As I’m sitting here curled up with the snow coming down outside, I am already longing for color. With this, the first trio of 2015 Fanciful Utility Swaps will be all about color!
First, we will pick up the “Greene Swap” we didn’t get to last fall, making it the “Greene & Green Swap”. Then, in the following months, we will swap other period color fabrics.
This season’s swaps will include:
- The Greene & Green Swap – For those of us with Susan Greene’s book, Wearable Prints, we will be swapping fabrics similar to those in the pages of her book. (Group1) — For those who don’t yet have her book, we will swap Green Fabrics appropriate to the nineteenth century. (Group2). (Of course, you can do both groups.) There were lots of popular greens of the century, including the infamous poison green.
- The Red Swap – We will swap popular nineteenth century Red Fabrics.
- The Blue Swap – We will swap popular nineteenth century Blue Fabrics.
What is a Swap?
This is a chance for to exchange fabric with a small group of people. Each group will have 8 people exchanging pieces of fabric. All you need is a half yard of fabric and envelopes along with your copy of Fanciful Utility.
To Participate:
1: Sign Up Day!
On sign-up day, groups will be assigned on a first-in basis; the first eight will be the first swap group, second eight in the second group, etc. **Please be certain you will be able to fully participate by mailing your fabrics on the Mail-Out Date.**
- “Greene/Green Swap” – Sign-Up Day: January 20th
- “Red Swap” – Sign-Up Day: February 20th
- “Blue Swap” – Sign-Up Day: March 20th
2: Mail-Out Day:
Place a 9×9″ piece of fabric suited to the mid-19th century in envelopes for each of the 7 other people in your swap group, stamp them (be sure to double check at the post office, but the small 9×9″ pieces should mail in a regular envelope with a normal stamp), and send them off no later than the Mail-Out Day.
- “Greene/Green Swap” – Mailing Day: January 30th
- “Red Swap” – Mailing Day: February 28th
- “Blue Swap” – Mailing Day: March 30th
3: Get Fanciful!
Use your Fanciful Utility templates and techniques to make a project from the book, or copy your own from 19th century sources. We’ll all look forward to seeing your projects! You don’t have to sew right away, but don’t keep us waiting forever to see all the fun things!
(If you need a copy of Fanciful Utility, you can purchase them from the publisher at www.thesewingacademy.com
Fabric Guidelines:
- For the cotton and silk categories, your fabric should be early to mid-nineteenth century appropriate. (If there is a want for an earlier or later group, we can do that.) Prints and motifs should reflect those available in the 1840s, 50s and 60s. Cotton should be 100% cotton. Silk should be 100% silk.
- To keep the swap and sewing possibilities interesting, please avoid solids as best we can.
- Fabrics that do not work well for sewing cases should not be swapped. These include sheers, gauzes, heavy, thick, easy-to-fray, slippery and stretch fabrics.
- For the “crazy swap” category, think crazy quilt in a sewing case. This could include satins, velvets, textured fabrics. Quality synthetic fabrics are invited.
Swapper Guidelines:
- Please be certain you can fully participate in the swap before you sign-up.
- If something arises after you sign-up that will effect the date you are mailing your fabrics, please email your group so everyone is aware.
- If you fail to fully participate in a swap, you will not be able to sign-up for future swaps. (We do understand medical and family emergencies. I need to be able to ensure swappers will receive fabrics when they send fabrics out.)
Q&A
Yes, you can participate in 1, 2 or 3 of the swaps.
Yes, if we end up with multiple groups, you can participate in more than one group to swap more fabric. If you participate in 2 groups, you should swap 2 fabrics.
Yes, you can swap large and small scale prints.
Yes, you can swap now and sew later.
Yes, we would love to see what you’ve made with the swapped fabric.
Yes, you can use your own fabric in your swapped project.
If I Had My Own Blue Box: 
Santa brought me a copy of Wearable Prints for Christmas! These will be fun, “colorful” swaps. I’m looking forward to them. Happy New Year!
count me in again for all of them!!
“Wearable Prints” and I are ready to participate!
Can’t wait to sign up for all the swaps. I would participate in more than one group if you need someone to fill a group.
Hi Anna< count me in for all three swaps again! Really enjoy the different fabrics!
I do not have the Greene book, so it might help if you published a few photos taken from the book to give me a hint. I’d be happy to participate, even both groups – JP
I’ll get you in the know about Susan’s book.