Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Postage Stamp Swap and how I do it!

I am a hostess on a Yahoo group called Postage Stamp Quilts. There were 18 participants and all of them sent in 25 packs of 50 different fabrics. This makes it a bit tricky swapping. I have developed my own system. And I am sure that out there someone else has the same thing going. It only makes sense.


Everyone gets their own little basket. The return envelope is on the bottom.
Their baggies of squares have been counted to verify 25 sent.
 Another view...they kinda look like Easter Baskets.
But I feel like I am distributing Halloween candy when I pass out the squares.
 As I go across the rows I lay one page that says START in the first basket in row #1.
I pick up their baggie and start counting as I place a package in each basket. Remember there are less than 25 of us swapping but we each have 25 packages. As I come back to the START basket, I skip that basket and continue across the rows until I run out of squares. The STOP paper goes in that basket where I ran out.
I move to the next basket in Row #1 and move the START paper to that basket. Now as I go around I will have one package on the stop paper as I finish with the second baggie. I continue this way until all the baskets are done.
I then count each basket to be sure they have 25, open their big baggie, seal it up, drop it in the return envelope and stack those into a larger plastic crate.


 Now all I need to do is make sure there is postage, their address and mine and then seal up the envelopes.
Ready for the post office!
WHOOHOOO!

8 comments:

Janet O. said...

Okay, I'm confused, but as long as you know what you are doing. ;o) That looks like a lot of fun for everyone--and a lot of work for you. Good of you to do that!

Katie said...

Holy cow. You are nothing if not organized! :-)

Chris said...

Your system sounds great! I always wondered how you keep track of things.

I got my pinks today!! YUMMY!!

regan said...

Sue....you are brilliant! What a great system! Just wondering....did 7 people back out at the last minute? How rude! lol

hared said...

I had to read through it a couple of times, but now it makes perfect sense. I had wondered how the swap hostesses distributed the packets. Thanks for sharing! --Gina in Missouri

Elaine Adair said...

OMGosh! I also am confused but realize you have a mind of a mathematician! I'll "ditto" Janet above, "as long as it works for you". My pea brain got all frazzled just THINKING about a postage stamp project, not to mention SWAP. But I KNOW, the end result at YOUR home, will be stunning. 8-)))

However, I HAVE used your ideas of the little plastic baskets to hold various parts and pieces. Thanks!

Laura said...

Looks like fun! have to ask - how big is a square? 1.5" ? Laura

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Wow - what a system... I of course would get so confused - but you look like you have it entirely under control!!