Boom 21 - Sign-ups now open thru 5/31***
 

Sign-ups for Boomerang Friendship Swap 21 are open! They will close no later than Thursday, May 31, 2018. ***If sign-ups go quickly, I will close full groups early.*** If so, I will start a waiting list in the event of a last minute drop. Each group will probably have 14 to 20 swappers. You may choose the 2 or 3 month swap or both if you are a repeat Boomer. 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 your fabric, prepare it and send it to me for distribution to the other members. You need one Fat Eighth (no smaller than 18” x 10”, a little larger is welcome but no selvages) 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 using your pre-washed 100 percent cotton quilting fabric 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 to read all posts and post at least weekly. If something comes up and you cannot post, please have somebody email me. Absolutely no disappearing please!


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) Use only 100 percent quilting cotton. Please pre-wash and press your fabric. Remove selvages before cutting into Fat Eighths, no smaller than 18” x 10” but a little larger is welcome. No exceptions. (Packages that come to me with smaller pieces will be returned to you unswapped at your expense. 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 small ziploc-type bag, no hard zippers please. Label each F8 with your board name (make it easily visible to me) along with any instructions or color requests for your fabric. This may be a note inside or a label on the outside. (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 but do not place the label over the opening as I will be checking fabric sizes. Please then take all the individually wrapped F8s and put them in a large Ziplock-type bag onto which you have written your name and address. This you will then put into your mailing envelope. Later, when you send your completed blocks back to me, please seal and label them 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 the due date. 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 may (no guarantees this round) establish an online Fabric Gallery.
6) You are required to keep in touch with your group by posting your progress to the dedicated Boom group threads at least once a week. This is a requirement. If you do not keep in touch with me or the group for any reason, you will not be able to participate in the next Boom. 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. This means you must measure. Blocks may be traditionally pieced, paper-pieced, appliquéd, whatever the block maker decides to do. It is up to each individual. Please do not request specific blocks as the idea is to let everyone, of every skill level, join in and show their talents.
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 mailing 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 (unless other arrangements have been made) at the rate in force at the time of shipping. Today that cost is $7.25 but it may change at any time. Please send a pre-paid envelope or label or you may send me $7.25 in well-concealed cash and I will supply the envelope. Envelopes with “regular” postage stamps will no longer be picked up by my carrier but must be taken in person to the post office so please don’t send them. Please note: There is no guarantee all blocks will fit in a single padded envelope if you join multiple groups. I will contact you to discuss options if that happens.

Keep in mind the following:
You must be in good standing with previous swaps on the QB. 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. All seams should be ¼ inch or a scant ¼ with at least 12 stitches per inch. All fabric should be cut on the straight of grain to avoid wonkiness and fraying whenever possible. Blocks should not leave your hands until you know you have made every reasonable effort to get them as close to the 12 ½ inch size as you can get. 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 note: when you measure, measure under an acrylic square at least 12 ½ inches square, not on top of it, after pressing. Also, be sure to allow yourself enough time to complete your full set of blocks. In other words, don’t leave them to the last week! The results can be hit-or-miss. And please be sure to clean up the blocks. Turn them over, trim your threads and cut dog ears.

Please pre-wash your 100 percent cotton quilting fabrics without any fragrance residue. Please note that that some swappers may be smokers or have pets. If either is a 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 21, please email me (not PM) with "Boom 21" in the subject line at [email protected] with the following information:

Board Name
Full Name
Complete Address
“Best” Phone Number (home? cell? work?)
Email Address

Have you fulfilled all your swap/exchange obligations on the QB in the past?
*2 Month Group or 3 Month Group or both? (Newbies to the Boom should select only one group, preferably the 3 month group if you are unaccustomed to piecing on a deadline.)

*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 21. We hope you'll join us!

My email has been sent for both groups.

I'm in :) the 3 month

Sign me up for the 3 month group!!! I just sent an email and will be going to the post office today to mail my package. It's been ready for days! :D Thank you Janice!

I just signed up for both groups!

I forgot this is Boom 21 day, sign me up for the 3 month group please.

Sent you an email. Please reply. Thanks!

