TMQG Block Swap

As the "swap swami" of the newly-formed Triangle Modern Quilt Guild, my job is to organize swaps of all kinds to foster community and collaboration among our local quilters. For our first swap, I decided to run a block swap. For an entry fee of $4, each swapper got 3 fat quarters of a "mystery line" of modern fabrics ... which turned out to be "Odyssea" by Momo for Moda. By pulling in other prints and colors that they felt complemented the line, swappers then made blocks for 11 of the other swappers based on their stated preferences. Most said "anything goes", but some people asked for wonky stars, crosses, and straight log cabins.

Above are the 11 blocks I made for the other swappers. We swapped them at our meeting this past Sunday, and it was fun to see all of the different interpretations of the fabrics, colors, and designs.

I also hosted a fat quarter swap during the meeting. Interested members brought in 2 fat quarters wrapped up in plain paper so that the fabric was not evident. For every packet that a swapper brought, he/she could take one away. I think that swap was pretty successful, too.

We are toying with some swap ideas for future meetings. For our next block swap, I think people will supply their own fabrics (similar to a virtual quilting bee format). For our next fabric swap, we're considering a "bag o'scraps" swap, where people bring in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag full of their scraps. We've also discussed finished goods swaps, including things like mini quilts.

Do you have any other fun group activity ideas? What kinds of swaps do your local groups do?