Gladie: Got your top done at the retreat. Yaaaaay! Still hope for meeting the July deadline.
Linda

L:Plan to get yours in the mail this week, too. Had a couple of changes to work schedule and have a few extra hours this week to get more quilting done! G

just PM you

Chele

Sign me up again for August. These little quilts are so addicting!

Kathy

Just want all to know that I will be out of town next weekend but will get with my partner on Mon.

sign me up...I have PM you all info...It sounds like fun...

Yea Carol!!!!!! I'm so glad you signed up too. You'll love the little doll quilt swap. There are so many nice people here. Janis

Sign me up! I am a DQ junkie! I may need a support group!

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but is there a difference between miniature, doll and little quilts, or are these all names for quilts that are small?

ETA: I am very tempted to join, but I have a lot going on in August, maybe September will be a slower month for me. :-o

There are no dumb questions candi. If you read the guidelines on the first page of this thread you'll get an idea of a doll/miniature/little quilt. I run a loose ship, so I'm not going to have you measure anything, but we're not talking lap quilt size. Just create a small version of a quilt. You can downsize traditional blocks, use a big block for the center, get crazy with improvisational piecing, do some fun applique, make a baby bargello, etc., etc. It's all up to you. If you're a beginner, stick with something you can handle. I don't want anyone stressing over this. It's supposed to be fun.

I started this swap so everyone could be creative in their own way or ability and that we could meet new friends. This swap will always encourage new quilters. We've all been there. If you're looking for a perfect quilt, please try another swap. We're all about encouraging each other and making fun quilts. Plus, us newbies get to practice our skills.

I've been amazed at the creativity. Give it a try if you're on the fence. You can use scraps from your stash and play. Your partner will love what you create. Just have fun and forget about exact cutting, perfect skills and stress.

Long live the doll quilt swap!

Thanks, Chele. I knew the swap is for little quilts and not lap quilts, and I looked through some of the photos posted (many amazing quilts), but I just heard the different names and wondered if these names represent different quilt types. I was told I can't call myself a beginner anymore :mrgreen: although I do feel that I am still feeling my way through it. I think I'll pass on the August swap, watch what creative members post and look forward to join in September (after settling from a work move we are taking this week).
Thanks Chele for hosting the swap and thanks all for participating and giving the rest of us inspiration.

Chele,
Is there a requirement or even preference to pre-wash?

No preferences on washing. I want it easy and fun for everyone. Check the guidelines on page one M.I.Late and you'll see how easy it is.

Chele, you did sign me up, right?

I'm really excited ! ! ! !

So glad to have you back among us Terri! :) We have 73 participants so far. Partners will be assigned by the weekend.

Woohoo!!
I can't wait!!
I'm excited!
Now I get to play with fabric again!

Did I mention I was excited? :) :) :) :)

And we are glad to have you back in the swap, and also back in the states!!!

Me too, Janis, me too!

Chele said it so well!!! i have learned so very much fro participating in this swap. When I look back at my first quilt I think oh my, but then I look at how far I have come.

I love this swap - try new techniques and methods, and get something great in return. I do not think I would have ever tried paper pieceing if it were not for this quilt.

So all you newbies, stop watching from the sidelines and come and join the fun. There is no quilt police here, just a bunch of quitlers having fun!!!!

Believe it or not, I learned how to SEW BINDING on a quilt by doing these little ones.
You won't believe what you can actually do!

I'm in sign me up. :)

I got my July doll quilt sent out today!!! And before the deadline this time!!! Now I can play again in August!!!

I have my August quilt top all most done Just have to add some borders to it and quilt it.

I wasn't going to but I'll sign up again as long as no one minds if I practice my machine quilting on the little quilt. I'm not a free motion/stippling person, so don't worry.

Chele, I'll send you a PM.

That's what this swap is all about - trying new things and practicing! And, you get something new from someone else- what a deal !

"Ouch ouch, quit twisting my arm. I'll do it!" Oh that little angel in my head is talking to me again. Sign me up Chele.

I'm in too! This is fun.

I'm a little nervous about it, but I'm in! Thank you for hosting this swap, I appreciate the time and effort that must take.

Sign me up. I was going to skip a month, but it is too much fun.

Woo hoo! Lots of swappers! This may turn out to be our largest swap yet. The more the merrier!

Chele...did you mark me down?
I'm sure you did, but I'm just double checking.
I'm really NOT all that excited!

Terri, how could I forget you? We've missed you the past few months. Thought I was going to have to send out the bloodhounds. ;)

HEHEHE
Nope, I may disappear, but you can NEVER get rid of me!

Chele, how many quilters did you have in the first doll quilt swap? I'm just wondering how much it has grown in a little more than a year. By my count, we have about 80 in so far for August. Is that about right? Thank you for starting something that has been such fun for all of us!!! We appreciate you!!!

[quote=tlrnhi]I can send the bassets, as long as Terri has food ! They will find her.
;-)

I would like to join this swap please. I will send a pm.

I love statistics! We had 12 swappers for the very first swap in May 2009. The June 2010 has been our largest with 85 swappers. We have 82 signed up for August, so it's going to be close!

More info if you're a nerd like me: Over 200 board members have participated, as of July nearly 1,500 miniature quilts have been swapped. We've had swappers from America, Australia, Canada, England, France, Ireland, Japan and New Zealand.

For our second swap we did an additional swap with some of youme's sewing buddies in Japan. For our November/December swap we had secret partners. In January we made quilts representative of where we lived. The May 2010 swap had a charity challenge and we sent 20 quilts to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. In the July 2010 swap we had a few themes you could choose from (or not!). I have a huge list of themes everyone submitted so we'll probably have some optional themes in the future as well.

I think we've all had lots of fun making and receiving quilts and meeting more members on the board. The newbies have become swap veterans and the veterans are always willing to offer assistance, advice and encouragement. kwhite and myself have participated in all the swaps, but there are plenty who have participated in almost all of them. We also have a huge list of angels who provide quilts for those who did not receive quilts.

Here are photos of May, June and July's quilts: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51979904@N03/

Long live the doll quilt swap, or until I pass out!

Chele ;-)

Thanks Chele for the update on the quilt swaps. It was very interesting to read. Unfortunately I have been in only since Oct., but I've loved every one of them. The first one I saw was the September one, and knew I needed to join in the fun too. I'm hooked BIG TIME!!!! Thanks again for the fun of all of this!!

Oh! Just can't resist this one any longer. Please sign me up!

I can't wait to get my partner.