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2023 Swaps
Favorites Swap |
Due date: December meeting (there is no official sign-up; just bring your items in December if you want to participate Bring three "favorite" items in a paper bag to swap Your favorite notion A FQ of fabric by your favorite MODERN designer A FQ of fabric in your favorite color Price limit of approx. $20 Random swap will be done with a version of the left, right, and center game. Have fun picking your favorite items to share with a fellow member! Please make sure FQs are modern and quilt-shop quality. |
Quilty Magnet Swap
For this year's first swap, we're making magnets!
Participants can make whatever design they want for the magnet – basically, it’s just a tiny quilt block. The guild will be supplying backing magnets at meetings through March (while supplies last), but feel free to also use your own.
Due date: May 13 (May meeting)
The swap at the May meeting will be a modified “white elephant.” All magnets will be laid out on tables, and every participant will draw a random number. Participants will be called in order by number to pick the magnet of their choice from the table.
You can truly turn anything into a tiny magnet -- from a simple HST to a more complicated paper-pieced block -- so don't let yourself get bogged down in thinking it has to be something amazing. But do try to make something you think another member would enjoy taking home, and don't forget to use those modern fabrics!
Suggested magnet tutorials to get you started:
- Great tutorial and video by Teresa Down Under that includes several free tiny paper-pieced block templates
- DIY Tiny Quilt Magnets by Sew Can She (simple raw-edge option)
- Tutorial using very simple designs by Feelin' Crafty
- Basic tutorial by Fine Craft Guild
- Our guild's own Leila Gardunia has several paper-piecing patterns for 1" and 2" blocks
- Sew Tiny Sampler pattern by Night Quilter (pattern of tiny paper-pieced block templates that could be turned into magnets)
- Additional eye candy/inspiration here and here
- English paper piecing is another great option -- what a great use for all those hexies you've made!
A few things to keep in mind:
- We're not placing a specific size requirement on this, but these are magnets, so the idea is that they should be pretty small -- nothing over roughly 2.5" square finished. (The magnet does not have to be square in shape.)
- The guild is offering two kinds of magnets: larger ones that are simply glued to the back of the finished piece and ones enclosed inside a plastic "sleeve" that are meant to be sewn inside the magnet. You can use whichever type you prefer. Either way, be sure to double check the direction of the magnet before you sew or glue it on to ensure it's facing the right way to stick to the fridge once it's complete! Also, heads up that the sew-in style can be a bit tricky to maneuver if your machine has a metal needle plate. Just take your time and go slowly.
- Consider lowering your stitch length, especially if you're planning to sew the magnet front and back right sides together and then flip it right side out. Doing so with such a small piece can really stress those seams.
- Have fun! We bet you can't make just one. ;)
