DQ3 Swappers certainly don’t waste any time. (and this is a very, very good thing!).

CampFollowerBagLady is almost finished with hers and the soft floral prints that she chose are heavenly. She put this together after picking fabric and sketching out a design for a different quilt….but she chucked it all away, all because she knew her swapee will swoon when she see this one. Who wouldn’t?

So what are you working on? Is anyone (like me) struggling to make that first cut?

I’m going to Undercover Quilts by Pike Place Market tomorrow with a friend from out of town, I’m sure to find some inspiration there. In the meantime ladies, keep ‘em comin’!

Thanks to the beautiful and talented Helen, we know have a badge.  Feel free to add it to your blog if you like:

On the home page of this blog is (finally!) the blog roll with FLickr Pages or Blogs for everyone participating in this swap.  Sorry it has taken me so long to get it up there.

If you are not listed, listed incorrectly, have changes/additions/etc….please let me know and I’ll fix it.

Whew!!!! It has taken me 11 hours…but I finally have everyone matched and all the details sent out….

If you have not received an email from me tonight, check your Spam folder. If it isn’t there, contact me ASAP so that I can resend it to you. My email address is tanaya at gmail dot com (remove the spaces).

In the meantime, here is what the email said (minus the juicy bits at the bottom of each of your messages.

Dear Swappers;

Today is the day. No really, it is THE day. Today is the day that you get your swap partners information. I’m so happy to be hosting this swap and I’m really, really excited to see everyone’s ideas and plans and creative doll quilts.

First, I’d like to go over a few details/rules/FAQs. For this swap, everyone has agreed to make a small quilt. It should be understood that you will try to create a nice quilt, something worthy of gifting to someone else, something that you would be proud to give and happy to receive.

Don’t get nervous about this!! I don’t expect perfection or museum quality textiles. Just do your best. You can choose any style, any technique, anything that you like. Go simple, complex, traditional, contemporary, try something that you have perfected to a science or something that you’ve never attempted before. You are the master of your domain here, so most importantly…have fun with this! There are a few rough guidelines however:

SIZE: from 12×12 to 24×24…any size or shape in between.

MATERIALS: natural fibers/cotton, wool, linen

EMBELLISHMENTS: if you want to use them, feel free…beads, rickrack, buttons, doilies, ribbon, lace….anything or nothing at all.

CONSTRUCTION: Pieced, appliquéd, wholecloth, or yo-yos; quilted by hand or machine; and bound.

LABEL: It is recommended that you attach a label to the back of your quilt. I know, this can be a bit scary for some people though, so I will not make it a requirement. A label is however a very nice addition to any handmade quilt. Whether or not you decide to label your quilt, please do include a note with your quilt with your name and contact information (URL, blog, email address, etc. so that they can thank you).

SECRET: This will remain a secret round robin swap. Your partner will not know your identity. If you want to create a secret or anonymous email account to communicate with them, you can but this is entirely optional.

DUE DATE: The deadline for mailing your quilt is April 28th. This gives us a bit longer than 4 weeks. I like to plan on sending mine a week early…just in case life gets in the way and I’m delayed. But please try your hardest to get your package in the mail no later than April 28th. There is nothing more disappointing than not receiving a package. Also, please email me to let me know when you have mailed your quilt. Delivery confirmation is highly encouraged.

COMMUNICATION: If for any reason you cannot met the deadline or you need to drop out of this swap, please let me know as soon as you know. If you communicate any setbacks with me I can make sure things work out favorably for your partner, no hard feelings. If you do not communicate with me…well, poo. That just stinks for everyone.

I highly encourage you to use the Flickr Group (http://www.flickr.com/groups/dollquiltswap/) to communicate with each other. Post new topics and photographs of works in progress, view the Flickr streams and blogs of the other swappers, get to know each other. Comment on the photos and posts of other swappers. Please if possible post a picture of your finished quilt too.

Questions, comments, anything? Always feel free to contact me! I’m not the world’s most knowledgeable quilter, but I’m a whiz at Google searches.

I am thrilled to announce that sign ups for Round III (with a new hostess) have begun!!!  More info is over at Flickr.  Here is a quick rundown:

Sign ups start: 3.21.08
Sign ups end: after 50 people sign up or March 31, whichever happens first
Partners will be sent out 3 days after the sign ups end.
Packages to be mailed out 4 weeks after partners have been announced.

Rules/Guidelines: Follow your heart and go wherever your creativity takes you.

Size: Quilts should be no smaller than 12×12 and no larger than 24×24.

To sign up: Flickr Mail me!!! Include your name, mailing address, email address. (If you can’t Flickr Mail for whatever reason, post your email addy here and I’ll contact you.)

Do to the size of this swap, all players must agree to swap with whomever they are assigned and play nice. Communication is the key.

I’m so thrilled to be hosting this round and can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with.

Tanaya

Hello! Sarah smallfox here. Just wondering if my swap bebehs could send me a quick email, letting me know if they’ve sent/received their doll quilts. I know a bunch of you did, but like an idiot, I deleted them while I was cleaning out my inbox. So, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d really appreciate it!

Also, if you posted pictures on your blog, it would be great if you cold send me a link(s) to that(those) post(s).

Thanks!

I’m thrilled to report that the last items from Doll Quilt Swap I are completed!

Monica was happily surprised by this little beauty. It’s courtesy of Kristin, a brand new quiltmaker, who perservered through some challenges and delivered this totally handmade (!) quilt to its eager recipient.

Undeterred by her missing quilt, and bolstered by a treat from Swap Fairy Wendy, Monica signed up again for this round and is working on a beautiful applique piece.

