Nifty Fifty Guidelines
All Nifty Fifty Exchange groups use the sample guidelines below. They edit and adapt these guidelines to suit their own individual exchanges. Each group has their own theme, size and due dates. Please abide by the guidelines that your NF hostess has posted on their web page.
SAMPLE GUIDELINES FOR THE NIFTY FIFTY QUILTERS EXCHANGES
SAMPLE GUIDELINES FOR THE NIFTY FIFTY QUILTERS EXCHANGES All participants must abide by the exact guidelines so all blocks will arrive on time and will be compatible in color scheme and size. Please keep in mind this is a large commitment and the cost of fabric for 50+ blocks usually is between $80.00 to $100.00. ALL deadline dates must be kept in order to prevent anxious or disappointed quilters! Also, please understand the commitment you are making when signing up for your state's block. If you cannot complete your blocks within our deadline dates, we will have "holes" in our quilts.
All our hostesses will be sending out monthly updates on everyone's progress to our e-group list. They will also keep a detailed account of everyone's progress in our e-group database file. All participants has access to this file. So if you are late with your blocks everyone in the exchange will be aware and not just the hostess so.......... IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS PLEASE DO NOT COMMIT
1)The color scheme or theme is up to each individual hostess.
2) All blocks in our Nifty Fifty exchange groups are either six, nine, ten or twelve inch finished blocks. They can be machine, hand pieced, embrodiered center blocks, paper pieced or appliqued. If you do use machine embrodiery than it must be incorporated into a quilt block. The whole block cannot be only embrodiered. If appliqued all raw edges must be turned under or sewn with the button hole stitch. Please use a 1.5 stitch length if you are paper piecing your block and leave the paper on the block. NO fabric paint allowed.
3)Each exchange requires a sample block within a two month time period. Be sure you get your sample block approved by the hostess before you cut and sew all 50+ blocks. If you are late with your sample block you will be dropped from the exchange unless you have approval by the hostess.
4) All fabric must be 100% PREWASHED cotton and there must be at least one designer fabric in your block which is Quilt Shop Quality Fabric.
5) All blocks must be signed on the front with your name, hometown and state with a permanent fabric pen in small print unless your exchange is doing signature squares and then the blocks should not be signed. If you are not representing your home state then sign the state you are representing. Make sure you stay out of the outside 1/4 inch seam allowance!
6)All blocks must follow our NF Quality Check Points. Click here for our quality check points.
7) Any quilter may adopt a state. Only one state per quilter unless a participant drops out and then they can take over the empty state as their second state. A quilter may sign up for a second state as long as they have submitted their first set of state blocks to the hostess.
8) There will be 50 state blocks in the exchange along with possible additional blocks which may include Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and or an USA General block. The amount of blocks will depend on the hostess.
CONFIRMATION AND HISTORY FORMS
1) As soon the hostess receives a definite confirmation from you then she will automatically sign you up to the groups Nifty Fifty yahoo list. All participants must be a member of their NF exchange's yahoo group throughout the entire exchange. All updates will be placed on this list. All participants must fill out a short History Form, which includes name, address, occupation, quilting experience, family and hobbies. There is an option to have your history form kept private. If you want it keep private then please e-mail the hostess your form. Otherwise please go into our groups database and enter your history form in the History Form Table. Please be prompt in filing out this form because Deadline Dates DO NOT go into effect until the hostess has a record of all History Forms.
2) History Forms of all participants will be available through our group's database. Everyone will be able to print out these froms from the database.
FABRIC SWATCHES AND SAMPLE BLOCKS
1) If your group is doing a color scheme then the hostess will be mailing out fabric swatches. In order to receive your fabric swatch you need to send your hostess a self-addressed stamped envelope, two self-addressed labels and $1.00 to cover the swatches. Depending on your exchange you may need to send your returning priority envelope with enough stamps to cover return postage. And an optional $1.00 donation for the charity quilt.
2) You can start color coordinating your fabrics as soon as you receive your fabric swatches. You must wait for these swatches before you buy any fabric. This way all the blocks will be compatible in color.
3) Everyone is required to send the hostess a sample block within two months after receiving their fabric swatches. This will be your charity block for our breast cancer quilt. If you cannot meet this deadline the hostess will assume you will not be able to meet the final deadline and she will be forced to find another participant from your assigned state. Please do not be late with your sample block.
DEADLINE DATES
1) The deadline dates will go into effect when ALL History Forms are in the database. Keep in mind it takes time to confirm 50+ quilters. Please be patient. IT WILL TAKE AWHILE, especially if you are one of the first participants to be confirmed.
2) The hostess has a choice of two deadline schedules:
A---"We will have two deadline dates. The first will be 4 months from the time I have received everyone's History Form is posted in the database. Twenty five blocks will be due at this time. The second deadline date will be 4 months later and your remaining blocks will be due."
B--"We will have several deadline dates. The first 12 blocks are due 6 weeks after I have received everyone's History Form in the database. Then there will be 10 blocks due every 6 weeks until all 50+ blocks have been mailed."
3) If any quilter does not meet the first deadline date of their first set of 10 or 25 blocks then the hostess has the option of dropping them from the exchange and finding an alternate from our waiting lists.
4) If a quilter sends in their first set and is late with their second set of blocks without notifying the hostess in advance then she has the option of finding a replacement quilter and WILL keep the quilters first set of 25 blocks to be put towards the replacement set of blocks so our group will stay on schedule. So if you are going to be late be sure you keep in close contact with your hostess so you will not be replaced and lose your first 25 blocks and return postage.
5)If you are planning on doing your blocks by assembly line fashion then be sure you start them in plenty of time so you will be able to send out your first half of blocks by the first deadline date or you will be dropped. The hostesses will not wait to receive all your blocks at the end.
6) Please remember that if you have NOT notified the hostess about the late blocks then a quilter will have taken your place and please do not expect the hostess to return any blocks or postage. If this occurs....the blocks you have submitted WILL be forfeited to your replacement swapper.
7) When the deadline date arrives, the hostess will start sorting the blocks and mailing out completed packages to each participate who has sent in a completed set no later than a month and a half after the deadline date.
8) If you have notified the hostess that any of your blocks are going to be late, then the completed packages WILL STILL GO OUT ON SCHEDULE WITHOUT your blocks and you must send in your blocks with 50+ stamped (at least $.55 per envelope) envelopes with your return address in your package of late blocks so the hostess can mail them out separately. After your blocks have been mailed out separately then the hostess will mail you your returning blocks from our group. If you have NOT notified the hostess about the late blocks then a quilter will have taken your place and please do not expect the hostess to return any blocks or postage.
OPTIONAL UPDATED PARTICIPANTS GUIDELINES
Instead of our hostesses signing up 50 participants we have another method in acquiring members. Some of our NF exchanges will be using the following guidelines: 1) In this exchange we will have 25 participants. Everyone is required to sign up for two states. Instead of everyone making 50 blocks of the same state they will be making 25 blocks of each of their states. They will still be sending in 50 blocks and getting 50 different blocks in return.
BREAST CANCER CHARITY BLOCK
1) RED WHITE AND BLUE BLOCKS FOR A CHARITY QUILT FOR BREAST CANCER All Nifty Fifty exchanges request all participants to send an extra one or two quilt blocks so your group can put together a charity quilt for breast cancer research. Please send this block as your sample block. The sample block size and color is up to each hostess.
Copyright 1999, 2000 Teresa Drummond ALL RIGHTS RESERVED