That's probably a good idea.

No not really this must be night!

It's here if you want to use it.......

Fiber & Needle Arts Exchange

This exchange is provided for users to trade patterns, squares for quilting and other items used in the fiber and needle arts. Advertising items for sale is strictly forbidden.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fiber & Needle Arts Exchange Forum

I intend this to be a thoughtful post rather than anything judgemental, and hope it is taken as such.

I don't usually participate in swaps, but when I suggested the Quilts of Valor donation, the response was over-the-moon wonderful. I really appreciated the generosity.

I think if people need to go to another area, another forum, we may lose the vitality we have in this forum. Many people love swaps, and love this forum, too. But many don't have time to cruise multiple forums. If they have to go to multiple forums, they will probably choose one. It probably won't be this one if swapping is what they want to do. We lose.

I often look at the birthday swap posts, just because I'm curious to see what everyone has received, even though I'm not in a position to participate at the moment.

I love the way people are posting now. "November Crazy-Quilters" or "September Scrapmasters", or whatever. I know immediately what the post is, thus my choice to look or not.

I get ideas when I see swap blocks. I would love to see more general quilting posts, but I'll take inspiration from any place.

JMHO.

Mary

I haven't had much time for swaps lately but when I have participated in the past, 75% of what made me want to join was that I felt a closeness to the people here, on this forum. I was not interested in swapping with strangers, just to be swapping something. I was interested in swapping with quilters I felt I'd come to know a little.

If it gets moved somewhere else, my concern would be it would depersonalize it for many.

Also, I personally like watching swaps even if I'm not participating in them. Especially when people post pictures!

Marti8a - I wish this forum had a category entitled "Swaps"...like we do for "Gallery" and "Conversations," but, alas, we don't. (IS there a way to add a section???) All I know is that I have learned so much from this forum's swaps - not just from the blocks themselves, but from the questions, answers, and links provided on those strings of messages.

Mary_c - You eloquently wrote what I think about this topic. Thanks!

I would hate to see them moved. Out of sight, out of mind. Like Laura says" I personally like watching swaps even if I'm not participating in them. Especially when people post pictures!" I also agree with a lot of what Mary c wrote.

Janice

Well, I haven't participated in swaps but love to see the pics and get ideas and encouragement,so I like it the way it is.
Geraldine

Nope, I would not like to see them moved somewhere else. I like this forum the way it is and I think swaps are a part of who we are. I don't do every swap but the ones I have done have been wonderful. I like seeing pictures of ohter swaps too.

Vicky

No,NO, I don't think we need to seperate swaps, many of us don't do swaps, but we like to see what others are up to. Please don't fix something that isn't broken, we are just healing from the last up heavel. I can say this becuase I'm old, I don't like change, my friends are here, if you change things I may not remember where they went LOL
Rene

At first I thought, "Yes!"

The reason I thought that is because I don't participate in swaps often, and my initial thought is that if all the swap stuff were in one place, it would be easier to keep track for all involved. However, because I don't participate in swaps very often, I might forget to go look at another forum page, and might miss a swap that I'd enjoy.

So my final answer is, "Keep the swaps right here."

What Mary said -- double!!

I don't want to have anything else happen that would affect the sense of friendship we have here. Recent events broke my heart. Please do not encourage any more of our group to leave! At least the links to the gallery and conversation areas are within this forum, so it is the same group of friends, which I agree makes our swaps fun to watch or participate in. So, if most feel that swaps should be separated, at least keep it here. I would be much more comfortable joining a swap with people I visit with every day than a larger, more anonymous group. But as others have said, if I don't have time for the swap posts, they are pretty easy to spot and I can skip over them any time.

Again, what Mary said (so very well).

empress

AMEN...I'm in favor of keeping this forum just the way it is....I love to look and see what's happening in the swaps even if I'm not involved and if it moved, I probably wouldn't go looking....
Dorothy

Ditto-Ditto! I like looking at the swaps just where they are/if they bother you just pass over them, nobody is twisting your arm to join them.

What do you think about keeping the swaps in the general discussion and using an indicator in the subject line like we use OT for "off topic"? I'm not coming up with a clever acronym, but maybe even SW would work. That would make it easy to skip over them

Sharon C.

