"Houses" swap, closed, All houses on their way home! 3/26/09

[Kittyquilt9292]

January 31, 2009,

Hi to all our "constuction workers". How are your houses coming along? Mine are all cut finally and ready to start being put together. Post pics as you go and let us all enjoy the construction phase of this project. hugs, carol/kittyquilt

January 3, 2009

Hello everyone and a very happy and blessed new year to everyone.

Well, we tried something different and it didn't work so good--having 2 different groups in the same swap. But, we don't know how things are going to work until we try.

To remedy, here's what I'd like us to to:

1. Combine the 2 groups, that will make 18, so everyone would make 18 houses, that way everyone will get 18 houses back. (Please send me all 18, including the one of yours that will be in the set returned to you. It makes it easier to sort.) People who signed up to make 20, you can keep the 2 extra for your own quilt, just send me 18.

2. Since this would mean the "12" groups would need to make 6 more, I've extended the due date to February 28, 2009.

3. If this presents a problem for anyone, PLEASE, PLEASE pm me and I'll do the fill ins.

Again, we want to make this a fun swap and a fun quilt to have, so if there are any problems, please let me know and we'll come up with a solution.

A reminder, you can make all of your houses the same, or you can make them all different, using whatever fabrics you have. Review the initial guidelines if you have any questions, if the questions aren't answered there, please pm me.

If you get yours done sooner, you can send them to me as soon as they are done. Once I have everyone's, I'll get them back out to you within a week.

I'm hoping (fingers and toes crossed) this change doesn't present a problem for anyone, I think having all 18 of us (yes, 16 different people, 2 people making 2 sets) together will give us more variety and more houses. But, I repeat, pls pm me if this is a problem.

Hugs to everyone and happy sewing, carol/kittyquilt

*********************************************

Hello everyone, The "Neighborhood of Houses" swap is open for signups. Remember the due date isn't until February 14, 2009, but I wanted to get the signups now before we get into busy holiday time. So, I've taken the suggestions from everyone and I think I've got everything in order, <smile>, but if I haven't, please let me know. Either pm me or post here. And as we go along, suggestions are welcome. This should be fun and we should all get a great looking quilt from it.

“A Neighborhood of Houses” Swap.

Many thanks to Abbigail for the idea of this swap. She very kindly shared a photo of the quilt she made and sparked an interest in many of us. Her photo is in the discussion topic, “Seeking interest in Swap” in this BOM, Swaps Section and also in the Quilting Photos Sections, topic: “Scrappy Houses…finally!” As Abbigail says, the block only looks complicated, it is an easy pattern, made from 2 inch strips cut into various squares and rectangles!

Pattern: http://www.quiltville.com/happyscrappyh ... uses.shtml

Block size: 7 ½ inches finished, 8 inches unfinished.

Number of Blocks to make. Everyone has choice of making 12 or 20 blocks.

Due date: February 28, 2009 (revised)

Sign up until December 31, 2008

To sign up: PM me with your name and the number of blocks you want to make (12 or 20 OR both groups). I’ll send you my address.

Color/fabric: For the door and windows: let’s use unbleached muslin or a light color solid--many may want to decorate their windows and/or door and the solid light color will make this easier. For the roof: let’s make this a contrasting color to the house. Everything else, your choice. Include an approximately 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch piece of fabric which you have signed your name, forum name and city/state/province and anything else you want to add. Attach one piece to each house. Easiest is to hand or machine baste to the seam allowance. That way, it can be easily removed and used however each person wants. Don’t forget to heat set what you write. Yes, if you want to embroider this, you may, but certainly not expected since many of us don’t have equipment and don’t hand embroider.

Let's all used washed fabrics.

Send all blocks to me in a large baggie with your name and forum name on it. Include a stamped, self addressed envelope for return of your blocks. For new people, if you have a question about this, please pm me and I’ll explain a bit more.

-----------------------------------------
When I first put up the notice asking for interest, a number of people made suggestions for how to put the houses together for their quilt. Here are those suggestions:

1. Make each house block the “center” of a log cabin block, 2 rows of strips around each, with cornerstone at each corner

2. Decorate your houses in a holiday these, using a variety of notions like buttons, rick rack, yo yos, etc.

3. Cut the “signed pieces” into irregular shapes and appliqué them on to the backing to look like a stepping stone pathway to a house.

4. Make the sashings wonky. (Directions for this are with the pattern).

5. Make a bigger house from solid light colors on the backing and print all the names who made the houses on it with a sign like “MY HOUSE OF FRIENDS”.

These are just a few ideas suggested for putting your quilt together when we get all the houses. If you look in the Photo Section at Abbigail’s photo there are more ideas. Her post is “Scrappy Houses…Finally”. It’s about page 4 or so in the Photo Section.

Thanks everyone, I'm looking forward to a great swap and some beautiful quilts. Please let me know if you have any questions. HUGS, carol/kittyquilt


SIGNUPS

1. **sewcarolyn -- received
2. **Donnacrazylady -- received
3. **MAWmum -- received
4. **morgans4--received
5. **Teacupdelights received
6. **SharonG/FL -- received
7. **Sewcarolyn (2nd set) -- received
8. **Snoopy -- received
9. **Evie -- received
10. Carol (kittyquilt)(resting nicely with all the others)
11. **patsyann06 -- received
12. **ljautumn -- received
13. **mommyquilts -- Received
14. **abbigail --received
15. **Morgans4--received (2nd set)
16. **QuiltsIdo -- received

[Evie]

Sign me up!

Do you want the fabric washed?

Edited to add that I will do 20.

[Kittyquilt9292]

I knew I would forget something, thanks Evie! Let's use washed fabrics.

Got you signed up for 20, thanks, I'll pm you my address.

HUGS, carol/kittyquilt

[patsyann06]

Please sign me up, Carol. Happy to make 20 Scrappy house blocks. Wonderful idea!
How fun to have a scrappy house block from our forum friends!
Abbigail's quilt is so cute! Great job Abbigail!!
Patty/Az

[Abbigail]

I'll post a picture of mine here. Be sure to go to the other posts to get some of the great ideas posted there. These are so much fun to make! ~Abbigail~

[Kittyquilt9292]

Good, Patsyann06, I got you signed. Thanks for joining.

Abbigail, thanks bunches for posting your picture. It will be a great help, then we don't have to go back and forth and try to find pictures.

HUGS, carol/kittyquilt

[sewcarolyn]

drat it I had just promised myself that i would not sign up for anything else.........

12 for me and after I do one I will let you know if I can do more....

[Kittyquilt9292]

Sewcarolyn, I know the feeling! Sometimes I just can't pull myself away. But, I'm so glad you joined. Thank you. I've sent you my address via pm. And we have until Valentine's Day! HUGS, carol/kittyquilt

[Kittyquilt9292]

Abbigail, thanks so much for posting your quilt photo. I just love this pattern and the guilt has so many possibilities. HUGS, carol/kittyquilt

[momof6quilts]

Of course I have questions here........
Are we doing blue skies? Or just any color.
These are not "Wonky" when we send them in but we can make them that way later?
These houses will not be decorated when we get them will they? That's up to us afterwards, right?

Can all the houses I sent in be all the same or all different it doesn't matter?

I will let you know after questions.

Vicky