2024 Birthday Candy Swap (2.5" Squares)
 

It's time to sign-up for the 2024, 2.5” Birthday Candy Swap!. Join our group by January 1 for a year of birthday celebrations and swapping 2.5” squares, AKA “birthday candies”. Who doesn't like to give and receive birthday presents?


What is a 2.5” Birthday Candy Swap?

Each participant in the swap will send a package of fifty (50) different 2.5” squares to the member(s) to celebrate that member’s birthday. On the 20th of each month, I will send a Private Message (PM) with the birth date and mailing information for the upcoming month’s birthday member(s). Swappers then mail fifty (50) 2.5” squares to that month’s birthday swap member(s). This swap is a year-long commitment to send each member of the group “birthday candies” on or before their birthday. This swap started about 11 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. Use your stash, but please do not resend squares from a previous birthday swap.

The cost to mail an envelope is generally less than $1 per envelope. Tips and cues to mail efficiently will be posted in the thread by returning swap members.


We have found that a wonderful benefit of the swap is the neighborly sharing photos of quilts and projects, 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 just seem to find ways to use these little fabric squares everywhere.

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

Steps to join in our year of fun:

1.Send a Private Message (PM) to me, WMUTeach, with your A.) name, B.) address, C.) your birthday (month and day), D.) and your phone number. The phone information will not be shared but it allows me to contact you should it be necessary.

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

3. Newbies (new to this swap) You need a recommendation from a hostess of another swap or from anyone that was in a previous birthday swap. We want to be assured our new birthday swappers have been faithful swappers before being added to the swap. Absolutely no "Flakers" here!!! You must have swapped with or know the person giving the recommendation. Recommendations can be sent to me by PM also. We have had perfect swapping for several years! No dropouts and faithful swappers all. Yeah!

Now the Birthday Swap Begins

4. After you have been added to the 2024 Birthday Swap, it is time to search your stash and prepare your packages of 50 (All different) 2.5" candy squares to be mailed. I will post the final number of swappers on January 2. 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. I will send out the birthday information on January 2 for any January birthday(s). After that you will receive a list of who is celebrating a birthday on the 20th of each month via PM. Have your envelopes ready so you can drop them in the mail quickly!

6. Birthday person, post the screen name of those who sent you a package on our thread as the envelopes arrive to your home. I will keep track also. You can open your packages as they arrive 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 our thread when you mail your birthday package. It helps me and our birthday folks know your package is “on the way”. Anticipation of an envelope in your mailbox is all part of the fun.

7. Contests will be part of the swap again this year about every other month or so. Answer a question, solve a puzzle or just be an active participant. 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, 2023, has been an excellent year for on-time birthday treats. Yeah, for us!!

9. Post your swap questions, large or small, in The Birthday Swap thread. Someone else probably had the same question and will have an answer for you.

I am looking forward to swapping with "old friends" and "new friends" this year. Send that PM to me, WMUTeach, and start cutting 2.5s.

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

Looking forward to another fun year!

I am in for this year!

Welcome back, Have4boys! You are on the 2024 list of birthday swappers.

My scrap drawer is very full. Working on it.

Keep cutting, Pet. Then we can all enjoy your scrap drawer.:) Hey, you are joining us again, right? (No pressure here.) I am still fidgeting about what to prep for the 2024 swap. I will just have to buckle down and make a choice soon.

So far we do not had a January swapper, so I am taking a gamble and not cutting yet. Thinking the week between the holidays may be my designated cut and package week.

Thank. I need to get into that scrap drawer. Then decide. This year, I think all projects were ufo or given-to-me-fabrics. I’m trying to decide if I want more creative moments and what that looks like,

I think I did okay my first year so I hope y’all will let me in again for 2024. *grin*

Absolutely! You are "IN". Year two will be easy peasy. Looking forward to your next package of little squares.

Time to post the 2024 list as of today, December 6. Always room for more.Gaijin
Patrick's Mom
Crispy_Frog
Have4boys
Quossum
Travelinggrammma
WMUTeach
JENER8R
happylab
Rebaquilts

JENNR8R (two Ns instead of two Es please)

Let's try this again so you can find your name or the name of your swapping friends.

Gaijin
Patrick's Mom
Crispy_Frog
Have4boys
Quossum
Travelinggrammma
WMUTeach
JENNR8R
happylab
Rebaquilts[/QUOTE]

Please add me to the list! :) I love the birthday swaps!