I'm just starting to getting involed in this forum. Just lurking mostly before but I really enjoy the way the swaps are here and so much information. I wholeheartedly agree with maryliz. Just wanted to let ones know.
Mary

I am so busy with life right now that I do not have time to participate in the swaps. But I would love too!!!!!.
I love to look at the swap pics, we have so many talent members. Some monthly swaps Red has posted had me thinking WHAT??? And then when the finished blocks are posted you can see just how creative a person she is.
The many birthday swaps are great too. They all inspire me, so my vote is too leave it the way it is.
Rosa

I don't swap here anymore ( I did when I first started quilting), can hardly keep up with what I do for family, gifts, guild, charity, etc... but I think Sharon has the simple solution, which many are already doing... simply indicate in the "subject" line that it's swap related. That would keep it all here and let those not interested know it's something to just skip.

I would hate to see Swaps moved to another place. Who wants to swap with strangers?

I agree with Fran that outside of this forum are all strangers. It's wonderful how we feel this forum is family. Swap or not - do whatever we have time and interest for. We still look, comment if we feel like it, and feel connected to those familiar nicknames. This is our quilting bee as if we all lived on the same street. I'm getting too old to keep track of another place - but not quite as old as that Rene! LOL
Linda

IMHO That's what I really liked about this forum. Most of the others were just involved with swaps etc. I really would prefer to have them listed somewhere else, BUT most of the forum likes the swap info. So be it! Majority rules.

I used to do swaps here but was not treated very nicely when I did not understand the instructions. I now do swaps on differant forums and enjoy them.

pcbutt--on what other forums do you do swaps? Just curious. Sorry to hear you were not treated nicely here. I've enjoyed many swaps here. When someone suggested putting swaps in another area I thought they meant like another area of this forum, i.e., we have the gallery and the conversations area. I did not take it to mean it would be outside of the forum. I just skip over the swaps unless it pertains to me.

I applaud you Marti8a for bring up the question. I am very glad the responsees were treated with respect and no criticisms took place.

Gwen

pcbutt I am sorry you were not treated nicely by someone concerning the swaps.
The outstanding majority of our members are very nice, patient, and thoughtful. Please overlook the very, very, very few that are not.
If you enjoy swaping on this forum plase continue.
Rosa

Mary expressed my opinion for me, thanks Mary! Jill

Guess I can add my voice here.....I've enjoyed the swaps that I have participated in on this forum. I've hosted and swapped both - now I just need to put my pedal to the metal and get those blocks made into quilts!

It is possible for some of us to get burned out doing swaps, so for now, I'm not joining any block exchanges until I get some UFOs made. I would caution against having too many swaps going at the same time as it can get confusing. And that's all I'll say about that.

I enjoy swapping with the quilters I know here, but then, I've swapped with strangers also and that was fine. But it is more personal when you know who made your blocks. I don't have time to go visiting a lot of forums and I feel I have a lot of myself invested in this forum...so I stay here.

Teresa

Dont Change a thing... Enough! There are enough technical forums online. If it aint broke dont fix it. ITs bad enough we have 3 sections here and just not a list to see who posted what and when like other forums. Mary said it perfectly.

Nanci

And y'all have to remember we had -5- Birthday groups for 2007 and I dont know how many next yr. Its pretty easy to skip the swap stuff as its always in the title.
The thing I hate about this forum is you can not edit your post or add to it with out the hassle of adding something to the title....or its rejected cuz you already answered. DUH
Nanci

Nanci, Just adding a space in the Subject of Posting has worked for me when posting twice.

i would say this forum is great just the way it is. i always go thru and read what intrest me. and i swap with the notion everyone is at diffrent levels and the ones jst starting are just as welcome.

I agree with Mary C. Keep the swaps here.

I find it's usually pretty obvious in the titles of the posts, but if others think it's hard to tell if its a swap or not we can always remind each other to make sure the title mentions swaps.

I have been ignoring this as I am fairly new here, but decided to put in my 2 cents. I have not done swaps but think they belong here as they seem to unite the group, and who knows when I have more time I might want to join one. If they were someplace else I would never be tempted.

I find the people here just great and they replace the fact that I am unable to join a guild. I like seeing what others are doing, the friendships, kindness, inspiration, and helpfulness that has been offer to me and others.

As other have said " If it's not broken, don't fix it."
Jayne