HEXAGON SWAP: June 2014

*WELCOME TO THE COMBO SWAP! PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE COMMITTING TO THE SWAP(S) OR CUTTING! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE ASK!

YOU MUST SIGN UP FOR THE SWAP BY JUNE 21, 2014 IN ORDER TO PLAY. SWAPS ARE DUE TO ME NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 6, 2014 TO SWAP OUT.

**THIS SWAP IS FOR WASHED FABRIC ONLY**

Please email me at 2013hexagonswap@gmail.com with which swap theme(s) you will participate in, your HGTV board name (if you have one), real name, address, phone and email address. I will forward you the same. All information sent to me is confidential and will not be shared.

IF YOU SIGN UP FOR THE SWAP, PLEASE SWAP! IF YOU CANNOT DO IT AND KNOW WELL IN ADVANCE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

I know life sometimes throws you curve balls, but it has happened that people get excited and want to play, only to wait two months later when the swap is due in a day or so to say they didn't have time. By that time you should have already been ready to mail the package. That leaves me hanging to replace your swap with my stash (or running to buy more fabric to swap!) and totally unfair IF you know you cannot make the deadline to begin with. I give you ample notice so you have plenty of time to make an informed decision. Be honest with me up front, or a repeat offender might not be able to play in the future The success of this swap depends on your ability follow through your commitment to our group of players. Thank you for your understanding!

By all of us being honest and accountable, I'm sure we will have a great 2013 swapping year! I really do enjoy hostessing and want to continue to enjoy it, so by coming up front with any issues is not really a complaint, but a way to correct it so my frustration level (and blood pressure!) stays at an even keel. Probably the MOST important thing I can say about a successful swap is the high level of communication between all parties. Without that, we are setting ourselves up for failure.

Please be sure that the prints you submit are small scale so that when you cut the swaps the patterns are not lost due to size. *NO SOLIDS, HOMESPUN, GLITTER, FLANNEL, THIN FABRICS, CHILDREN'S OR NOVELTY PRINTS. * Wash and iron all 100% cotton good quality fabrics - please send good quality - they do not have to be quilt shop fabrics. Please do not send in any plastic-feeling, flimsy fabrics or THIN fabrics. They do not meet the guidelines? They will be returned.

I’m allergic to dogs and cats, perfumes and scents, so please do what you can to control the problem. My nose and lungs thank you (not only do I have sinus issues, but my throat closes up—and I like to breathe!

Some packages come in with so much pet hair that they look like they need to be brushed! For health reasons, I cannot handle them and they will be returned untouched at YOUR expense. My health depends on it and I thank you in advance for your understanding.

Okay, here are our swaps and the guidelines for cutting!

**THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE IS >>NO ODDS AND ENDS<<--IF THE SWAP ASKS FOR A SET OF TEN OF THE SAME FABRIC, THAT IS WHAT YOU SEND IN. NOT EIGHT OF ONE AND TWO OF ANOTHER. IT MAKES IT VERY HARD FOR ME TO LAY OUT THE SUBMISSIONS TO SWAP OUT**

**Just a “gentle” reminder**

**While you can only use the same fabric ONCE in each set, but you can use it again in the other swaps. For instance, you can use the same fabric for the Stashbusters bricks and 2 ½” strips. It is my hope that we bust your stash instead of buying more fabric.

**When cutting directional fabrics, such as checks or patterns, PLEASE open the fabric up and cut on the grain. Lining up the fabric when folded might be perfect of the top, but crooked on the bottom section. Mis-cuts will be returned! PLEASE remove all selvedges before cutting!

**Please separate your sets by index cards, slips of paper, etc. AND put into a plastic bag. Please do NOT individually package each set to save me time when swapping. Be sure to mark your HGTV board name, real name and address, swap theme AND the number of sets enclosed on each bag. Please stagger each pair of coins and 2 1/2" squares as shown below so that I can quickly pick them up when swapping out.

**Please be sure there are no BOWING/ELBOWS in your pieces if cutting from 2 ½” strips. If you are cutting your squares with scissors, please no frayed ends. Any odd angle cuts, selvedges or any other mis-cuts will be returned back to you. I’m trusting that you are inspecting your submits before mailing to me. It saves me so much time and makes the swapping quick work.

**This swap is for WASHED fabric, so pre-cut noodles/strips/jelly rolls CANNOT be used as all fabrics must be washed, dried and ironed before cutting. They will shrink and not be the required size and will be returned. Trust me when I say I found out the hard way!

Now on with the show….

You can join one or join them all—your choice! The number of sets you can send in will be posted after the sign-up deadline.

**You can send in up to 10 sets per theme**

Here are our themes:

*Stashbusters Diet Noodles (2 ½” x 16”)-ten pieces of the same print per set.

*Stashbusters 2 ½” squares (2 ½” x 2 ½”)-20 pieces per set. We will swap out in pairs. Please be sure the prints used are size appropriate! Please stagger a pair when stacking for easy pick up during the swap.

*Stashbusters Bricks (3 ½” x 6 ½”)-ten pieces of the same print per set.

*Stashbusters Coins (2 ½” x 5 ½”)-20 pieces per set. We will swap out in pairs. Please be sure the prints used are size appropriate! Please stagger a pair when stacking for easy pick up during the swap.

*Bright Bricks (3 ½” x 6 ½”)-ten pieces of the same print per set. Remember, the theme is BRIGHT! Remember, no children's or novelty prints.

Here is a photo of bright bricks from a previous swap:

POSTAGE or POSTAGE money must be included in your package. Be sure to add a stamp or two to your stamped envelopes if not going priority mail flat rate boxes. They also seem to weigh more returning than coming in! If you are a frequent swapper, you can also send in $20 or so and I can keep it on “account” and deduct your postage from it. This was worked nicely with some swappers in the past and that way you don’t have to worry about sending in money each time. Once the swap is complete, I will PM you your postage balance on account for your records.

If you wish to include a self-addressed mailer for the return trip back to you, remember NO metered postage or ACP postage on the return mailer. Stamps only. Our post office will not allow more than a 13 oz. pre-stamped mailer in any mailboxes nor can mail carriers accept them (since 9/11 our East coast mail guidelines have been modified). While your local p.o. may say it is okay to use metered or ACP postage, our p.o. will not accept anything that has been pre-dated. I’m just trying to make it as easy as possible for all concerned. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask! Also, let me know if you want a delivery confirmation.

For Priority mail packages, I have plenty of mailing envelopes and boxes here so there is no need to send a new one in. I do, however, try to recycle the boxes if possible. IF YOU ARE SENDING YOUR SWAP IN A MANILLA ENVELOPE OR PADDED MAILER, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO SEND IN A RETURN ENVELOPE.

Any questions? Have a photo of a fabric and you question to use it or not? Email me at 2013hexagonswap@gmail.com and be sure to check out our blog at http://hexagonswap.blogspot.com/