I am back online on my computer. So much nicer to use than the phone! We moved back into the motorhome, and are now on the MD/PA border for a month or two or? while DD recovers from ankle surgery. Taking 9 yo grand to sports practices and games and homeschooling is a totally new challenge.
I fortunately worked through my bin of misc material and cut up 20 cards worth of candies. Emptied bin!! Many I spy and older calico - quite the mix. Had fun with the I spy to make sure they are usable too!

Can't wait to "settle into" her schedule and get out my machines and candy for me!
Come one come all - the best candy swap around

One more to the list this afternoon... Logcabin82 is back! And welcome Brenda W. We are now up to 12 and growing.

Gaijin
Patrick's Mom
Crispy_Frog
Have4boys
Quossum
Travelinggrammma
WMUTeach
JENNR8R
happylab
Rebaquilts
Logcbin 82
Brenda W

Lucky number 13 has been added to the list. Welcome to SusieQOH!

Gaijin
Patrick's Mom
Crispy_Frog
Have4boys
Quossum
Travelinggrammma
WMUTeach
JENNR8R
happylab
Rebaquilts
Logcbin 82
Brenda W
SusieQOH

I'll be back for another year of treasures. Sending PM now. Happy December everyone.

Our list grows with each dawn and rising of the moon..............

Gaijin
Patrick's Mom
Crispy_Frog
Have4boys
Quossum
Travelinggrammma
WMUTeach
JENNR8R
happylab
Rebaquilts
Logcbin 82
Brenda W
SusieQOH
ibex94
__________
Total of 14 as of 12-7- 23 Yeah!!!

So happy to see new and past names!! Keep it going - the more the merrier.

Have decided to take year off. Will be working on series of SF Bay, Cal bridges.

We will miss you Pet, but I just know we will find you on other threads and of course you can always lurk! ;)

Thank you for adding me! Happy Holidays to all. :)

Hoping to be a newbie for the swap. I just sent my info to WMUTech.

I am looking forward to a new and fresh year of swapping! Only 6 months til my birthday! Isn't that thrilling?

Here, here! Who has started cutting? Oh, silly me I bet there are a few who are all cut, sorted, enveloped and maybe used last years addressed put on the envelopes already. :) I am still wallowing about in making choices of what to use for the swap this year. I can now think with purpose becasue my classes are over, done, finished and all grades submitted. Now, I can get ready for Christmas and go shopping ...... for my new kitchen that starts in January.

We have added two more for '24. Now we're sixteen, keen and lean and what a team!
Welcome back to Kele and a warm welcome to a new swapper, Heathermom2opmc.

1.Gaijin
2.Patrick's Mom
3.Crispy_Frog
4.Have4boys
5.Quossum
6.Travelinggrammma
7.WMUTeach
8.JENNR8R
9.happylab
10.Rebaquilts
11.Logcbin 82
12.Brenda W
13. SusieQOH
14.ibex94
15.Kele
16.Heathermom2opmc

And the list grows on.... Hello to all candy swappers. My address from last year is no good anymore but you'll find that out when my bday rolls around.

So excited to participate in this swap! I've been cutting my "candies" this past week! Now to pull envelopes and load them up. I would like to see how other swappers packaged theirs. 📦
Thanks for adding me to the group!
Merry Christmas Eve to all! 🎶🎅🎄

Brenda W. I will post a photo of how I package my squares in a day or two. Christmas festivities, you know. I am sure that some of the other swappers can post samples from last year. We don't want to reveal any surprises for the 2024 swap, wink, wink.

Merry Christmas to all and to all..... a good night. Remember when you fell asleep wishing to hear hooves and sleigh bells? Lovely memories of childhood.

Christmas Greetings, Swappers. We have a new Birthday Swap member joining us on this fine, spring like Christmas Day.
Some of you may know her from the Boom Swap, terriamn. A big hello and welcome to our newest Birthday Swap gal.

FYI, we do not have a January birthday so, I will continue to accept new members until mid-January hoping to get the group up to 20 swappers this year.

1.Gaijin
2.Patrick's Mom
3.Crispy_Frog
4.Have4boys
5.Quossum
6.Travelinggrammma
7.WMUTeach
8.JENNR8R
9.happylab
10.Rebaquilts
11.Logcbin 82
12.Brenda W
13. SusieQOH
14.ibex94
15.Kele
16.Heathermom2opmc
17,terriamn

Now turn off the computer ;) and go back to your Christmas celebrations, movies or nibbling on yummy treats.

