Because swapping is a favorite activity of communal quilters, we wanted to give you a chance to share your best tips for a successful swap. What is swapping? It's an organized method of sharing a bit of your fabric stash, in exchange for someone else's. It can be a remnant of a pre-determined size, a fat eight, a fat quarter, or more. One big benefit is that the swap allows you to sample a new fabric style you might not normally purchase, and lets you share your favorite fabric passions with other guild members as well.

Similarly, a block swap calls on members to each create a quilt block with some common element, such as a theme, color, fabric print or symbol. Each participant sews one block for each person in the group (i.e., if there are 8 in the swap, you would create 8 of the same block. Each person shares her blocks with the group, and ends up with 7 additional blocks with which to create a quilt, and everyone's resulting quilt is distinctly different.

Thank you to all who submitted their most helpful Block Swap tips! Below you'll find some additional tips submitted after our last edition was published. As promised, these guilds will receive a fat quarter assortment to get the fall quilting season started off right! Our Block Swap Advisors include:

NEW! Barb Vlack, Prairie Star Quilters' Guild, St. Charles, IL
NEW! Fran Eaves, Evening star Quilters' Guild, Belvidere, NJ
Becky Cary, Cumberland County Quilt Guild, Burkesville, KY.
Betty Baker, Webmistress, West Houston Quilters Guild, Houston, TX
Debbie Cunningham, San Luis Valley Quilt Guild, San Luis Valley, CO
Karen Wawrosch, Gala Quilt Guild
Sharon Gates, Loose Threads Quilt Guild, Cote St. Luc, Quebec, Canada
Susan Vanderveen, Sunshine Quilters and Canyon Quilters, San Diego, CA
C. Clothier, Morningstar Quilt Guild in East Aurora, New York
Vicky Ulery, Hearts and Hands Quilt Guild, Scottdale, PA
Rita Scott, Calico Cut Up Quilt Guild, Central City, IA
Pat Donhardt - The PieceMakers, Memphis, TN

• Form groups of 9-12 swappers and make sure no two swappers have the same birth month. The member whose birthday is in the upcoming month can choose the theme of the block swap and receive completed blocks as "presents" that month.

• Create a row quilt. Each row would have a theme agreed upon by the small group of swappers. Blocks would be a uniform size. The group could continue to swap for as many months as is needed to complete the number of rows for the quilt.

• The most important thing is to be sure you have a high level of commitment before going into it. If members don't follow through it will not be successful.

• BE SPECIFIC in the instructions. Leave NOTHING to the imagination; you will be amazed at what some people come up with. This applies to Size, Colors, deadline, whether to prewash or not.

• Put 'your' blocks (squares or whatever) in a resealable plastic bag. If you are shipping it, put a return address label on your bag and each of your blocks you are submitting. This does a couple of things, it allows the recipient to thank (or curse) someone for a block. And second, if blocks are sent to a central person to divide and resend, it makes it easier to track.

• Short Deadlines are best. If you make it too far out, people procrastinate and then are more like to forget.

• Pick 5 or 6 different themes or areas of interest for block swaps. For instance in the past we have had Redwork, Civil War, Sunbonnet Sue, and Kansas City Star block swaps simultaneously, just to name a few. This way we cover different levels of expertise as well as different interests. Each group then sets their own parameters for the blocks. In the Redwork group, we shared patterns. In the Civil War and "30s" groups we each made a different block, one for each member of the group and shared the blocks. Also in the Civil War group, we had one member drop out and the rest of the members had an extra block they made so we then took the extra blocks and had a drawing amongst the group that made them and one member ended up with all those blocks as well. We learned the hard way to keep track of the participants so we have one member of each group keep track of the "rules" as well as who is participating in the swap.

• We always ask for signatures on the blocks.

• Another time we all made extra blocks and donated them back to the guild. We have an "in-house" raffle where members buy tickets and then put their ticket in the cup next to the item they would like to win. If your ticket is drawn, you win that item. It's a win/win situate - the guild makes some money and members end up with items they'd like to have.

• Sometimes folks aren't always able to come up with a block that is exactly the size you might need for a quilt (i.e. 12 1/2"). The reason doesn't matter; just sometimes the blocks might be a smidge or two off. We found that everybody can participate in a paper pieced block swap (not too complicated) so that all blocks are the same size. A simple block or two preceded by a paper piecing workshop for beginners, or just to refresh memories for those who don't paper piece a lot is very helpful.

• One tip I find handy is gentle reminders once the swap starts. People, including myself, are basic procrastinators. Make sure they are working on the blocks and not waiting until the night before. I usually mention how many I’ve finished each time we meet and ask everyone how they are doing. If they know they will be asked, they will work on them. Ask them how many they’ve completed, etc. Ask if they are having any trouble with the blocks, etc. Have a sew-in at a local shop to work on the blocks. Offer to help.

• One ongoing swap of ours is a basket that sits out on a table during guild meetings - into this basket members place fabrics, odd blocks, patterns, etc. they no longer want and anyone is welcome to take what they want but must replace it with something else at the next meeting - this keeps the basket interesting!

• If you get too many wanting to join, break it into two groups. It’s mentally easier to make 30 blocks than it is to make 60.

• It's a good idea to distribute background fabric to all participants, so that no matter what shade of main color is used in the block, the background is all the same and helps tie the blocks together for use in the quilt.

• For beginners, it would be advantageous to start with a particular fabric maker and fabric line. The blocks could be done in different color ways of the fabric line. This would assure that blocks would compliment each other. The size of the blocks should be discussed as to whether they want them to all to be the same size and design, or whether the block design can be of their choosing.

• We pass a box for each person, some include all of their own fabric, some only some, instructions are included on what fabrics may or not be added. We have done these where the owner listed a theme and let everyone choose what to do, where the box owner had patterns enclosed to be used, and where we choose a block and did the same block for each box we received. This was very interesting to see the same blocks done in so many color and fabric variations and also the way the owner choose to set the finished blocks - such variety! The last method we have done round robin style was to have the owner start the center block and everyone added a border or set on point when they worked on the quilt top.