It’s Purples and Oranges due May 31, 2008. In May we will have two separate swaps: Orange and Purple. Join one or join both. You need not have participated in a monthly nickel swap before or participate in the future. It’s a “this time only” swap commitment.

The purpose of the monthly nickel swap is to help board members build up a stash of five inch square fabric pieces in a variety of colors, values and patterns. These can be used in patterns specifically designed for nickels or charm packs (http://www.patspeth.com), in any scrap pattern or to provide a supply of "little somethings" to add to other projects. Or you can just collect them, like baseball cards, only better. Because it’s fabric.

Everyone is welcome. The only skill required is rotary cutting.

General Fabric Guidelines :

5 inch squares of good quality 100% quilter’s cotton fabric. Home décor fabric, fancy or textured apparel fabric (such as seersucker or brocade), twill or homespun fabrics, whether or not they are 100% cotton, are NOT acceptable and will be returned. Also no holiday or juvenile prints, or solids. They also will be returned. Tone on tones, marbles and batiks that read “not solid” are fine. The nickels are likely to be cut down to smaller sizes, so small prints work better than large prints. It might be helpful to place one of your smaller clear plastic rectangle or triangle templates over the fabric and see if the pattern would be pleasing to you.

The quality of the fabric is more important than where it is purchased. This quote from Fons and Porter’s Quilter’s Complete Guide may be helpful: “Avoid fabrics that feel stiff, are loosely woven and stretchy, or are misprinted. Fabrics that would make a comfortable, durable blouse or man’s shirt are the right texture, weave and weight.”

And please remember the Golden Rule of Swaps: Only submit what you yourself would love to get back.

Fabric Preparation:

Fabric should be washed and ironed before cutting. No scents, dryer sheets or sizing. Please remember to measure twice, cut once! And double check that those corners are square and that selvedges and frayed edges are trimmed!

Set Size:

We will swap 10 piece sets. Each set may be 10 of the same fabric, or a mix of different fabrics. However, only 10 nickels of any one fabric per swapper please. Although sets will be submitted and returned, nickels will be swapped one for one. So, if you submit one set of 10 of the same fabric, you will receive 10 different fabrics of the same color group back, swap submissions permitting. I will try not to send any of your own fabric back if at all possible, but it will depend on swap submissions. Please put all of the nickels of the same fabric in the same bag. It helps make sure no one gets more of the same fabric than they should.

Set Maximum:

10 sets per swapper (100 nickels).

Packaging:

Please separate each swap in a separate bag, one for orange and one for purple. Separate each set within a swap. You may place each set in a separate plastic sandwich bag or you may place the nickels for each swap in one plastic bag if the sets are clearly separated some other way, for instance with an index card or piece of paper between each set. Please clearly label each bag with your user name and how many sets you are submitting for that swap. A label on the front or an index card in the bag works well for this.

Please double check before sending that each set contains 10 nickels, that selvedges are trimmed and that there are no fabric flaws, smudgies or pet hair.

Mailing:

Include a self-addressed mailer for the return trip back to you with adequate postage. No metered postage on the return mailer. Stamps only. This is a post office requirement. Sometimes their counter help doesn’t know that, but it must be stamps. Please put plenty of postage on your return mailer. The weight of the return package may be different because of the fabric others send in.

Due date:

May 31, 2008. The fabric must be in my possession on May 31 to be swapped. No exceptions. Please give yourself enough time to cut accurately and do a final quality control check before mailing. Also make sure you give the post office enough time to do that thing they do. The success of the swap depends on each of us doing the best we can do!

Sign up:

There is no sign up deadline, but if you are participating please send me a PM with your user name so that I can keep a running list of participants. Please also include your name and your address (home and e-mail). This will be kept confidential and only used to help in record keeping or if I need to get in touch with you about the swap. Please include in your message which swaps (orange, purple) you are participating in. Please send the PM even if you post to the thread. Also, if circumstances change and you must drop out, please let me know that as well.

Please PM or post to the thread again when you send your package so that I know to look for it.

