marcialee

This is my first time and am so excited to start. When do we start??? I am cutting my fabric this weekend and when we send it what needs to be included other than our address?

Phannie1

For those that have done this, Do you have any hints to give us "Newbies" to this Boomerang? Thanks and looking forward to this.

moonrise

Different folks have different ways of doing things, but here's what I do:

1) Outgoing: When washing and drying multiple yards of fabric, it helps to safety-pin the selvedges together every 6-8" apart. MUCH easier to deal with afterwards, when folding and cutting it. :-)

After the F8's are cut, I fold them carefully so that they'll fit as flat as possible into a business-sized envelope. Fold it in half, then fold it in thirds, and it comes out just right. :) then I wrap each of the F8's in protective plastic (cling wrap, a baggie with the zipper cut off, or Glad Press & Seal), put a sticker with my name, board ID, and address on the outside of the plastic, and include a short note with any ideas I might have for coordinating fabrics.

I also be sure to put my name, board name, and return address on the outside of the envelope. If it should it get lost or be undeliverable for some reason, the post office can easily return it to me.

2) Incoming: When an F8 is received, I open the envelope, look at the fabric, see who it's from, and mark it down on my spreadsheet. I also mark the front of the envelope with the person's board name, the date received, and the group (if I'm doing more than one group). The F8 goes right back into the envelope. I put multiple envelopes in the order they were received, and try to work on them in that order (just a personal preference). I never take more than one F8 out of its envelope at a time, so they can't get mixed up.

Once I've got the block finished, I iron it, square it up, take a photo of it, fold it up as flat as possible, wrap it in plastic, tape the owner's name and address onto the outside of the plastic (in case it somehow gets separated from the envelope), mark it down on my spreadsheet, and put it back in the mail. :)

The plastic has kept quite a few F8's and finished blocks from becoming damaged even if the envelope gets chewed up in the postal machines. :)

I also tape each of the four corners on the back of the envelope, and remove any clasps, to help keep the envelope from snagging on anything along the way.

Jennifer22206

You can add hints as to what you want done (if you have an idea). Example: with the cup fabric I'm sending (you can see it on PG 10) I said anything goes with the fabric. So any color(s) you'd add are fine. The Elmo fabric is going into a quilt for my soon to be 3 year old daughter. So I said that she likes all colors but she specifically asked for "bright happy colors". Those were her words.

The second group I'm in is going to get a white Kona solid. I'm planning on making a rainbow quilt for DH and me. I wrote a note asking for only one color to be used. So if you're in that group you might get a note asking for only reds/Green/purple/orange/yellow /blue to be added. Any shade or pattern, so long as the block reads as "red(or whatever color) and white." I hope that makes sense.

sewhappy30

Thanks for the idea's moonrise and jennifer. It helps alot to have an idea of what to do. I can't wait to get started on this swap.

babeyruth

[That was perfect! Thank you!

quote=moonrise]Different folks have different ways of doing things, but here's what I do:

1) Outgoing: When washing and drying multiple yards of fabric, it helps to safety-pin the selvedges together every 6-8" apart. MUCH easier to deal with afterwards, when folding and cutting it. :-)

After the F8's are cut, I fold them carefully so that they'll fit as flat as possible into a business-sized envelope. Fold it in half, then fold it in thirds, and it comes out just right. :) then I wrap each of the F8's in protective plastic (cling wrap, a baggie with the zipper cut off, or Glad Press & Seal), put a sticker with my name, board ID, and address on the outside of the plastic, and include a short note with any ideas I might have for coordinating fabrics.

I also be sure to put my name, board name, and return address on the outside of the envelope. If it should it get lost or be undeliverable for some reason, the post office can easily return it to me.

2) Incoming: When an F8 is received, I open the envelope, look at the fabric, see who it's from, and mark it down on my spreadsheet. I also mark the front of the envelope with the person's board name, the date received, and the group (if I'm doing more than one group). The F8 goes right back into the envelope. I put multiple envelopes in the order they were received, and try to work on them in that order (just a personal preference). I never take more than one F8 out of its envelope at a time, so they can't get mixed up.

Once I've got the block finished, I iron it, square it up, take a photo of it, fold it up as flat as possible, wrap it in plastic, tape the owner's name and address onto the outside of the plastic (in case it somehow gets separated from the envelope), mark it down on my spreadsheet, and put it back in the mail. :)

The plastic has kept quite a few F8's and finished blocks from becoming damaged even if the envelope gets chewed up in the postal machines. :)

I also tape each of the four corners on the back of the envelope, and remove any clasps, to help keep the envelope from snagging on anything along the way.[/quote]

Jennifer22206

I take a picture of each fabric as it comes in, and when I transfer it to my computer I add the board name to the file, so if something does accidentally get mixed up I know who's fabric is who's.

marcialee

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. It really helps especially being a first timer. I will take all the ideas and put them to good use.

Havplenty

i do this also. i add each pic to my spreadsheet (by senders name) in a b4 pic column i add, so that i do not get fabrics mixed up. once i complete the blocks i take another pic & add to the speadsheet under that person's name noting block name if i know it. it's just my little insurance to keep things straight.

i also take pics of blocks that i receive and add these to my spreadsheet in a column by the sender's name just to keep my
records straight and know who i have received blocks from.

i do blocks as i am inspired by the fabrics and if i have additional fabrics at home that i can use. if i need to go shopping, i take all the f8's that i need to purchase for at once & try to match up with new fabrics. because i am challenging myself to make different blocks, some fabrics move me sooner than others so i do not complete them as first in first out but as i am inspired. this is just my methology. some fabrics from boom 5 had to grow on me as i looked for blocks to make.

Jennifer22206

I add pictures of the blocks that I send and receive into my Photobucket. It's free and easy to use. That helps me keep track too. And I try to load them all on my blog too (sometimes I forget)