Bear with me, please. I just finished sorting the autumn leaves squares. They will go in the mail tomorrow, as best I am able. I have some thoughts to share, to hopefully make future swaps better for everyone.
-Pre-wash your fabric
-iron if necessary, to assist with straight cuts
-cut with a rotary cutter - please, only use scissors if you have incredible control and cut amazingly straight
-measure twice - cut once - I've been in three swaps thus far where someone has sent squares that are the wrong size. If your squares are too large, that can be corrected. Squares that are too small won't work in a single size square quilt.
-place each of your sets in a plastic bag - preferably larger than the squares
-mark the bag with your name, your username here, your address, and the number of sets you have - If you have more than one set, the additional bags can be marked with your username and set 2 of 3, set 3 of 3, etc.
-Send a SASE or postage for a flat rate envelope. If you can provide the envelope that's nice, but not essential.
-If you paypal the postage, please note that somewhere on your baggie (makes it much easier for the sorter.)
-Be patient - we can only sort as quickly as we receive the squares.
-Communicate with the coordinator if things change and you are unable to complete the swap.
I think we should set a closing cut off standard for these swaps. I propose a week after the stated shipping date. This gives a week leeway in case something comes up, but gives us the ability to say "That's it - anything not shipped by xxx date is out." I don't want to be a hard nose about this, I love to see the fabrics everyone else is sending, but this swap and others in the past have taken way too long. This isn't handicraft - it's buying a yard of fabric, washing it with your laundry, cutting and shipping.
I hope I don't sound harsh - that's not my intent. I'd just like to make this better for all of us.
Thanks - that's my PSA for tonight.
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Sonya
Mama to Madeline and Victoria My feedback
Although I was perhaps the worst offender in the late-shipping department here, I've got to say I agree with everything you've said. I'm currently hosting 2 square swaps on SMs, and it's been a nightmare. I'll be implementing your rules next time I suggest a square swap.
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~Jessica, single sewing mama to Dillon (9/98) and Lucas (10/02)
(SewKnitMama on SM, TopazGirl on Ravelry)
I have not participated in these swaps yet, but I think these rules are great and help to clarify questions for people too.
I had a question about cutting the squares. I have a rotary cutter and mat, but I was wondering if there is a quilt square template that you can get that is 6.5" so that you can just cut around it. That would make things much easier. Are the swaps always 6.5"? I'm going to see if I can find a template.
Those sound reasonable. I appreciate your coordinating these swaps! I did notice a 6" rather than a 6.5" square in with at least one of my swaps. somehow I made it work, but it was a tight squeeze. Someone did something similar on one of the comfort quilts I pieced together - it was supposed to be 10.5" squares iirc, and she sent 2 9" squares. I had some coordinating fabric that I used as a "sash" around hers, so it worked out OK, but wasn't ideal. Anyhow, I offer that as a way to make a smaller piece work in certain cases.
Personally, I have never used a template, so this might be a strange question... but isn't it more difficult to make 4 cuts around a square template, than to measure the 6.5" and cut a long rectangle of fabric 6.5" tall that can then be "sliced" into squares? I've never really seen the utility of a template unless used for fussy-cutting. Of course, you should probably follow Norm Abram's advice of "measure twice, cut once".
OK, one more thought... I think it would be easier on the participants if they knew up front how much fabric to buy, and that didn't change over the "lifetime" of the swap. Generally, unless fussy-cutting, one can get 30 squares out of one yard of cotton-woven fabric. Someone who prepares their 30 squares would like to get 30 squares back again. I like how some of the recent swaps have been coordinated, so that even if there are only 20 participants, the participants do not just get back 20 different squares plus 10 of their own back - the coordinator has sent the 20 different squares, plus 10 different ones out of the 20... it still totals 30, but there's more variety. In this way, it doesn't matter *quite* so much if there are only 27, or 22, or even 32 participants - the participants don't go to the work of sending 30 squares and getting nearly half of their own back again. or buying yardage and cutting 30 squares and finding out that only 18 are necessary.
I also appreciate it when the swap coordinator doesn't mind if I send in 18 of one fabric and 12 of another, but I do realize that isn't going to happen in every swap!
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Margaret
Blessed with four, one in heaven
"If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however, if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that" Goethe
I agree, Margaret!
I don't use a template. My cutting mat is beginning to have permanent grooves 6.5 inches apart. I've begun varying my start point to get more wear out of the thing. lol
I line my fabric up and cut the entire yard in 6.5 inch strips. Then I stack the strips and cut into 6.5 inch squares. Much fewer cuts needed that way.
