BOOM 18 Sign-ups are now Open! :)
 

Sign-ups for Boomerang Swap 18 will be open for approximately 3 weeks until no later than December 30, 2016. Please sign-up sooner rather than later because if groups fill quickly, sign-ups may close early. Each group will probably have 16 to 20 swappers. You may choose the 2 or 3 month swap or both. All skill levels are welcome but you MUST be able to consistently sew a well-constructed 12 ½ inch block. Details follow below but anyone who has participated in a recent Boom knows the basics.

In general, this is how the Boom works: You will receive a list of Board Names of those in your group. You choose a fabric, prepare it and send it to me for distribution to the other members. You need one Fat Eighth (18” x 11”) for each member. Send all F8s to me along with any special requests for your fabric. I will distribute them to the other members. You stitch a block for each member out of the F8 you receive. When you have finished ALL blocks, you ship them to me to sort and return to the owner.

Please note: Board participation is an essential ingredient in making this swap successful. So much information about the swap is found there, much more than I can possibly write in this sign-up post. If you wish to join the swap, please understand it is your responsibility, and to everyone's benefit, to keep in touch and read the posts frequently.

Anticipated schedule:
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Rules/Guidelines:
Please make sure to also refer to the basic policies that apply to all swaps through the board: RULES FOR SWAPS AND SIMILAR ACTIVITIES -Updated 8 December 2010.

Fabric, Completed Block and Package Preparation:
1) Please pre-wash and press your fabric before removing selvages and cutting into Fat Eighths, generally about 18” x 11”. DO REMOVE SELVAGES before cutting! Please keep off-sized pieces for your own use.
2) When mailing your F8s to me, please make sure they are individually sealed in a Ziploc-type bag. Label each F8 with your board name along with any instructions or color requests. (DO NOT SPECIFY A RECIPIENT unless a fabric is being directed to a particular person.) Labels are useful to help the recipient prevent fabric mix-ups, something that’s easy to do. Please then take all the individually wrapped F8s and put them in a Ziplock-type bag large enough to accommodate them all onto which you have written your name and address. When you send your completed blocks back to me, please seal and label your completed blocks with the owner’s name AND your name easily visible to me in a similar manner as you did the F8s.
3) Please mail your F8s to arrive by January 14, 2017. The sooner everyone gets them to me, the sooner they go out! Be sure to send me the tracking number as soon as you ship.
4) Carefully handle all fabric received and completed blocks, placing them somewhere safe until mailing time comes.
5) To help keep track of the fabrics and blocks made, I will establish an online Fabric Gallery.
6) You are REQUIRED to keep in touch with your group by posting to the dedicated Boom 18 thread at least every 2 weeks. This is a requirement. If you don’t wish to keep in touch, this is not the swap for you.
7) All blocks must be completed within the time frame for the group and mailed to me with a tracking number.
8) All blocks MUST be 12 1/2” unfinished. They may be regularly pieced, paper-pieced, appliquéd, whatever the block maker decides to do. It is up to each individual. Again, the feeling is to get a true friendship quilt out of this. Please do not request specific blocks as the idea is to let everyone, of every skill level, join in and try new things and grow. Before mailing, be sure to clean up the blocks by trimming your threads and cutting dog ears.
9) Most importantly, HAVE FUN!

IMPORTANT SHIPPING DETAILS
You must supply me with tracking numbers on all parcels sent to me and I will do likewise when I mail to you. All shipping costs are your responsibility. You may ship to me in whatever tracked package you like however I will ONLY* ship to you in USPS Padded Priority Envelopes at a cost of $6.80 (*unless previous arrangements have been made for alternate shipping). Please send a pre-paid label or stamps or you may send me $6.80 in well-concealed cash and I will supply the envelope, whatever is easier for you. I do not accept PayPal.

Keep in mind the following:
You MUST be in good standing with previous swaps. Anyone with a poor track record of fulfilling swap commitments will not be permitted to join. If you sign-up and do not fulfill your commitment, negative feedback will be given.

All skill levels are welcome but you MUST be able to sew a 12 ½ inch basic, well-constructed block. The block doesn’t have to be detailed but it must not be falling apart. We all respect new quilter’s need to learn and that will be taken into account. If you cannot consistently construct a 12 ½ inch block, this is not the swap for you.

PLEASE pre-wash fabrics without any fragrance residue. Please note that that some swappers may be smokers or have pets. If either pets or smoking is a serious problem for you, this isn’t the swap for you.

NO public complaints or criticisms for any reason are permitted. ALL complaints must be addressed by Private Message (PM) or email to me at [email protected]. NO EXCEPTIONS!

To join Boom 18, please EMAIL me with BOOM 18 in the subject line at [email protected] with the following info:

Board Name
Full Name
Complete Address
Phone Number
Email Address
Have you participated in other Boomerang Swaps? Yes/No
If yes, what was your last Boom?
Have you fulfilled all your swap/exchange obligations on this board in the past?
*2 Month Group OR 3 Month Group or both

*Group lengths and group sizes are fluid and will be determined by sign-ups. You may be asked to adjust to fill vacancies as needed. If changing doesn’t suit you, you may withdraw at that time.

Thank you for your interest in Boom 18. We hope you'll join us!

Janice McC

Well I'll get this ball rolling, I would like to join the 3 month group

Me too please

E-mail sent for both groups. :)

Email sent for both groups. Yeah!

Both groups for me please. Sending email .

Both groups for me also

Me too... both groups! Yaaaaaay!!

Yup! Count me in! Thanks,francie

Sent an email for 3 month group.

