GramE

Thank you. Most of my fabrics are prewashed but I have some things that were given to me and i’m Just not sure about it. I would, like you, use them myself, but I wanted to be sure. I’ve already started cutting. It’s -20 degrees here, temperature, and sitting in the dining room cutting candies sounded like a nice project for today. My Labyrinth quilt is not going anywhere. And Sunday it’s supposed to be 54 degrees.

Janice McC

Afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the newbies and the knowbies! Looks like we might be almost full already. I can always cut a few more sets if necessary. Been working on a block for a swap I’m in. It’s 40 degrees now, up from 20 this morning, so no complaints from me but it’s a nice day to be inside stitching something. Have a pleasant rest of your day.

travelinggramma

So great to see some familiar names - and a few new-to-me ones! It will be a fun group, to be sure. Sorry to see so many freezing places out there. Although our nights in AZ may go down to freezing, it warms up nicely during most days. We do have an occasional snow flurry but we don't own a snow shovel since moving here!
I have about a dozen envelopes ready - and then got tired of counting and cutting!

IrishMom

Thanks for all the kind welcomes from all the "knowbies"! I'm like GramE, it's brutally cold here in Michigan. We are in a State of Emergency and hardly anything is open. Luckily the Heating repair men are working because we woke up this morning to a house at 60 degrees and dropping. It get to 56 degrees before the repairman came. Currently it feels like -32 outside! So most of my day was spent bundled up under two quilts and a heated cherry pit bag which I made for Christmas gifts this year. My house now is up to 67 degrees and I am ready to have some snow day fun at the sewing machine! Stay warm friends!

hav4boys

I have weekend work for me now... I have candies to cut. I always love this. Last year I went with all greens and blues... what to do this year. I may have to go shopping (much funner than going through my stash)

GramE

Do you try to make each packet unique for each persons requests? Like color requests? Or dislikes? I see that some already have packets made up, so I was wondering how that worked.

WMUTeach

Gram E, I only know what I do and that is make 37 or 38 sets of 50 that are all the same or nearly all the same. I would not recommend trying to meet individual preferences it is too complicated. Oh, if I know someone "LOVES" pink, I might stick an extra square or two of pink in the set. This swap is meant to be fun, simple and for me to whittle down my stash. Yeah, I know I get back as many as I sent but.... I don't have to cut them and it is just so much fun looking at all 1800 or so little birthday surprises. I will dig out some photos of quilts I have made over the past few years with my little candies. I'll post them another time.

GramE

Thank you. I was wondering today as I was cutting, what would 1,850 2 1/2” squares make. I’m hand sew a lot so the idea that my portable stash will be increasing is good news. I agree, trying to keep a list of everyone’s preferences might be a bit daunting, especially for a newbie.

ps I cut a lot today it seems, but not much whittled away!

Lstew2212

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I cut all my squares and wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a birthday card. I lay all my squares on a piece of card stock the same size as the birthday cards and then wrap them. I purchase my cards from the dollar tree. They have great cards. This is just one idea, everybody does what works for them.

This is a great swap and everybody is so nice and helpful

Lstew2212

I also need to make my pictures smaller, WOW