Funky Halloween Swap ^^._.^^ Sign Ups close June 30, 2012
 

It has been a while since I hosted a swap, but I felt the mood strike me this week, so here I am!! I love that the tradition of the "funky" swap has been carried on, for me it all started with Pat's Funky Chicken Swap. Then I hosted a Funky Neighborhood swap, and now I would love to have my fellow quilters join me in a Funky Halloween swap!!

Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. I already have one Halloween quilt and I would love to add another to the mix. The fun thing is, Halloween is not hard to get funky with!! Halloween is such a fun and off kilter holiday as it stands, so the doors are wide open for your blocks with this one. All I ask is for you to use your creativity to make all our quilts come alive.

There are too many ideas to list for this swap. Do a funky pieced block using some great Halloween fabrics, make a funky haunted house, applique some witches feet. Piece some scary words like hiss, boo, or eeeeek! How about some candy corn? Or a werewolf? Or something just batty? Be creative!! All I ask is that you put the amount of time and effort into your blocks that you would hope everyone else is too. If you don't love your block enough to put it in your own quilt, then why bother making it?

Please read ALL the instructions below before signing up, hopefully I have made everything very clear for you, but if you have any questions, please send me a PM (click on my name and then click “Send PM.”)

What size are the blocks?
Your blocks should be divisible by 3” when finished. The blocks can be square or rectangle, so long as both finished sides are divisible by three. Be sure to add seam allowances to your unfinished blocks. So a finished block of 6x6, should be sent to me unfinished at 6.5x6.5. A rectangle that will finish at 6x12, should be sent to me at 6.5x12.5 and so on…. If you are unsure what to add for seam allowance, please PM me.

How many blocks do I send?
Please send blocks to me in sets of 6. You may send as many sets as you would like to receive back, so if you send me 2 sets (12 blocks), you will get 12 different blocks back. I will be swapping all 6 of your blocks, so if you want to have one for yourself, be sure to make an extra! (Note: Since we are all sending in different sizes and different amounts, no one will end up with similar sets, so please feel free to make your six blocks in a set the same, similar, or different. It may be easier on you if they are the same, but so long as you mail to me in sets of 6, you can do whatever fits your stash!)

**Note** 3x3 finished size blocks (3.5 x 3.5 unfinished) are wonderful to have for this type of swap as they work great as filler. Since these smallies are quick and easy to make, I am making the rule that 2 of these count as 1 full size block. So in order to swap your smallies for another block, you must include 2 (so if you sent a whole set of the small fries, you'd need to send 12 small ones to get 6 blocks back). If you don't follow this rule, you may end up with fewer blocks than you had hoped for back. This makes it more fair for me to trade out your smallies for a larger-ie. Also, I don't mind a few of these, but let's not go crazy with these little guys.

Who can swap?
I only have one requirement for participants. You must love Halloween!! We want some fun and funky blocks and the more you love Halloween, the more it will show in your work!! The fun thing about a funky swap is nothing needs to be precise, so this is a great swap for those of us that are not quite proficient at those perfect points yet!

What are the deadlines?
Sign-ups for this swap end on June 30th. You can post your intent to sign-up in this thread or you can PM me. Once you sign-up, I will send you my mailing address.

The mail date for the blocks is July 31st and if I receive all the blocks on time, I will swap in mid-August. That will leave enough time to have your quilt ready to use by Halloween!! Of course, if you have your blocks finished sooner, I encourage you to mail sooner! Get them out of your way! Send them to me so they can be in my way!! LOL :)

How do I get my blocks ready to mail?
Please attach a slip of paper to each block that includes at the very least your board name, this will help me know which blocks are yours when I am swapping (so you won't get your own back :)). It’s also fun to include your real name, email address, and state on the paper so people can see where all the blocks are coming from and possibly send you a thank you!

Before putting your blocks in the envelope (or box) to mail to me, place them in a large Ziploc bag and close tightly, then write your name and address on the outside of the Ziploc bag. If you have ever swapped before, you have probably heard of swap blocks separating from their envelopes occasionally, putting your blocks in the Ziploc bag will help ensure that the blocks make it back to you if this should happen. I would highly suggest mailing in a priority box for this reason, but I will leave that decision up to you.

What about postage?
Please include in your package, a Self Addressed Envelope and the amount of postage it took to mail to you, plus a few extra stamps (or even a dollar or two). If you want to mail priority, I will get the box from the post office myself, just make sure you include enough postage or cash for a priority box (I believe it starts at $5.35 now, but may be more depending on the weight). Remember, since we have all different size blocks it may cost more to send back to you then it cost to send to me. All loose postage and money sent will be pooled and used to mail the boxes and envelopes, if I have extra they will be set aside to use in a future swap!

