I have created a visio with a box that can be cut out (once you print out this pdf on cardstock or just glue paper to a cardstock holder).

I saw that they use a tool just like this in the post office to test our letters. If it doesn't fly through, they ask for more postage! It fails as a letter and needs Package rate postage (roughly double!).

Many of us send blocks in the mail and I'm am so irritated at how many have come back to me lately.

I hope this helps you! Let me know if there is a way to improve the instructions and I'll edit it with your input!

Thanks, Jami

Thank you! This is definitely an issue these days.

thanks and your download opened up

thank you!

Thanks

Thanks

My post office gave me one the the boards that has all the slots & measurement rules. I did not even have to ask.

Mine too!

I wish my post office gave them out!

Yeah same here. This will definitely be helpful as my local post office had told me maybe I can get it off thier site and well, nope. I mean if I had to pay for that thing I would have. What would it have hurt them to sell those things to people

You can get 4 pieces of copy paper in one envelope without having to pay extra postage.

Retired-USPS

Thank you so much,my DH is always putting extra stamps on letters he thinks are "too heavy". Now I'll have some extra loot for fabric!!!

Thanks-- being overseas this helps me a lot when others mail to me.

Thank you so much. Great tool, I will use often.

When I retired from my job my boss gave me the little postage scale so I can test my envelopes at home and know how much postage to put.

All post offices have these boards and will give them out upon request. That is why they were printed - for the customer. BTW, they are free. (Also a retired postal employee.)

Thanks Jami! It reminds me of the test for caving. If you can fit through this box you can go. :)

I never know how much extra postage to add. Thanks.

Thank you!

I asked at the PO and they gave me one of theirs...and yes, it has to pass through that slot without touching anywhere..or it gets DOUBLE postage...The last lot of 35 blocks I sent out cost me nearly $40! When you do that twice for one swap you just spent all the money you would use for a backing & batting!
The USPS is killing swaps for sure! At least the 1 on 1 swaps...more swaps need to be centralized..it would be MUCH cheaper!

Yeah, the swaps are really hard on the pocket book. Especially the big ones.

I found that out the hard way too. I had them coming back to me and then found out that most needed hand stamped, so that is .64 cents.

If it doesn't fit in the slot or has bumps, then it goes as a small package at a $1.17. Unfortunately, doing a lot of stitching blocks makes for bumps.

I know...this is my last time to do a swap of blocks that is NOT centralized...it is just too dang expensive now!

Thank you, my postmistress must have put one letter I sent with 3 fat qrts, a note & a foam sticky thru at least ten times, couldn't decide if the 2 inch X 1 inch foam sticky would prevent it from passing.
So hopefully they all went the entire trip!

This will definitely help me with things I send. Thanks

I love my postage scale too - but it doesn't help you with the thickness rule! I found that out the hard way and decided to do something about it for my quilting friends.

I recently made some quilted postcards for a swap and didn't have this and I literally crossed my fingers as I tossed them into the mail bin. After that, I created this tool for myself.

It's the individual swaps that made me really find a way to get my block to my partner for 44 cents. :-)

That's how I learned to copy others and use the flat fold, saran wrap cover, and place it in a Costco card envelope (those huge max size heavy duty envelopes). Once in awhile my block is heavier than normal and I have to pay 64 cents. But most of them go for 44 cents.

88-108 cents round trip for F8 and block makes a 36 block exchange run around $32-36. Not too bad for 36 gorgeous blocks and the fun and excitement of so much quilting mail! ;-)

I'll definitely keep doing them. Love them!

I've been to 4 of my local post offices. I've asked them all about that cardboard slot and they told me they didn't know where to get one.

I've had them send back packages asking for additional postage but when I take them into the office I ask them why and they can't tell me why and they accept it with the original postage.

I'm very frustrated with my post offices. It seems like they don't even know their own rules.

Maybe too many good USPS employees retired (and became quilters!) ;-)

You may be right. My post office don't seem to know the rules either when I asked about the little cardboard thing they said oh this and I said yeah and they told me maybe I could get them off the internet. They didn't have any. When you go to usps website they are not there. All the good workers who know must have retired or are somewhere else cause they sure aren't in my town

now that's a wonderful idea! :)

Thanks, very useful.

Great idea! This should save a lot of frustration at the post office.

Thanks for the tip.

Thanks for this tip.

Thanks, good info!

That is due to the non-machineability of a mail piece.
As with any business, if product can be processed mechanically, it's more cost effective than needing to be all done by hand.

Actually, I'm fine with tacking on 20 cents if they can't get my item through the machine. That's completely reasonable.

It's when they charge me double because it's too thick that I get irritated.

That's why I created this tool so I can insure that my packages are less than 1/4" thick. If they are unavoidably over, I'll pay my package rate, no problem. But a quilt block can be packaged so that it's the right size for first class letter rates.

thanks

Thanks for sharing. This will help a lot and solve the mystery of how much postage to use. Always put too much.

I live in a rural area and the PO changed my address without even telling me. I lived in a development and one of the neighbors talked to the mailman. We were going by who put a house in first.# 1 #2 etc. The neighbor decided we should go by where our lots were situated. The next thing I know there are 2 of us with #5. No one even discussed it with us. The post master said the neighbor said it was Ok. Duh

The county assigns addresses and should have notified you when they informed the PO. Sounds like they (county planning) settled it with the neighbor and left it at that...
duh is right!

Regarding address changes: the orders came from Washington D.C. They sent people out to check the accuracy of residencies and then computers gave everyone a postal machine compatible
address. Believe me the complaints were abundant. However, no one had a choice especially the USPS.