*Quantity 20 blocks
*Fabric pre washed 100% cotton. No muslin, no glitter. BACKGROUND is LIGHT SKY BLUE with or without clouds; your choice, can be solid, blenders, swirls..... We are dressing our Sue's like the book, in their country's traditional clothes and holding the symbol of their country just like the patterns/pictures in the book. You don't have to have the exact same fabric that the book shows but you need to be similar.
* We are using International SBS (patterns from the book) by Debra Kimball, MD
* Because this swap is total applique and falls during the holidays it will be a longer swap, 15 weeks to make your blocks and send them, I will mail back to you as soon as I have them all. Mailing DEADLINE with tracking is February 1, 2016
* Applique must be securely sewn down with a zigzag, blanket, satin stitches etc…. please make sure your stitches bite good into the Sue so she won't come loose during washing once our quilts are made. Sadly I will return blocks that aren’t securely sewn down. I DO NOT want them to fray. NO INVISIBLE THREAD.
Block size 8x10 unfinished so to make sure you have it big enough for it to be squared up by the receivers. For example if you are new to applique, you can cut your blocks 9x11 prior to appliqueing and you will have plenty of block with no worries. Please let me know what block you are making because for this one I don't want any duplicates, first come first serve. Post a sample of your block by Thanksgiving.
** Mail Date with tracking info by PRIORITY FLAT RATE sent to me by February 1st Blocks must be in my possession by Feb 6th. If I don’t have tracking from you by February 1st I will not wait for your blocks to arrive.
Postage $6, no stamps, no checks, pre-paid labels are fine, international will be worked out individually. I have Flat Rate envelopes to send yours back in so please don't send return envelopes.
Additional: attach a label to each block with your forum name, real name, city and state. Keep the blocks flat, no individual baggies. Put your blocks in a large zip lock bag with your address on it before sending it in.
THE FINE PRINT
**NOTE: please read and understand below some things have changed. Vinae, Chriss and I are acting as one hostess. We are sharing information. We are starting out with this swap with a clean slate for everyone but please understand that if you bail out on any of our swaps, it will be 1 strike against you on all of our swaps.
To join you must be a posting member of this forum for at least three months and be familiar with the way Vinae and Chriss and I run our swaps….
If you sign up and fail to follow through on this swap you won’t be able to sign up for the next swap any of us host that you ask to join. If after sitting out a swap you fail to follow through again you won’t be able to sign up for any swap that WE host. If you take a spot in this swap it is a commitment and must be met.
If you send incomplete blocks or your blocks are not the required size and of the required fabric and not sewn not securely they will be returned to you using your postage.
We will no longer be allowing block choosing. Hostess will have first choice of the blocks then sort the rest, what you get is what you get.
Be sure to use priority mail and keep your postal receipt. It will have your tracking number on it. In the event your blocks don’t show up and you don’t have this number you won’t be able to sign up for our next swap. If you do have this number we will be able to track your package it will be located and included.
Communication and follow through are key. If you have any questions please ask prior to taking a spot in this swap. If you have any problems or concerns, PM me and we can take care of it in private so it doesn’t cause problems on the forum. If you join you must comment in the swap thread once a week...especially during the last month of the swap...
Be sure to check in often to see how things are moving along…
I will be getting with Chriss and Vinae to share info, if these requirements seem too rigid please don’t sign up.
Here's my sample block
Italy:
Samples of Sky Blue backgrounds:
New Mexico True Sky Blue ;o)
Name.....................Forum Name................Country/Sue
RECEIVED:
1. Tina..................Gershwin64................Italy/Gelato***
2. Maryz.................purrfect-lady.............USA-West/Native American ***
3. Miriam................FarmChick.................Japan/Japanese Fan ***
4. Denise................DouceFleur1...............Vietnam/Folk Art ***
5. Carole................Carole....................USA-SouthSouthern Belle ***
6. Sonya.................Prairiewillow.............Norway/Midnight Sun ***
7.Maryq.................Maryq.....................Ireland/Shamrock***
8.Izzy..................billizzy..................USA-Midwest/Farmer ***
9. Teresa................TeresaK...................USA-All/Flag ***
10.Jacquie...............shelly322002..............Scotland/Thistle***
11.Joyce.................JayKay....................USA-Alaska/Inuit ***
12.Lyn...................WeeOne....................Austria/Music***
13.Joan..................toekeyotow................China/Chinese Lantern ***
14.Beverly...............Muse&Sew..................Oceans/Mermaid***
15.Joan..................MainelyMe.................USA/Northeast/Fisher ***
16.Izzy..................billizzy..................USA/Hawaii/Hula ***
17.Tina..................Gershwin64................Ghana/Warrior ***
18.Sharon................Womster...................England/Sherlock***
19.MaryRose..............rosebud3..................Holland/Tulips ***
20.Lois..................fabricgirl................France/Artist ***
I had a question about using wool felt for the smaller embellishments. I'm not familiar with wool felt but here's my take. As long as it's washable and color fast and you prewash it first, I say it's fine......but it too would have to be sewn down securely so it stands up to washing and won't fall off.