How do I keep track of the swap?
I have created a group to use to keep track of members of this swap. Once you let me know of your intent to join, I will invite you to the group where you can see a list of members, how many sets they intend to do and once I receive the blocks I will mark it there. I am new to this group thing, so it will be a work in progress!! :)


I think that’s it! If you have questions, please send me a PM. I hope you are all excited to start doing the Funky Halloween dance!! I know I can’t wait!

Cheers!
Rachel

Here is a link to the group, but it's invite only so I will send you an invite once I know you want to join the group. Suggestions on how other hosts have made the group thing work for swaps are always appreciated!!

http://www.quiltingboard.com/groups/...30-12-g15.html

Cheers!
Rachel

Here's some inspiration for anyone thinking about joining! I know it's early in the year to think about Halloween, but the timing will be perfect to have your quilt ready to cuddle under for the 2012 holiday.

:)

Rachel

Rachel I love halloween so count me in.

Excellent!! Glad to have you on board. :)

Rachel

Oh yeah you can count me in on this one, I love doing the "Funky" swaps ;)

You know I'm in! :D

I'm IN! Love Halloween :)

I have not done a Funky swap before but I just found some fantastic Halloween fabric, I was looking for my Easter fabric and when I thought my sewing room could not get any messier I found the box of Holiday fabric! Now if we could just some how swap sewing rooms!

hummmm, kinda like that show that I saw on tv, like house swap... I would have to swap with a quilter for sure, a long arm quilter would be nice, I have a lot of quilts tops needing to be finished.... OK where was I???

Ahhh yes a Funky Halloween swap. I will send you a pm. :-)

Ooooh welcome to the funky side!! :) :) I do warn you they are rather fun and very addictive!! :) :) I take no responsibility for the amount of funky swaps you join after this!! hehe

I feel ya on the mess, I just organized my room, but before that ... woah. And even with it organized I still have stuff I can't find!! LOL Remember though, you don't have to use holiday fabric on this swap, it just has to have that Halloween feel, which sometimes patterned fabrics in the right colors can give you. So feel free to use up all those wonderful fabrics in your room!! :) :)

Rachel

I should have everyone that has decided to join all signed up now. Double check the post in the group (link on first page) that your name is shown. If you have not gotten a PM from me with a mailing address, let me know!! I am very excited, I will try to find some more inspiration tonight!!

Cheers!
Rachel

Count me in on this one too. Halloween is soooo much fun.

Don't you mean sew much fun? hehe (is that only funny to me?)



I was looking around Flickr for some more inspiring pics for y'all and I attached what I found here. Feel free to be creative with these blocks, there is so (sew? hehe) many different things you can do!! :)

There are a few things that came up in PMs that I thought I would put out there here. Someone asked about machine embroidery. I have no problem with any type of quilting style for this swap. Piecing, paper piecing, applique, embroidery, whatever you want. All I ask is that you love your own quilt block and would be proud to put it in your own quilt. If you love your block with all your heart, so will we!! :)

Also I had someone from over the pond ask if they could play with us. I am more than happy to accommodate international swappers. What we will do for postage is once I am ready to mail back to you, I will send you a paypal invoice for the shipping amount plus paypal fees, then I will use that to ship back to you. This is truly the best way to handle this rather than trying to send American currency, as shipping amounts overseas can vary so much. If I do not hear back from you regarding the shipping fees within a reasonable time frame after you have been contacted by me (a week say), then the blocks become mine. All mine!! mwahahaha (hehe sorry I couldn't help myself) ... but seriously if I don't get payment for shipping timely, then the blocks will stay here and probably be made into a donation quilt. :) :) So be sure to check your PMs here around the time that I should be mailing if you are an international swapper. :)

Okay onto the good stuff!! :)

I want to play. I love funky and halloween too. Can I play?, can I? , can I? LOL, Can you tell I'm excited? Count me in

How can we possibly say no to that?? (Not that we would anyway LOL) :) :) I will send you a PM!!

Cheers!
Rachel

Here's the first block ...(Yikes, the photo is big! Sorry about that.)

Excellent block moonrise!! I loves me a good scarecrow!! :) :) You have started us off on the right foot for sure!! Now I must scamper off to my sewing machine to make some prototypes of blocks that have been floating around in my head!! :)

Cheers!
Rachel

As another note, I had a question on how many sets you can do. I have no specific limit to the number of sets you can do, but remember I can't swap out more blocks for you than I have and we can't have everyone be able to get everyone's blocks. hehe So do as many as you would like, mix up the blocks you send me so we have a good variety to choose from, but if you send A LOT (like 10 sets or more), be understanding that I may not be able to swap them all depending on how many people join and how many sets they do.