Cheesehead, Billi, Libster, Klaws, Terriamn, and Kassaundra, I've got you signed up! That's 6 people already. Excellent start!

Yay... it's Boom Day! I want to do both groups and will send my email to Janice right now... :o

My fabrics are all ready to mail!

Well sign me up for both please. This will be my summer work along with getting my own quilts quilted for show. This will give me reprieve from the intensity of quilting.

I'm doing it! Signed up for BOTH groups. Now to narrow my fabrics down to two!

I’m in for both. Yahoo

I won't be joining this time, but I will be following along! I wonder what the 2 names will be.:eek:

In for both... email sent.

3 month group please!!

Sent an email for the 3 month group.

Well, when one turns 21, they usually want to go out and have a drink legally. Thinking we should have some kind of shot name for the 2 month version and oh, I got it, a Long Island Iced Tea for the three month boom.

High ball, that is a whisky drink my grandparents would have at night.

So High Ball and Long Island, we got this covered for Janice. :o

I just sent an email to add my name to the 3month group. Let the fun begin again!

I sent an email earlier today signing up for both. Let me know how many to mail for each group!

Looks like we are gathering 'players' like a snowball rolling downhill! So happy to see old friends come back. Hope we get some new people too. :o

SewBiz - I see you started a new swap too! And then the June Postcard swap is for wacky holidays and the sign in started too! So many things that we can do while we wait!!

I sent my email. I would love to join the 3 mo group again! :) My fabric is also cut and ready to go.

I have my fabric but not washed / pressed or bagged yet. It is a brown tot and a cream tot. Pretty boring compared to most of you guys fabric (at least the fabric that has been posted). My original idea was a white and a black (half getting the white half getting the black) and you adding one additional color and using my fabric as the background. I think that plan should still work w/ the brown / cream.

Hmmmm. Interesting. My parents drank high balls, too. I can still smell it. Lol.

Fyi, names are rolling in to join. I’ll update the tally tomorrow and will send confirmation emails out by noon ET for everyone who has signed up at that point. Sure hope to see a couple of newbie names soon. We love our repeat boomers but a few newbies stir the pot a bit.

I remember my parents drinking high balls, I knew they were some kind of mixed drink. Was high ball just another name for a cocktail or were the ingredients something specific to that drink?

My Gparents drank several different kinds of mixed drinks. They only called one a high ball. It was whisky and bitters and maybe one other ingredient. I didn't like it so didn't pay much attention.

High Ball is a class of drinks, usually (I think) like a Whisky and 7-up or a Rum and Coke. I’m more of a red wine gal myself. :).
https://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/01/cocktail-101-five-essential-highballs-easy-drinks.html

I probably wouldn't care for this type of drink, I hate the smell of bitters. A very popular drink is the Old Fashioned cocktail, it has bitters in it and because of that I never cared to try one.

That was interesting. My Gparents did not add anything like soda to what they called high ball

I just asked my DH “If you went into a bar and ordered a High Ball, what would you get?” His response was Whisky and water. :) It probably can be many things.

Ya'll are making me thirsty!!!

I have some chocolate wine in the fridge calling my name.

Signed up for the 3 month group.

Stunned!
 

Unbelievably, I believe the 3 month group is full. The 2 month group is about half full. Per post number one, you must email me to claim your spot. I'll hold for 24 hours from now the spots for the people who have not yet emailed me but posted their intent online. After that, I'll open the spots back up. I'm going to recheck my names and numbers tomorrow and confirm the 3 month group numbers. I have one person who may switch to the 2 month group so if anyone wants that spot, let me know in case it becomes available. Color me stunned. Thank you Boomers!

Wow, Janice, that's awesome!!!

Wow- Maybe another 3month group? I recall when I first started that there were usually three groups!

I just put my last quilting stitch in my bead quit, it is fully assembled and quilted now just needs to be trimmed and bound so I am celebrating w/ a glass of chocolate wine.

Congrats Janice, on such a popular swap! It’s a direct reflection on how well you run it.

Kass, don’t forget to take pictures for us to see... of the bead quilt!