Kristy also completed her DQSI project. She’s a new quilter, too. I hope she continues because this turned out so nicely! I’m sure Liz will agree when it arrives!

Speaking of Liz, she has a great idea for a clothesline quilt. Isn’t it pretty?

Liz has already received her quilt from this round (funny how that works!): this lovely nine-patch from Paula.

Pasha made some changes to her original plan and turned out this beauty!

And Pasha received her tropical flower log cabin from Swap Mama Wendy. I love the colors and the quilting. Wow.

Ros and her camera cable have been reunited, so now we can see her vibrant appliqued quilt.

Suzie’s quilt combines pretty patchwork, applique, and embroidery.

Rose has put her all into this appliqued scene, even printing some of the fabric herself!

Natalie’s completed the swap cycle, having both given

and received

striking red-and-gold quilts! The one she received, directly above, came from Pamela, who carefully considered every aspect of the quilt.

Sara M.’s sent her pretty, colorful quilt, too!

Sarah G. has decided on her color scheme and is working on her blocks in blues and greens.

AND if you love those wonky log cabins (I do! I do!), she’s generously posted a tutorial for them. Busy Sarah!

Last but not least, take a look at this stunner by Tami!

Please remember, quilts should be sent out by this Wednesday, July 18th!

I, for one, can’t wait to see the rest of the quilts!

hey ladies!!! well this is swap mama susan with her update….

let see, well wordpress is not letting me add links so i will just post the links myself and please excuse the ugliness, ok back to our regularly scheduled programming.  here is a sneak peak at louise’s wonderful little lovely here http://lululollylegs.blogspot.com/

and then we have some gorgeous photos of lynns quilts at her photo page here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eggmoney/sets/72157594550510029/

maggi has been hard at work trying her hand at hand quilting, here http://maggi.typepad.com/maggistitches/

margy got started right away and had hers finished before a lot had even started(including me!) here is her update http://hmmdesigns.blogspot.com/

here is a tease of marijkes quilt, for more photos you have to go to flickr and check them out…that is as soon as i get them up there!!!ok, i have uploaded the photos to the flickr group so you can look now, just dont anyone look too closely at the label!!!  http://www.flickr.com/groups/dollquiltswap/

heres a teeny tiny peek at melissas quilt for her partner, http://pickinguppurls.blogspot.com/ and i did try to take my time and pick partners that i thought would make quilts that their partners would really like. so glad you noticed!

thats it for now, hope everyone is finishing up their little treasures for our mail out date next week.   good luck!

Thought I would post the progress of my group of swap bebehs. If you are in my group and I inadvertently left you out, email me!

Dawn has finished her quilt. I love the red bubbly fabric she chose.

Annieshouse finished her quilt, pictured above, and has a flickr album of her process.

Cathi’s finished quilt is up for viewing. Done just in time for her trip to Portugal. LUCKY!

Bronwyn is busy battling her anxiety about joining the swap. She’ll do wonderfully. I know. I’m her mama!

Beth posted a teaser of some lovely purple and white blocks.

Ashley has a very good dilemma indeed. Though, I really think she should just make another quilt and send those two to me.

A sneek peek worthy of the sea shore from Amy.

And a progress shot from a delicious Ambercake.

Only a week to go, poppets!

Hello everyone!  I hope you are all having a good time finishing up your quilts.  We are less than one week away from sending off our creations.  July 18th is around the corner!!  Are you ready?!

Here is a bit of what my group has been up too…

Fiona has finished her CW Inspired doll quilt and it is on the way to her lucky partner.  She found a neat label that she thought went with the era of the quilt quite well.  Fiona says she will delight us with a picture of the entire quilt once her partner receives it.

Jan has finished piecing her quilt and is currently hand quilting it.  I can’t wait to see what the final product looks like.

Jen L. shows us a bit of her beautiful fabric.  I love the colors don’t you?

 Jhoanna  is now in the process of handbinding her quilt.  She considers herself to be a “newbie” as far as quilting is concerned, but I think she is already looking like a pro!

 Donna is trying to be a bit mysterious about her quilt.  She blurred the image to throw us off a bit.  But, we can still see something beautiful in the making.

 Deedeen made a pretty little blue number for her partner.  If you speak French (mine is VERY rusty), head on over to her blog and check it out.  If you don’t speak French, check it out anyway, she is very creative and the photography on her blog is tres jolie!

UPDATE…Sorry Swap Babes, but like I said, my French is VERY rusty and I misunderstood what Deedeen said on her blog.  This is not the quilt for her partner, she is still working on that particular quilt.  Okay, I am off to get out my old French dictionary from high school.  I think I need it!! LOL!

Laura over at Pine Ridge Quilter also gave us a glimpse at what she has been working on.  I like the bee!  Check out her blog for other beautiful quilting creations.  Laura is quite busy!

Jean-Sophie (I love her name!) has been busy as well.  Besides working on a special quilt for her partner, she has been busy putting together a tutorial for machine applique. 

If you would like to check it out, you can head on over to Flickr and check out her Notes for Machine Appliqué Posies. 

She also blogged the step-by-step instructions:

Introduction - contains information about threads and stitches, describes how to prepare the background fabric for all three methods and has step-by-step directions for Faced Applique

Preparing Circles for Appliqué - describes an alturnative way to prepare the center for a faced applique flower (good information to tuck away for preparing appliqué for any circle, oval or almost circle shape).

Using Templates - describes too other methods, both using templates.  In one, you use freezer paper and glue stick; in the other, starch, an iron, and templates made from a heat resistant material.

Thank you for the tutorial Jean-Sophie!  I am sure everyone will learn something from it!

This is really wonderful work “Swap Babes!”  I am looking forward to seeing the final results from all of you!

Have a great week!

Solidia