May 2008 8 inch Charm Square Swap: Floral - Homeward Bound!

[Evie]

June 18th - Update:

Thanks everyone for participating in my swap! I think you will be very happy with your "flowers"! I plan on making a Summer Porch quilt sometime in the (hopefully near) future!

It took 6 hours and the entire living room floor to swap the charms! Being a hostess is not for wimps! LOL or people with bad backs. :^)

I had to pay extra at the Post Office this morning. What with the rate change and all. Several people sent in extra cash - very much appreciated!

Lessons learned for future swaps:
I got some very good advice at the post office this morning. The lady that helped me is also a quilter. She said everyone should use the priority flat rate envelopes provided by the Post Office. It's only $4.80 and you can cram a lot into those envelopes. Even parcel post costs more than $4.80.
If you don't want to do that, then make sure you tell them that you are involved in a swap and need a stamped (not metered stripped) self-addressed envelope with the same amount of postage on it that the outside envelope has.
One of the envelopes had a metered strip with an Apr date and they wouldn't accept it.

I didn't keep track of which envelope needed extra and I'm not asking for reimbursement. This was my first time hosting and I learned a lot. And I did enjoy it!

I did not do delivery confirmation on any of the envelopes.
The only ones going back priority are the ones that had priority written or stamped on them.

If you have any questions about your package, please feel free to post here or send me a pm. I was told that parcel post would take about 5 days.

I love you gals and I hope you like the "little something" I put in there. :^)

_________________________________________________________________


I'm opening up the May 8" charm swap!

Why 8" charms? Because I want a Summer Porch Quilt! The pattern is in Quilt Through The Seasons, Page 170.

The rules are:

1. 8" squares
2. All florals, small to medium print, medium to dark colors
3. All 100 percent cotton
4. No Batiks, No flannels, No Homespun
5. 20 bags with three 8" charms in each
6. Note inside each bag with, at least, your screen name and whether or not the fabric is washed.
7. Make sure you include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your squares. (Remind the post office that the price increase will be in effect before these squares are mailed back.)(Thanks Abbigail for the reminder!)
8. Please mail your charms to the me by 5/15. I will return them to you by 5/31. (This date is flexible because of the price increase in postage taking effect the middle of May.)

Send 20 bags, get 20 back. That way we can plan ahead of time how many to cut. I will do my best to make sure you don't get your own bag back.

It takes 24 8" squares to make a lap quilt, 60 to make a twin.

The reason I'm restricting the fabric type is so the fabrics can work together better. This should make a pretty scrappy quilt.

I want you to raid your stash first. If you did the French Rose swap, you probably have a lot of left over florals in your stash. Your bags do not need to be identical to each other.

If you do buy fabric for this swap, I figure you will need a yard for each fabric. 20 8" charms requires 32" by 40" of fabric. If you are like me, especially since I said you would not be getting your own bags back, you will want to buy a little extra to have some for home.

In two weeks is National Quilting Day and there's lots of stores having big sales.


Here's the video for Summer Porch:

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?titl ... =156457828

Things to do with 8" charms:
1. Summer Porch Quilt
2. Large tossed nine patch
3. Cut into equal fourths to be used as prairie points
4. Cut into equal fourths and use to make 3 1/2" half-square triangles.
5. Make dresses for Sun Bonnet Sue! (Gmaann gave me this idea)
6. French Roses!
7. How about yo-yo's?

If you think of any other uses for 8" charms, let me know and I will add them to the list.

Let's have some fun!

When you sign up, I will pm you my address.







1. Oasis ** CR - flying home! HOME - June 23th, 2008
2. SewSew** CR - flying home! HOME - June 21th, 2008
3. Abbigail** CR - flying home! HOME - June 20th, 2008
4. bethstreet** CR - flying home! HOME - June 20th, 2008
5. sadiedaisy1** CR - flying home! HOME - June 21th, 2008
6. sewcarolyn** CR - flying home! HOME - June 20th, 2008
7. Quilto** CR - flying home! HOME - June 24th, 2008
8. scrappie66** CR - flying home! HOME - June 20th, 2008
9. quilterbee** CR - flying home! HOME - June 20th, 2008
10. WeSignificant** CR - flying home! HOME - June 26th, 2008
11. patsyann06** CR - flying home! HOME - June 20th, 2008
12. GeorgiaPeach** CR - flying home! HOME - June 21th, 2008
13. janciesquilts** CR - flying home! HOME - June 23th, 2008
14. donnacrazylady** CR - flying home! HOME - June 21th, 2008
15. Checkers** CR - flying home! HOME - June 20th, 2008
16. Littlebit** CR - flying home! HOME - June 20th, 2008
17. swtsarahjane** CR - flying home!
18. vagrandma** CR - flying home! HOME - June 20th, 2008
19. CindyB** CR - flying home!
20. CraftinDJ** CR - flying home! HOME - June 23th, 2008
21. teacupdelights** CR - flying home! HOME - June 23th, 2008
22. CoyoteQuilts** CR - flying home! HOME - June 20th, 2008
23. bjgallo** CR - flying home! HOME - June 20th, 2008
24. carole** CR - flying home! HOME - June 21th, 2008
25. mequilter9158** CR - flying home! HOME - June 21th, 2008
26. Sara** CR - flying home! HOME - June 20th, 2008
27. Beth**(Sara's Mother) CR - flying home! HOME - June 23th, 2008
28. tweety61** CR - flying home! HOME - June 23th, 2008
29. janciesquilts**(Mother)CR - flying home! HOME - June 23th, 2008
30. May** CR - flying home!
31. Evie

** Address sent
CR Charms Received

This is my first time hosting a swap, so if I make a mistake, please forgive me. If you feel something isn't clear, please ask, don't be shy.

For those of you going to Paducah, don't forget all the fabric that QIAD will be selling! You will still have time to buy, cut and mail by the deadline if you buy fabric in Paducah. I understand the prices are fantastic for quality fabric!

One question was brought up asking if any of the fabrics need to be white or white on white and the answer is no. All fabrics will have flowers on them. If you do the Summer Porch quilt, you can't use light fabrics unless you plan on using a dark lattice, otherwise there won't be enough contrast.

And please, no Wal-Mart Fabric. Hancocks, or Joann's or Hobby Lobby is alright, or your local quilt store. Remember, touch it, feel it, if it doesn't feel good, then it's probably not good.

Please don't hesitate to ask questions, someone else is bound to want to know the same thing.

[Oasis]

Please Add Me. . . .. I absolutely LOVE Florals.

[SewSew]

Evie, sign me up! I think you covered all the possible questions I would have. Thanks for all the info.

Ann

[Abbigail]

Sign me up too please Evie! ~Abbigail~

Don't forget the postage is going up before these are due back.

[bethstreet]

Hi,
Please sign me up too!
Beth

[sadiedaisy1]

Hi Evie, please sign me up too. It looks like you covered everything. I appreciate you giving us ideas for these squares too. Lori

[sewcarolyn]

me me me!!!

I have been waiting for this one

[justdawne]

Thanks for sharing that video. I just love El in her scuba gear in the opening montage

dawne

[Quilto]

Evie, please sign me up for this swap. I love florals also.

[scrappie66]

Count me in! I've already started cutting.