A couple hints from auntjana:
When I do fusible - I trace the piece in a solid line and where it is extended under another piece, I make that line dotted - helps me keep them oriented. Also I number each piece from the master pattern as well as what is traced onto the fusible. Then I can make sure k have them all traced.
A great investment is the appliqué press sheet. They are a heat proof teflon mat that you can assemble the whole Sue together on. You fuse the little pieces together , then you can peel her off and make the final placement on the background fabric. I put the master copy under the sheet, I can see thru mine and then everything is in the right place.
Hint - when you are zig- zagging your Sue's - use your "needle down" on your machine. That means when you stop sewing, the needle stays in the fabric. This becomes your third hand in holding what you are stitching in place and it won't move as you make a turn. I find it handy in much of my sewing.
Maryz's tips:
if you use fabric softener when you prewash your fabrics, sometimes the fusible doesn't fuse well. Also, different fusibles have different directions. Heat'n'Bond wants a wool setting with no steam. And about 5 seconds to fuse. It's quite fussy about this. At least mine is. While Steam-a-Seam DOES want steam. And some fusibles are permanent and some are meant to be able to reposition them if necessary.
I experiment with my tension when I'm satin stitching because the width of the stitch makes a difference. But usually, I set it about '3'
I've done a lot of applique and never used stabilizer. I've never had a problem with bunching, either. As long as I remember to loosen my tension when satin stitching. But maybe if I tried using a stablizer, my work would look better. Next time there's a sale, I'll pick some up.
now that I think about it, I've seen tips, too, where you can use coffee filters for stabilizers, too. Again, never tried it, but costco sells them at about $3 for 700 of them. We use them to top dishes in the microwave, as a 'dish' for snacks, and I hear they are even good for coffee!
Tips from Denise:
First, I have to say that I have never done the "needle turn" nor machine appliqué technique. Sorry, but I will be of no help for these!
I always use "Heat N Bond lite" for small pièces, and "pellon fusible fleece lite weight" for larger pièces. You trace templates on soft side of the fleece, you put on right side of your fabric, sew all around on the traced line. Then you make a cut in middle of fleece and turn upside down.
I forgot to mention for the pellon fusible fleece I use. They sell it here on QIAD. Look in the "Shop Online", and than on "Fusible". Click on page 2 and you will see "Pellon Lightweight Fusible Interfacing #906F 20 in wide". The price is $2.30 per yard.
For my hand appliqués, I always do stitch by hand stitching the "blanket stitch" with 2 strands of embroidery floss in same color as fabric or similar to. Like all hand stitching, embroidery, it is to keep constant, I mean length of stitches, space between stitches. Do not pull to hard on the floss threads or else it will make wrinkles?? puckers??
Hope my tips on hand appliqués can be of some help!
Some words of encouragement. You know, I have been beginner too. It is with perseverance, patience, practice, practice and practice. Don't know how to say, find the good words (remember that I am French speaking)... when you see it is not to your liking, take a brake, do something else and come back later. Do not discourage yourself. Have confidence in you. I know that you can do it!
Tracking Numbers:
**1. Sharona 9405803699300181273323
**2. MaryRose 9405803699300181273330
**3. Joyce 9405803699300181273347
**4. Lyn 9405803699300181273354
**5. Beverly 9405803699300181273361
**6. Maryz 9405803699300181273378
**7. Miriam 9405803699300181273385
**8. Carole 9405803699300181273392
**9. Maryq 9405803699300181273408
**10. Joan E. 9405803699300181273415
**11. Joan B. 9405803699300181273422
**12. Lois 9405803699300181273439
**13. Denise LZ960297183US
**14. Izzy. 9405503699300240137510
**15. Jacquie LZ960309045US
** 16. Teresa 9405803699300191667303
I am so looking forward to this swap. 
) I am too 
izzy
