The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Patchwork & Quilting ... Welcome to the Darkside => Topic started by: RJR_38 on May 06, 2021, 07:55:38 AM
-
I'm on an American quilting board and they do these swaps called Booms (I'm guessing like Boomerangs). I've 'watched' 6 or 7 now and they look like good fun so didn't know if people on here would be interested. I'll list the 'rules' - I would be happy to host and organise (admin permission allowing).
For ease of explaining we will imagine there are 10 people taking part.
It takes place over 2-3 months.
Each person sends me 10 fat eighths of a fabric of their choice (plus a SAE for return). I then mix them all up and you get back a fat eighth from everyone else.
You then have a couple of months to make a block for each person - any block and technique you like (variety is key! It could be traditional piecing, FPP, applique etc) Using their fat eighth and any fabric from your stash. They may have given additional instructions eg please make the background light. We all post pics and everyone can see the blocks people are making for them- lots of excitement...
People post the finished blocks back to me (and SAE) and then I allocate them back out so everyone gets back 10 blocks made with their feature fabric to make into a quilt etc
What do you think? It is a good opportunity to try new patterns, use up scraps (as you only need to make one block) and it does look like good fun.
Happy if consensus is no
-
I understood until “ you only have to make one block”....don’t you have to make 10? :thinking:
I’m up early so may not have grasped the concept.
-
I'm not sure about the number of blocks either #confusedofnorfolk
I'd like to join in though if / when I finally understand the rules :|
-
I think it means sending 10 fat eighths (all the same).
Receiving 9 different fat eighths back, each labelled with the original sender's name (and any specific request).
Making 9 blocks, each one to include the fabric from an original (and label the block with his/her name).
Send them all back to the organiser
Organiser will make 10 blocks with remaining fat eighth from each person.
Organiser will send 9 blocks out to each person.
If they have all been labelled correctly each one will include some of the original fabric so as to give a co-ordinated look to the quilt subsequently made the blocks.
Or have I got the wrong end of the stick completely?
-
I'm getting more confused by the minute...... :|
-
Ah..the light dawns.... “you only have to make one block”
......you will make 9 blocks but will only need scraps as every block will be different so only need enough scraps of the same fabric for one block.
-
:S >:) :headbang: :facepalm: confused.com
Sorry @RJR_38 as the saying goes..... " it's not you, it's me " :| In my defence....I am old :|
-
Sorry everyone I dropped the confusing bomb shell and then went to work for the day -<
Brenda P has it exactly right. My explanation was obviously not clear! Yes each person will make 9 or 10 blocks but each block will be completely different and use different colours etc so ideal to use up bits.
Eg BrendaP may send pink fat eighth and I use up some cream to go with it and I make a churn dash. Lowena may send blue floral and I use a navy I have with it and make an applique block etc.
At the end, Lowena would get all her blue floral blocks back but each block would be made by a different person, look completely different and the only thing tying them together would be her blue floral fabric.
Does that make more sense or have I confused you all more?
-
Ah, that makes perfect sense now thank you @RJR_38
I'd be glad to join in
-
A couple of thoughts or three.
*This takes 1 ¼ yard of your chosen fabric. Start with 2 yards or even 2 ½ so you have more to tie it together as sashing, borders or binding plus some to make additional or substitute blocks. ***This is of course assuming 10 people participating. Adjust as needed.
*State a finished block size if that matters to you. ;)
*When I've seen this done each person made the same block for the others. They each decide what to make but then made all 10 the same block. I might do all Drunkards Path, Imi does Churn Dash, Plosh does a Star, etc. Just a thought, especially if you're pressed for time in your life.
Odds are better with this crowd but I've never seen everyone finish. That's part of suggesting having extra fabric so you can expand on what you do get.
Have fun!
-
Thanks Renegade - yes block size would definitely need to be agreed beforehand. In the ones I've seen, some people choose to do the same block for all fabrics (for time efficiency) but most choose to mix it up for interests sake - people can choose.
I'll leave it for a few days to see how much interest there is and then decide
-
What would the time frame be? I'd love to join in but would not be able to commit the time at the moment.
-
I’d give it a go....
-
I’ll be in.
-
What would the time frame be? I'd love to join in but would not be able to commit the time at the moment.
Not thought that far ahead yet Pearl as I didn't even know if people would be interested. Once we decide to start we would give people at least 2 months to make blocks...
-
Not thought that far ahead yet Pearl as I didn't even know if people would be interested. Once we decide to start we would give people at least 2 months to make blocks...
In that case, I'm in.
-
I'm interested. It's a variation of a friendship quilt, providing a starter fabric will help make everything work together.