I would like to join the two month group please. Information sent

Hi all. I would like to join, I've not participated in a Boom before, but I have followed (ok fine lurked) the last two Booms. You ladies are awesome, and altho I'm sure I can't come up with anything that comes close to ya'ls blocks, I've dwelled over joining for the last several months and finally kicked myself in the rear and told myself I am signing up. I'm not great like ya'l, but adequate and hopefully good at times.
And now that you all have surmised I ramble on and on and are privately pm Janice with ...."Tell her No we are Full!!"
I would like to join for the 3 month group :-)
I receive any and all (kind and gentle please :-) ) words of instruction, advice, do this, try this, those two don't really go together, you might try it like this....One of reasons I am here is to learn after all.
First question of probably a gazillion (sorry) Does the fabric I send all need to be the same?

Hello Marieta nice to meet you :)

If you ramble you are in good company a few of us are guilty of that. To answer your question no you can send one or as many different fabrics as you like. This last boom there were a few ladies that sent 2 or 3 different fabrics and at least one sent all different fabrics. if you go to http://boomerangswaps.weebly.com/ you can browse through a couple past groups and get an idea of how many different fabrics get sent. and see some finished quilts too.

Welcome :)

Welcome Marietta, glad you decided to join us. I've already bought some fabric for all of you to sew into those fabulous works of art that you do. Sending my info for both groups

Welcome, Marietta! This will only be my second Boom and yes, these ladies are great fun and really skilled at making wonderful blocks. You are going to have a great time.

I'm in for the 3 month group. Too chicken to do a 2 month group :) I'm don't usually prewash so I'm going to start prewashing my entire stash now. Probably a good thing to do. Looking forward to my first boom!

Hello Marietta nice to meet you. Having talkative people in the swap makes it more fun. As far as skill level, a 12.5 inch square block w/ good seaming and you've got it. Some of us really enjoy the design element but none of us are upset at getting a well constructed simpler block. I think all of us would say the boom swaps have made us better at piecing and design. When your working w/ fabrics you wouldn't chose and color choices that are out of your box (those of you that have boxes lol lol lol) it stretches and strengthens your creativity. When you are constructing a block for someone else you are hyper sensitive to make it right instead of letting it go like you (or I ) tend to do for yourself. Anyway breathe and have fun. (oh and share pictures )

Welcome mjp, I only prewash for the boom too, but I'm not energetic enough to do my whole stash! lol

hello welcome

I am a serial non prewasher I just wash after picking fabrics to go with your blocks so I have both in my stash but it works for me.

Also can I assume you are in Encinitas CA? Just north of me?

I have a yellow / white fabric and am thinking Summer Citrus to brighten our cold long winter.

Welcome! It will be fun to get to know you. Cheers!

Just checking in with you. I'm swamped with errands and such today and haven't been able to reply to everyone who sent an email but I will within the next 24 hours. Looks like we have two or three newbies so far. Yay! We love our newbies as you all bring new ideas and freshen things up a bit. If anyone has any questions, you can feel free to post them here and one of our veteran boomers will probably answer as well as I can.

Spread the word and fill our groups! And if by some wild chance we go over our 20 person limit in any group, I will consider opening a third one. I'll be back with you all sometime tomorrow, sooner if I can.

FYI, I've got emails, PMs and posts here letting me know you want to join but I do need an EMAIL from you as requested in the sign-ups. It's to confirm a working email account. This is particularly important for our first timers. Thanks!

Welcome mjp! You are going to have so much fun playing with everyone's fabric. This will only be my second boom and I can't wait!

I'm pretty sure I'll be sitting this one out. I still don't have a bathroom sink since (since October :( ) and we have some major remodeling that HAS to be done before I gather any more blocks.

I'm sure I'll be lurking around and throwing in comments though.

Oh the temptation.:shock:

What a 24 hours it has been! We've had about 15 people sign up already. What a start!

It's easy to prewash a stash when it's small. Billi I am just north of you. If you'd like to get together to work on squares pm me.

Don't forget to EMAIL me at [email protected] to sign up if you haven't yet done so. Thanks.

Just sent my imfo to Janice.In for both groups!!!

Moon you cant sit out...we NEED to see your Boom 17 quilt!! :)

Email sent for the 2 month group!

Please count me in the 3 month group
This will be my second swap with this group too. The first was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to this one.

I miss two days here and 18 opens up and there are 4 pages of conversation. Sent my email for the 3 month group.

welcome Marietta and mjp, we love new people.

Signups are going well. We've got 17 or 18 names now. Early next week I'll post names and groups so everyone can see what's what. I'm going to be busy this weekend and may not get much of a chance to check in. Don't forget, if anyone has questions, please feel free to post here. I guarantee you if you have a question, somebody else will have the same one.

Email sent yesterday. Janice has been very patient with me :)

Two questions
Did you get an email back from Janice when you sent your email?

Would broadcloth fabric be suitable? Here is the description:
FABRIC TYPE & CARE:
This is brand new soft, smooth 100% cotton broadcloth, apparel/quilting weight premium USA designer quilt shop fabric cut to order from the bolt. Perfect for apparel, quilting, table linens, home textiles, and craft projects. Care: Machine Wash Cold. Dry Low. I'm going to order this online so I can't see it first.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/9367401...-shop-header-0

I'm thinking of making a big center panel for a Day of the Dead quilt.

mjp, the fabric will be used to make your quilt blocks, they are 100% cotton which is the only requirement.

I don't have a lot of experience w/ broadcloth b/c I have only seen it in solids, but if memory serves it is a little lighter weight then some of the higher end quilters cotton.

Day of the dead, now that will be some out of the box thinking! lol

MJP, That fabric is awesome what fun. Being nosy I looked up other fabrics by Alexander Henry and not a single other listing was described as broadcloth. I wonder if it's an error by the etsy seller? either way it's fun and say's 100% cotton.