Cheers!
Rachel

Thanks! At this point, I'll probably do 4-6 sets, but we'll see how it goes time-wise, and also see how many people sign up. Last year's Halloween Swap was HUGE! :thumbup: (And I still haven't put that quilt together! LOL! Maybe I'll use the blocks from both swaps and make a COLOSSAL quilt! :D )

Meet Frankie, my newest l'il guy ... :)

Edited to add: The background is more orange-y than the photo looks. My camera apparently gets a little "creative" in reproducing colors accurately! :p

Let's try this again. This background should be more accurate ... or it least it is on my screen. ;)

ooooh I love that background (and the little guy too of course!!) The background is very spooky looking though, very cool.

I missed last year's Halloween swap, so I hope people aren't all Halloweened out!! :) We already have 11 people though, so we are certainly off to a good start!! :) I also have an idea for another swap that hasn't really been done yet that I can see, but I am trying to figure out if I am up for hosting 2 swaps at once. :) :)

I have an idea floating around in my head for a block, and I was going to make a mock up yesterday, but I needed my printer and of course it decided to go kaput on me!! Luckily I have a warranty on it, so I am going to go exchange it today and hopefully put a block together tonight. :)

Cheers!
Rachel

Thanks! :) Sorry about your printer, but glad there's a warranty!


Ooooh, a new swap? Is it too soon to ask for details? I love swaps, if you can't tell! LOL! :D


Here's another one I've been working on. It's my version of "Van Gogh's Starry Night" painting. I call mine "Van Glow's Scary Night". ;) (Okay, that was corny. >snort< )

Both me AND my embroidery machine are going to bed shortly. I'm not sure which one of us is more tired ... it or ME! ha ha

Morning - Yes Yes Yes Add me in!!!! I have just started making a Halloween quilt. I only have a fleece panel one and wanted to sew one. How great is this. So I have a few blocks started. I would very much like this. I can make one block to keep and one to trade.

Or do you mean candy corny?? Hehehe :) :) :) Love the new block too!! You are going to have some great traders!! :) What size are these? It's hard to judge scale in a picture!!

My new swap idea was "Magical Forest" (or something like that ... maybe Fantasy Funky Forest ... haha not sure on the title yet). I thought it would be fun to trade tree blocks and maybe throw in some gnomes and fairies, mushrooms, treehouses and the like. I have seen a lot of fun and funky tree blocks around the boards and the web and I just thought it might be fun to have a magical forest quilt!! :) Not sure how many people would go for that, but I tried to see if there was something similar done before and I didn't see anything. I know there was a forest swap, but that was more like real forest. I was thinking more magical, fantasy type. I was thinking I would have a close date at the end of August to stagger the two swaps, but it might be too soon to post that up now .....

Cheers!
Rachel

I'd do magical forest

I made a block last night. Yay!! I had this idea to turn one of those gnomes (can you tell I have that on the mind?) into a witch. So I took the paper pieced pattern and added a brim to her hat. :) :) I think it turned out cute, what do you guys think?

Rachel

How ADORABLE!!! Love the legs/socks. They remind me of candy corn. Fun background fabric, too! :thumbup:

The scarecrows, Frankensteins, and haunted houses are all 6-1/2" square at the moment, but I may add borders to some or all of them. I've got another set finished that measures 12-1/2" square. They're scrappy-pieced with a creepy black skull border. I'll get a photo as soon as I get a chance. :)

A Magical Forest swap would be fun and unusual! I like it. :D

I have half a set done :)

You're on your way!! :) :) Those look very cool .... the picture is a bit fuzzy, but is that a skull batik fabric you used for the background? It looks so neat looking!! :)

Cheers!
Rachel

It is a skull batik fabric :) I got it a couple Halloweens ago :)

What a fun swap!

Well color me jealous!!! That is so cool, I haven't seen anything like it before!! :) :)

It should be a lot of fun!! are you going to hop in and join us? :) :)

Rachel

Would love to join this sounds like a fun project to make for my gd :)

Okay I should have everyone that wanted to join up to this point on my list now. Let me know if I am missing anyone!!

http://www.quiltingboard.com/groups/...2-g15-d62.html

Cheers!
Rachel

Athenagwis I will be making 3 sets.. thats a total of 18 blocks Correct? Thanks for all the pictures Im super inspired now..this will be grand... :)

Yup 18 blocks!! And remember to make extras for yourself as I will be swapping all the ones you send me. :) :)

Cheers!
Rachel

Those are AWESOME, bookworm! :thumbup:

Did another block tonight. I thought it would be fun to play a little on candy corn. I have yet to pull out my bigger Halloween stash of fabric, and I am excited to try a few more new ideas too. Hope y'all like these little guys!!

Rachel

Oh that would be so fun! I love the the gnome and Forest Idea! With Fairies and winged creatures too? I want to do that one too! Both my Daughter and Daughter in law collect gnomes.

And your witch is so cute, this is going to be an awesome quilt. I am playing catch up on some orders but will work on Halloween blocks soon. I can't wait to start!

Can I sign up for 3 sets? (I will send a pm too).