Some years ago - can't remember if it was with TSP or with its predecessor summer 2015 with TSP - I did a block exchange and ended up making a nice lap quilt (http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.uk/quilts/star%20block%20swap/star%20block%20swap.htm).
It would probably need somewhere between 8-12 people taking part to each get a decent number of blocks to work with.
-
I'm in too.
-
It would probably need somewhere between 8-12 people taking part to each get a decent number of blocks to work with.
@BrendaP that's why I suggested having extra of whatever fabric you send out. Sometimes you get a clunker. You ask for light colors and someone decides it would be better with black. ><. Or you need a few more blocks for a better "story".
Or the mail winds up on a cargo ship in the Suez Canal. I understand the UK is experiencing a shortage of Garden Gnomes this Spring for that very reason. Can't be too careful.
-
I love the idea of this but I feel too busy and overwhelmed with my workload at the moment so I don't feel I can join in.
Hope it happens. :)
It's going to be fun to stand on the side-lines and see all of your work.
Sandra.
xxx
-
Or the mail winds up on a cargo ship in the Suez Canal. I understand the UK is experiencing a shortage of Garden Gnomes this Spring for that very reason. Can't be too careful.
:laughing: you make me laugh @Renegade Sewist
There are 6 of us interested at the moment. I think we need at least 8 to make it worthwhile and ideally 10 so we need to persuade a few more people....
-
@RJR_38 If there is no further interest another option would be to make two blocks for each person - and maybe specify both the same or both different.
-
@BrendaP that's why I suggested having extra of whatever fabric you send out. Sometimes you get a clunker. You ask for light colors and someone decides it would be better with black. ><. Or you need a few more blocks for a better "story".
I agree, but also having some extra fabric will help pull them all together - sashing, cornerstones, setting triangles, border, binding or wherever it fits into your design.
-
I'll sit back and wait until the format is decided by you clever people who know of what you are talking, but I'll happily give it a go .
-
@RJR_38 If there is no further interest another option would be to make two blocks for each person - and maybe specify both the same or both different.
Yes, I wondered this. @Iminei is this your cup of tea?
-
I'd be in! My patchwork skills aren't very advanced but i'd love the challenge to improve them.
I was in a quilt block exchange group once but every one got a yard of fabric and you made 12 of the same block for the other twelve quilters :O yes, I got a lot better at piecing, but it was exhausting tbh. Plus I ended up with so many sets featuring a fabric I didn't pick- ended up giving those to a quilt group that made quilts for hospice care. They loved them, I loved passing them on!
Sewing just one block per fat quarter sounds MUCH more manageable.
The minimum block size could be decided by the fabric buyer? 12.5 inch Square is a common size. Or 6.5 inch blocks, but you make 2-4 of them.
-
Be good to have you on board @whofilets
I've looked on the other forum and a 12.5 inch block is what they go for and there are a lot of block options with then. I think if we give people the choice of block size there is a higher possibility of mistakes being made so probably best to stick to the same size I would have thought
-
@RJR_38 I agree- having the same size throughout will be less confusing too, won't have to keep track of which fat eights need which size.
-
OK, so I think we can probably have at least 8 people so shall we go for it? We can do it so that everyone will do 10 blocks (you may end up with 2 from one person) and that will be a good start
Start looking for your main fabric - don't forget you will need at least 1.25m of it. You could, if you wanted have 2 fabrics (5 in one, 5 in another) - that is up to you.
I am going to speak to the admins about finding a way to reduce the 'photo footprint' as I think a big part of this will be everyone sharing their photos as they make them but I am aware of storage limitations!
@Acorn @Iminei who would be best to talk to about this?
-
OK, so I'm looking for fabric that I like, right? Forgive me because I'm a bear of little brain and easily confused. :S
-
So am I, but Ive only been following this loosely
If the main protagonist ( @RJR_38 ??) would like to pm me with a synopsis of how this works ... in succinct bullet points I shall get back to you all.
-
@RJR_38 The only way to reduce the photo footprint is to post smaller photos or use lunapic (or other photo hosting sites) so that the photo is stored elsewhere.
-
So am I, but Ive only been following this loosely
If the main protagonist ( @RJR_38 ??) would like to pm me with a synopsis of how this works ... in succinct bullet points I shall get back to you all.
@Catllar - yes a fabric you would like to be the focal point of your finished quilt (that other people will make for you)
@Iminei I’m not sure what you want me to PM you? The synopsis is post 1...
acorn answered the photo question as I expected so I know what I will do for that bit now and will use google photos to support - but that’s for me to worry about for now.