Participants:

Purple

1. Beany Malone
2. Joyce 1946 (2 sets received)
3. Rainylady (2 sets received)
4. KC 1930 (5 sets received)
5. Owie (9 sets received)
6. asimplelife (8 sets received)
7. wannaquilt2 (5 sets received)
8. quiltmommy (3 sets received)
9. grammy carolyn
10. lrsuchomel (6 sets received)
11. meme's quilts (4 sets received)

Orange

1. Beany Malone
2. Joyce 1946 (3 sets received)
3. Rainylady (5 sets received)
4. KC 1930 (7 sets received)
5. owie (4 sets received)
6. asimplelife (6 sets received)
7. wannaquilt2 (5 sets received)
8. quiltmommy (3 sets received)
9. grammy carolyn
10. lrsuchomel (3 sets received)

Thread 1

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BeanyMalone,

Another purple and orange beauty:

"Thesis (in color)" by Lorrie Cranor

Beany...mine left GA yesterday.

I'll be looking for them!

7 sets of of orange and 5 sets of purple received today from KC1930. Beautiful. You all are going to want to get in on this swap!

This pattern would easily adapt to nickels:

Chinese Coin

Links on how to make Half Square Trianles (HST) and four patches from nickel/charm squares are in Thread 1.

I will be away from the boards for about ten day. If you have questions that can't wait, don't hesitate to ask each other for advice in the thread. We have such a good group of experienced swappers that I am sure whatever you collectively decide will be fine.

And if y'all can bump the thread occassionally, that would be great.

Any one locked in a plan for these beauties when they come? I love the drama of these two colors together.

ttt!

Bump for Beany!

ttt

Mine are now cut and ready to mail - which I hope to do tomorrow morning. Will post when done.

"tomorrow morning" came and went.
KC I have sent you a PM.

I got 3 orange and 7 purple sets sent out today. I added extra $ for postage 'cuz I don't know what it'll be to send them back. I didn't realize I have so little orange...if you would have asked, I'd have told you I have more orange than purple!

Why do my notifications keep getting turned off???

Still time to join us! Purple and orange--think of the striking quilts those nickels will make! TTT!

Mailed today.
Fabulous colors folks! Don't miss out! What have you got to loose? Bet you have an orange or purple or two that want more variety in the shape of 5 inch squares.

My 8 sets of purple and 6 sets of orange are going in the mail tomorrow! I'm learning to love orange.

TTT!

TTT!

I'm back from beautiful Hawaii! It was my first trip there and I hope it won't be my last. I didn't get to any quilt stores per se because I wasn't traveling with quilters and, well, they just don't get it. However, I did force them on a march to the Fabric Mart warehouse store located only about 5-10 minutes from the USS Arizona Memorial. More Hawaiian print fabric than I knew existed in the world, plus a good selection of cotton quilting fabric and batiks at very good prices. If you are ever in Honolulu, it's a "don't miss".

Enough about my vacation. The orange and purple nickels are due in my hands May 31, two weeks from tomorrow. I received three packages while I was away and have updated the list. One orange fabric has been particularly popular, but it's a beauty. They all are, really. I think once again you will be pleased with your fellow swappers.

And thanks for keeping this thread bumped!


Special note to lrsuchomel: You posted above that you sent seven sets of purple, but I only counted six sets received. Just wanted to let you know.

So happy for you- what an awesome trip that much have been. Are you inspired to make a quilt with those HI fabrics?

I was going to make some beach mats/bags with my Hawaiian fabric, but it's so pretty that I'll probably just look at it for awhile.

Time to finish up shopping (your stash) for those purples and oranges and start cutting and mailing instead.

Revelation!
Do not miss this!
And the Harvest Moon swap!
Take a look at this Autumn in Nebraska quilt. Do you see all the gorgeous purples and oranges in with the harvest/autumn fabrics? You may want to run to you stash and get some oranges and purples ready to send right away - then don't forget to sign up for the June nickle swap.

Nice quilt. I know these two color combinations would make a lovely quilt for a young person. Project Linus, here I come, lol!

A sneak peak at just a few of the outrageous oranges. A sneak peak of the passionate purples tomorrow.