My swaps have been 30 squares no matter how many participants. Each spot requires 1 yard of fabric. Neither swap has ended up with 30 participants all the way through, but everyone has gotten 30 various squares for each set. (I make up all the sets and deal out the last sets to make all sets equal 30. This last swap had 25 set participants - each got 1 square from each participant and then 5 more, so each set was different.)
I've been finding that my stash doesn't coordinate with any of the swaps. Now I don't mind shopping for fabric, but it's nice to know that I'm just buying what I need.
BTW - Thanks, Jessica!
My post office has one of those nifty automated postage machines. I can ship in the middle of the night, on federal holidays, pretty much anytime as long as I have a credit card and the receiver isn't out of the country.
I was late for shipping, and I didn't have any *large* ziploc bags, so I put them in a small one that didn't fit *all* the way up top, lol, but I wanted to say, even though I broke some of the rules, lol, I appreciate the rules you laid out and think they should be put in thier own thread and stuck to the top for future reference! that way there's no confusion in future swaps. I would suggest that anyone hosting square swaps in the future require participants to confirm when signing up that they *DID* read the rules thread and there will be no room for error....does that sound reasonable?
I also wanted to add that, along with your thought that there be a recieved by date, I agree, that is a great idea. Also (not to pick on people outside the US LOLOL), I think suggesting that anyone who's shipping may take longer than 7 days (or whatever recieved by date is chosen), whether being out of the states, or shipping across the country first class, whatever, that they take that into consideration and ship EARLIER then the mail by date if necessary.
I read some shipping rules on one of the boards I visit that had very detailed, *awesome* rules, I think it was crafters.org or something, I will see if I can find them.
I may be the odd man out here, but I have never been able to get 30 6.5" squares from a yard of fabric, I always buy at least 1.5yds to make sure I will have enough.
As for how to cut, I have a 6.5 x 24" quilting ruler that I use to cut my squares. I do have a 6x6 square as well, but it was more trouble than it was worth, and I went back for the bigger one soone after using that square and being so fed up with it.
I wasn't going to post, but DH said I should..... I am having a hard time with the rotary cutter thing. I don't have one and I don't plan on buying one really. I try really hard to cut straight, but I am certainly not perfect. I use a easy square thingy, so I know my squares are square. I just kind of find the rotary cutter preference kind of bothersome.... hope I didn't offend anyone. I know we are all trying to figure out ways to make these swaps run better and I appreciate it!
I also think that whatever the original swap setup is should stay, such as send in 30 squares of each fabric. My fabric budget is limited and if the swap is going to change halfway through and makes half my purchase useless... well I don't think thats very cool, yk?
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Brianna, SAHM to DS Tucker (10-11-02) My UC baby Jacob Patrick born 10-9-05 Married to the love of my life Ryan.
Gotta say I also like each fabric labeled with the person who contributed it, so I know who sent what! I printed out 60 return labels with my name/username and stuck one on each of my squares for the leaf swap. Very simple.
This way we know who to blame for ugly fabric.
Great suggestions all around...
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My Gorgeously Goofy Girls!
~Amy ~ wife, mother, superhero to Sweet Sisters Ava and Elana
Touched by an Angel of Hope ^i^ 3-05
Missing our Furry Friend Levi ^..^ 8-05
I also think that whatever the original swap setup is should stay, such as send in 30 squares of each fabric. My fabric budget is limited and if the swap is going to change halfway through and makes half my purchase useless... well I don't think thats very cool, yk?
Even if only 15 people participate, you would still send in the 30...you would just get doubles of the squares instead of 30 different ones, you would get 15 different ones but still 30 squares...kwim? I see no reason to cut back the number of squares sent because there are fewer participants. So, it would still always be the same amount of fabric sent in, no matter how many participate. Does that make sense at all? LOLOL
Quote:
Originally Posted by Empathic~Heart
Gotta say I also like each fabric labeled with the person who contributed it, so I know who sent what! I printed out 60 return labels with my name/username and stuck one on each of my squares for the leaf swap. Very simple.
This way we know who to blame for ugly fabric.
Great suggestions all around...
I have to say, I don't have the time *at all* to sit down and label each square, esp. if I'm sending in 60 or 90 or more. Sorry LOL...I'm doing good to get them cut on time (and still not always then ROFL). I definately don't mind taking pics of my fabrics and posting what I got so that people can see who got it...but I can't committ to labeling that many 6.5 inch squares of fabric.
my issue was that origianlly for a spot, we were supposed to send in 30 of a single fabric and I got two spots and therefore 1 yard of each fabric and then it was suggested that each spot send in 15 squares of two different fabrics, so half of what i had purchased would be wasted and if I couldn't buy 2 more fabrics, then I could only afford to have one spot. ykwim?
My UC baby Jacob Patrick born 10-9-05 
Married to the love of my life Ryan.
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