I feel this might be an "oldie" for many of you professional candy users, but I really liked it when it showed up in my FB feed (how DO they know what I spend hours of my life doing?) and thought it could make a really good leader-ender project, too. :-)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1504...ibextid=K35XfP

Merry Christmas, everyone - wishing you all the best as you head into a new year of candy swapping.

Yes, Gemm, that pattern has been around for a while, 2016, and on my "To Do Someday List". Thanks for the reminder! We will all just need to note that the pattern is designed for 2" squares. Can you imagine how big the finished quilt would be if using 2.5's? I for one will need to make some adjustments so your final quilt is not a GIANT. Yes, yes, yes a terrific leader and ender project. Thanks for the first new idea of the 2024 Birthday Swapping Year, :)

Thank you, Gemm! I need to start using my candies and this may be a perfect pattern for me.... Not too much thinking involved and a great leader and ender project. I have a white sheet around here that is a great sasher for this, too!

Hello Everyone, Newbie to this swap but very excited to be joining. I have been doing the wall hanging swap for about 3 years now and loved that (hoping it will resume). I have several questions about fabric selections. Do you go completely random, color themes, pattern themes or any other general unstated rules? I am thinking that batiks are out as well as flannels? Any and all suggestions to us newbies would be great. I look forward to this swap so much. I have the perfect free online pattern that I am hoping to make with all my "candy." My birthday isn't until December, so I will be watching as others receive their goodies. Here is the pattern if anyone is interested--I have made 2 quilts in this pattern already and can't wait for a scrappy version.

Free pattern

Heather, that is a neat pattern, thanks for sharing. I have several jelly rolls I'm trying to use up and that would work nicely.

Heathermom2opmc, The fabric you chose is up to you and what you have on hand. I know that some swappers shop for their swap squares or at lease some fabric, but it is not expected. Some follow a theme, others do not. I will let you know what I have done. Last year I sent all batiks, but that is what I had on hand. Other years I have have followed a single color way (all orange or all purple) or rainbow colors or red/white/blue. For several years I chose a song theme, or poem theme. But that was just me. You are absolutely free do as you choose as long as you send 50 different squares. I have gotten swap envelopes that are random squares and themed which are equally useful in the quilts I make.

While here, some folks send small special surprises or trinkets in their envelopes. Again, it is not expected. In the past I have gotten a fussy cut square that said Happy Birthday, a little birthday bookmark or little hearts or a pattern that makes use of 2.5's. Please, please, please don't feel obligated to go beyond the 50 squares.

Thanks for the good question. I am sure that other will chime in too with there own experience.

Hello Everyone. I decided on my theme for this swap, and it will require a ton of fussy cutting......but I am about 1/2 way there. Each person will get the same theme but each package will be different bc of what I have in the stash (does this make sense?) Hope everyone is having a good Holiday season. We have zero snow, which is unheard of for my area. Rain for the last 3 days has soured our ability to take the kids skiing this break. Hoping the weather changes soon, yes I would take snow over all this rain. Best to all.....H

Oooo, Looking forward to your package in my mailbox.

I know I promised you a photo of how I package my little squares, but I can't find it. I will do a mock up and post a photo. If you look in the 2023 swap, our December Birthday Swapper posted photos of each of the envelopes she got. You can gather packaging ideas there too. (BTW, we don't post photos of packages each month. It was OK for her to post the photos in December because she was the last for the year and would not be spoiling the surprise for others with an upcoming birthdays.)

https://kitchentablequilting.com/pro...463005ff&_ss=r
Here's a fabulous new pattern (not free) for candies. Scroll down to see the rainbow and b&w one! Perfect for candies!

After a weekend of celebrating a family birthday and New Year's Eve with friends, I came home this afternoon to an email box loaded with good stuff, odds and ends, and the normal amount of junk. I did find the Stash Buster from Border Creek Station. There is an option to use 2.5" strips, but strips, smitch, we have 2.5 squares that would do the trick for this double Irish Chain challenge. Whether your or I do the challenge or not, this would be a good way to use up some of our backlog of little squares. One more option, my swapping friends.

https://media.rainpos.com/5177/The_S...structions.pdf

We are off to begin another year of swapping. If you know of any one teetering on the edge of whether to join us or not, they have until the middle of January to PM me. :) We don't have any January Birthdays. :(

Happy New Year's Day to all. In my neck of the woods, it is Go Blue Day!