Nelco

got 3 more done today and they are in my album in my profile. Guess it is my laptop that will not let me post here but they are on my profile

Nelco

http://www.quiltingboard.com/members...bums18998.html

givio

urgodschild2, USPS flat rate for the envelopes increased. It's not $5.60 anymore, it's $5.90.

It seems like the swaps here on QB have an element of incorporating your own fabric into each block. That's what most of the increase in cost is all about, compared to what I've done before. :-) So, it's simply a different type of bee. I like it. :-) There are so many choices of ways to make a quilt top, and it's fun exploring new ways that I haven't done before.

In my other swap, we all say what colors we want our quilt to be, then we all make a block for each other using fabric we have at home or what we buy especially for the other bee member. We all share our addresses with each other. So, the only postage we have is to mail our finished block to each member of the bee. If you fold a 12" block very flat, you can put it in a greeting card size envelope and mail it for first class postage, which is $0.46. If the block has lots of little pieces and lots of seams, it will increase the ounce weight, so you'd have to add $0.21 for additional ounces. Getting 12 blocks from the bee equals the cost for sending the blocks-- about $5.52 to $8.04. You can spend more if you use padded envelopes, or add personal notes or business cards, or use thick baggies that have heavy ziplocks, or add duct tape, etc. I usually use only a fold-over sandwich baggie to put the block in, and scotch tape it closed.

The biggest differences between that bee and this one is that you don't end up with blocks using your own fabric, and you don't have tracking. Only 1 of my blocks got lost (of about 35), and I needed to make another for that girl. It was really my fault, because I took it to the main post office instead of my local post office. I believe they are not so careful there... But mostly I had very fun experiences. One time, I found a Kaffe Fasset print that I knew one girl would like for her quilt top, but I found it after the bee was finished, and I'd already mailed my block to her. Because I had her address, I was able to send her another block that I liked better for her than the first one I made. Then we had a little on-the-side giving spree that was very nice! :-)

Bee Beatty

Giving,

Thank you for sharing your experience with the swaps you have participated in. This weekend I had planned to prepare all my blocks for sending to the coordinator for two swaps I just completed - this New Repeat Boom (12 Blocks) and Boom 11, S&E Group (16 Blocks). These two swaps were the first I have ever done.

Yesterday, I packaged each of the 16 blocks for the Boom 11 in a small zip loc Baggie each with a printed personal note. Some with leftover fabric. Some with an extra block. As I was about halfway through, I realized there was no way 16 baggies were going to fit in the flat rate envelope. Oh..no I thought ..now what? I wasn't ready to re-do all the packages...so I set the project aside for Monday!

In thinking about this, I have decided to divide the 16 baggies into 2 flat rate envelopes of 8 each @$5.90 each for a total of $11.80. However, I still have to be sure this doesn't impact the coordinator when she includes my Baggie in each participants forwarded blocks.

Thank goodness I didn't package up the 12 blocks for this group yet! I am not sure how I will return unused fabric to those wo have indicated they will need it.

For me, the issue with the cost of postage is that if I mail each block to its recipient as I complete them, it does not "pinch"me as severely as mailing all at one time and including the return postage.

All blocks completed. Still not sure about how much to include for return postage.
Love the swaps! Bee

Bee Beatty

Givio

Sorry misspelled your name on previous message,
Bee

givio

Bee Beatty, I like the misspelling! lol

TheMamaHauser

Well, I got 4 blocks done today... went to take a picture and I put one together completely wrong (Jacob's Ladder became Jacob's Walk on the sidewalk). So, I will pick that apart tomorrow. Hopefully I can have everything put together & ready to mail on Friday. My longarm (The Six) decided she wanted emergency maintenance yesterday so until she's back, it's all piecing for me.

urgodschild2

Bee Beatty. Put several in one baggie with the names of who they belong to and I will separate them. That is what I had to do on the Slow and Easy boom as with the plastic bag there was no way they would fit. So I put several blocks in one bag with the owners name tagged to it. Then they all fit nicely in the one envelop. I don't know how we can get around this mailing it all to one person as that is what the person who started this site wants us to do. So if we want to continue on this board we have to abide by those rules. I do understand how it is cost effective but also inconvenient at times to come up with the whole amt to mail. I am on a fixed budget and sometimes I have to wait untill the new month to mail mine out.....so I can relate to Bee Beatty. When you have one or two to mail to an individual, it is easier on the budget to mail it out sooner. I don't know the solution to this. Some people have left the board and have started their own groups but the problem I see with that is that you are locked in to only exchanging with those individuals. I like meeting new people and this board allows a wider audience to pull from. I don't no the solution. Sorry. Any ideas???

urgodschild2

MamaHauser......LOL you have a new name for a block. I love it.

urgodschild2

Bee Beatty......It cost $5.80 at least from my PO so if you put $6.00 in an envelop it will cover it. Or you can have the PO put the stamps on the envelop before you include it in the package.