2022 - 2.5" Birthday Swap
 

The 2022, 2.5” Birthday Candy Swap is ready to begin. Sign-up to join our group January 1, through January 18 or until we have 30 members, whichever comes first. :)

What is a 2.5” Birthday Candy Swap?

We send a package of fifty (50) different 2.5” squares to the member(s) on their birthday. On the 20th of each month, I send a Private Message (PM) with the birth date and mailing information for the upcoming month’s birthday member(s). Swappers then will mail fifty (50) 2.5” squares to that month’s birthday swap member(s). It is a is a year-long commitment to send each member of the group fifty (50) 2.5” “candies” on or before their birthday. This swap started about 10 years ago and has continued each year since celebrating each other's birthdays. Let's keep the swap going!

Candy squares must be 2.5", 100% cotton fabric squares that you would be happy to put in your own quilt. Please do not resend squares from a previous birthday swap. [img]file:///C:/Users/linda/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif[/img]

The cost is less than $1 per envelope. Tips and cues to mail efficiently will be posted in this thread by returning swap members and others who have been part of QB swaps.

As a side benefit swappers share photos of quilts, large and small, made of 2.5’s. These can be photos of quilts we made ourselves or photos and links to other quilts or projects that use 2.5: squares. Our eyes seem to find ways to use these little fabric squares everywhere. :)

Join us and then wait for your mailbox will fill with little envelopes and joyful greetings from your Birthday Swap friends on your birthday.

Steps to join in our fun:

1. I will limit our swap to the first 30 people and only addresses in the USA (for postage sake, Sorry!)

2. Send a Private Message (PM) to me, WMUTeach with your 1.) name, 2.) address, 3.) phone number, and 4.) your birthday (month and day). I will share your birth date, name and address of course. The phone information allows me to contact you should I need to, but it will not be shared.

3. Newbies (new to this swap) I need a recommendation from a past hostess or from anyone that was in a previous birthday swap before I can add you to the group. Absolutely No "Flakers" here!!! You must have swapped with or know the person giving the recommendation. Recommendations can come to me by PM also. We had a perfect year in 2021! No dropouts and faithful swappers all. Yeah!

4. While you are waiting for the swap to start in February, get your packages of 50 unique (All different) 2.5" candy squares ready to be mailed. Previous swappers will show some of the best ways to package the squares, so they are safe in the mail and how to keep the cost of postage down to less than a dollar.

5. On the 20th of the month, I will send a list of who is celebrating a birthday and their address via PM. Have your envelopes ready so you can drop them in the mail quickly!

6. Birthday person, Post the names of those who sent you a package on our thread as they come in. I will keep track also. Therefore, it is very important for the birthday person to post received packages in a timely manner. You can open your packages as they come to you or wait until your birthday. It is all up to you and how long you can resist tearing open the envelopes full of beautiful surprises.

Sender, Post on the thread when you mailed your birthday package. It helps me and our birthday folks know your package is “on the way”. Anticipation of a package is all part of the fun.

7. Contests will be part of the swap again this year about every other month. Answer a question, solve a puzzle or just be an active participant. I also will post links to patterns or websites that featuring our dear sweet 2.5” candies as I find them, and you can too. . Feel free to participate in the contests or not with just one rule: you must be a swapper “in good standing” to win, meaning all your packages have been arriving on time!

8. More than three "Late" packages will disqualify any one from participating in future birthday swaps. This past year, 2021, has been an excellent year for on-time birthday treats. Yeah, for us!!

Please post your questions, large or small, in this thread. Someone else probably has the same question and one of us can help you with an answer.

Looking forward to swapping with "old friends" and "new friends" too this year. Send that PM and start cutting 2.5s.

The general swap rules apply: Rules For Swaps And Similar Activities – Updated December 2010

Day one and here is our list of 2022 swappers as of this morning. We number eleven. Welcome back,y'all. I will keep adding to the list as our group grows until January 18. Send out the word we are up and active for another year. Whoo Hoo!

Ahwu
Gaiji
Ibex94
JENNR8R
Kele
Loveofquilts
NZquilter
Patrick’s Mom
Sewbizgirl
Travelinggramma
WMUTeach

So exciting! I'm looking forward to another year of fun!

Added one more to out list today. We now number 12. I have a couple of gals who wanted to join last year who were new to the QB. Both were so new that they did not have any recommendation from another swap. I will contact them ASAP to see if they want to join us this year.

Ahwu
Gaiji
ibex94
IrishMom
JENNR8R
Kele
Loveofquilts
NZquilter
Patrick’s Mom
Sewbizgirl
Travelinggramma
WMUTeach

I won't be joining in on the swap but I am so looking forward to seeing what you all come up with as projects using these little gems of fabric!!! Happy swapping and don't forget to post your pictures for us lurkers!

Lurk as you wish, Gemm. If you find any new ideas for these little sweeties, add to the conversation. Perhaps you can join us in the future for the swap.

Added a new swapper today. Welcome, Logcabin82!. Sadly the other two who expressed interest last year will not be with us this year either. :(

Ahwu
Gaiji
ibex94
IrishMom
JENNR8R
Kele
Logcabin82
Loveofquilts
NZquilter
Patrick’s Mom
Sewbizgirl
Travelinggramma
WMUTeach

Found this post in facebook the other day. Great way to use up candies!

Logcabin 82 - welcome!

Ibex94, a good use of our little squares. Love the Quilted Twins site. So many free patterns and so little time! :) I hear their shop has excellent service too. Thanks for posting.an idea for our group.

