinking of him. I get super attached and waited 15yrs before I decided I needed another buddy. There were 2 reasons, 1 I was retired and hubby still works, grandkids moved away after watching them for 5 yrs, and I needed a companion. 2 nd reason, just like every other city, crime is horrible, and big dogs are better than any security system.

Thank you all for the very kind words and thoughts about your furry family members. Scout was a rescue that came to me about 12 years ago. She was the best of friends and as she aged she went from assisting me at the machine to warming the pieces of quilts to being the star of Zoom meetings and Bible Study. I do miss her and so often have those moments when I a sound makes me think she is near by. But, alas, she is not here. I have not been without a cat in my home for about 45 years. I have applied for the adoption of another "mature cat', a year old female, that caught my eye, but it may be a few weeks before I am approved for adoption and and even allowed to visit to see if we are com"cat"able. If not, there will be another whiskered quilt inspector that will need a home and a with a nest of batting scraps for snoozing.

Finished the top of the black and white. Simple nine patch with either white or black in center. Used ombre fabric for sashing and the perfect doggie blocks. I am looking around for more blocks that will be right size for our candies.

Are you keeping a running record of how many 2.5's your using this year? Count and add to your total. :thumbup:

I am not a dog person, but can admire their cuteness. Like the use of the ombre strips. A nice touch to give your black/white/gray 9-patches a little pop but not overwhelm the doggy squares Looks like the dogs have a little color too. Good finish!

I LOVE the doggy 9 patch quilt, TG. So nice!

GREAT quilt Travelinggramma!!

Love the doggie quilt....

Wow, Travelinggramma, those dogs are amazing! I love how you were so creative with putting some "half dogs" into the blocks as well. I also like the ombre sashing - is that all from one piece of fabric or is each colour family a separate fabric? It creates a remarkable effect!

Just posted.... a sweet candy quilt https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...3-img_2983.jpg

ibex94, This is the September Color Block quilt.from Debbie Brown. If any one is interested you can register to be in her color block group on her website. The patterns are free and use piles and piles of 2.5's. Some patterns are terrific, some don't fit my taste or interest, but what I particularly like is that she demonstrates a way to quilt each of her Color Block quilts using a domestic machine. I have learned a quite a lot even if I don't make the quilt for that particular month. Take a peek. It is worth a look.

Just in case you have not looked at last year's site in the next day or two, we did hear from Aborning. You can pop over and read about her very busy and unusual January.

Good by January tomorrow and welcome to February very soon!