Ibex, I made a quilt very similar with my candies. It was a ton of fun and the kids love it. They treat it as an I Spy quilt.

NZ - gorgeous!!! I haven't tackled anything that big in candies yet. You are getting me excited and wanting to give it a try.

Here is a link to someone's pininterest page featuring nothing but ideas for 2.5" fabric candies.... https://www.pinterest.com/quiltnls/2...square-quilts/

Any newbies want to join in this swap?

Ha ha, several of my quilts are on that page!

It's that the greatest compliment, inspiring others!

Thanks for the link, Ibex!

I wondered why some of the examples looked familiar. Tee-Hee! Sewbizgirl you are amazing!

Thank you for the link. Those are great.

Here are a couple more quilts I've made using our cute candies, plus a basket sampler that I've had to put aside for the holiday season crazies. I'm looking forward to getting back to it. I hope we get some more interest in this swap before the deadline.

Wow! We have famous quilters in this group! NZ beautiful quilts. Sewbizgirl , I am not surprised that your quilts are inspiring everyone! I wonder if the person that created that pininterest page is someone from this board? Or did they get your pics from your etsy site? Lots of possibilities with the candies and artists like ya'll sharing your work! Thank you!

Here is the candy ghost I made. It is not yet quilted and is missing its eyes. I have it ready to practice some FMQ on my domestic. Hopefully, I will not need Jack to help with it too much.... Thank you Irish Mom for posting your beautiful ghost that inspired me! (post 992 in the 2021/2022 Candy Swap forum).

I forgot to take a picture of my finished Unicorn mug rug but here is a picture of that flimsy.

These candies are perfect for fast small projects to learn to quilt. As a first time candy swapper, I highly recommend this swap to all!

Little 2.5” candy projects are so much fun. Endless possibilities.

If you have ever posted a quilt to this board, it is probably on Pinterest somewhere. They troll the QB and take photos. Once you post something online, it’s no longer yours alone.

That is the cutest ghost I've ever seen, Ibex! :D

Sorry to say I will not be participating in the upcoming year. My mom's cancer and treatment are a huge time commitment and I want to spend as much time with her as I can. I will hopefully be back next year.

Take care of your Mom, Hav! <3

Okey dokey, I'm here. Sorry, I didn't realize that we needed to switch to this thread. How funny is that? Lol! Do we have any newbies yet? This is my 2nd year, I feel so lucky to be part of it again!

We understand hav4boys. Good luck and take care of her. You and your mother will be in my prayers.

One returning swapper who was not with us last year, one newbie and another newbie who is waiting for a recommendation.. Pass the word we are here

Loveofquilts, I used to forget all the time. Not to worry.

Have4boys, I am so sorry to lose you, but pop in to let us know how you and your mom are doing from time to time.

Yay! Our group is growing!

Have4boys, you will be missed. I'm sorry you can't join us but I completely understand.

Have4boys, family first always! We are here for you when you can play or need to vent. Thank you for being such a great daughter and friend to us.

Hee hee.... I love the idea that my green ghost might be on someone's pininterest page. I'll be famous, too! Glad you like my ghost, NZ. Does everyone see the candies you sent me in there? Thank you for fueling my newest obession 2021/2022 swappers!

My second year, too! We're candy twins twice over now! (same bday and second year newbies) What have you been doing with your candies?

Don't forget to "subscribe" to this thread. I did and could not figure out why I never got notifications of when there were posts. "Duh" what a dolt I can be sometimes. :)

I did contact GEMM who had made comment on last years thread but she would like to wait and join us another year. She will be one of our "swap lurkers" this year. .

I have been sewing up 2.5s but don't have any finishes yet. So far this week... nearly 1000 squares gone into quilts but nothing finished yet. One top finished but not layered and quilted and a second top 3/4 done but I may add another column of squares to make the size more balanced.I have nearly enough finished in that color way already. Photos later this week along with my Arkansas Crossroads. .

This sewing frenzy started when I discovered a HUGE pile of 16 patch blocks and a few 49 patch blocks and some random 4 patches all hiding out in my UFO basket. Not all of the blocks play nice together but some will and they will be stitched together as pure scrappy postage stamp utility quilts for donation to PL. The rest will wait for friend to join the UFO basket or a stroke of genius to come to me.

I think I am going to track how may of these little sweeties I use this year. Anyone with me?

And.... Ta-Da we have a new member to our group, Gannyrosie. We are now at 14.

Hahaha! That's great! Well I organized them into colors and that's a far as I've gotten. I started making rag quilts for all of my nephews and a couple of quilts for my sisters. The year for away from me. :) I'm making string blocks right now with my scraps. I'll get around to doing something with them. I'm really glad you asked me.

Besides your cute little ghost, what have you done with your candies?

Hello, Gannyrosie! Welcome aboard!

This is a baby quilt I made with nearly all my pink charms.

Oh sewbizgirl that is so pretty! I love it.

Welcome gannyrosie, hope you enjoy our group. :)

I think I've subscribed now, I'm getting 2 emails a day. :) So funny.

thanks sewbizgirl. Haven't been on the board since 2018-19,. I had switched to making lots of things since my grand daughter was born, though never stopped quilting. Looking to participate again.
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Good to see you on the thread, Gannyrosie. :)

Saw this photo on the Scrap Quilt Enthusiasts posting on FB today. Doesn't this just fit our love of 2.5's? Yes, indeed and an easy one to figure out. No pattern name or source was provided.

WMUTeach, the pattern is Patches of Life by Eleanor Burns. I love this pattern and it is on my bucket list! That's for reminding me of it.