SoTTT's CHAPTER 3: THE SORTING AND BEYOND!!

[Maryjo K.]

Wow I didn't realize I missed so much information. Been busier now since the last week of March when I started a new job after being unemployed for 14 months. So busy learning new stuff that when I come home I just don't even want to look at the computer. So I missed knowing when the sorting day happened and gone. Thanks for all the work that went into that--no way a single person could have pulled it off. So to everyone that assisted "Thanks". Well almost time to head to the mailbox and to accompany my son to his Livewire 4H activity of playing bingo with the residents at the local Nursing Home.

I like hearing what everyone is doing with their HST as my LQS just had their spring shop hop and guess what they had if you made a purchase you got a sheet of Edyta's paper with 2 fabrics to make more HST.

Well our snow from last night has almost melted. Wednesday we were dealing with 80 to almost 90 degrees temperatures and yesterday it was 40 degrees with 40 mph winds (chilly) and got almost 2 inches of snow by this morning. Our high school has prom tonight.

Happy Sewing to everyone
Diane
Farmcrafty
Northeast corner of Iowa!!

[Maryjo K.]

There I was making head way quilting the quilt from you know where when my DH announced a "big mail" had arrived. I was expecting books from AQS. The books came but so did a special package...guess which one got opened first! Yep...the package from Texas. I tried to work on the quilt but my concentration was on that package full of HST's. It was so bad I stuck my finger with a needle and of course had to stop...didn't want any blood on the quilt. I am totally amazed at how you gal's pulled it off. I sent in 616 HST's and didn't get one of mine back...good thing I saved one of each combo I sent. I did a quick look through and was amazed at the variety and where they are from. When I calm down I plan on sorting by state etc. I think I will use them in borders for applique. I'm thinking of grouping them by region...Southern states together with an applique that relates to the South. I better get a note pad to jot down ideas. DH didn't think I'd get anything back...oh thou of little faith...when quilters say they are going to do something they do it! Wish I lived near by so I could have joined the sorting party. Thank you very, very much...God bless all organizers, sorters and participants! Now back to that quilt.........

Joanne
Belfast, NY

[Maryjo K.]

WooHoo! Santa, alias mail person, came to my house today! It was sure a quick trip from Texas to Florida! Found the Golden Ticket bag and was so excited, just like Christmas when I was a child! I think we ahould all always have the heart of a child! I am starting to sort by Sate & Country, even found Debbie, Clara, ritzy and Maureen from Scotland. Way cool to finally connect with all of you with fabric! When I started this it was for 54 HST's and I did way more! Met so many new quilting friends! Learned more about fabric, quilting and life in general around the Pieceful World of Quilting and am now looking forward to using my HST Babies in something very special and meeting as many of you as can make it in Houston or maybe another quilt show. Hope we all stay in touch online.

josew
Maryjo, Florida

[Maryjo K.]

Me too! Me too!! Me too!!! What fun to get my package today!! Of course I had to drop everything and look them over... started pressing them open to see the beautiful combos, have only done about 150 so far, and have seen ONE fabric that I've owned! The varieties are just amazing! So far only a few duplicates, even though I've seen the same names bunches of times, obviously those sisters sent in a good mix! Thanks to Debbie and Clara (found yours already!) and all the good helpers, this is going to continue to be great fun!

[Kathryn S.]

AIEEEE! The package with the HST's arrived in today's mail! I immediately cut open the bag, and poured them out on the dining room table. I was so excited I actually cried a few tears. My Mom and I went through them, looking at where they came from, calling out state and country names. I ran across Scoopie (Dawn) and Rosemary, Clara and Debbie. It's way better than Christmas, the variety is staggering. I'll probably sort by location first, then I really want to copy or take photos of the labels, to document this somehow. It seems too important to just tear off the labels. The process of pressing and trimming them will take a while but it's going to be a labor of love. Before deciding on a pattern, I'll have to look at them and see what they want to be. The pattern and companion fabric I had picked out might not be what they need! Just imagining all of us sitting at our sewing machines sewing these HST's, or opening our bags when they get back, makes me feel connected to everyone.
And a BIG TEXAS thank you to Clara and Debbie and all who gave up their time to make this happen.
Kathy

[Kathryn S.]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got my HST's today!! What fun to go through them - all the different fabrics! YAY!!!!!

My post man handed me the package and looked at me at little oddly when I said "Oh yay! My triangles are here!" Some people just dont get it! :-)

[Kathryn S.]

I'm glad some of these are starting to arrive. Funny thing with sorting and I'm sure all of my fellow quilters will get this as soon as I mention it. Fabrics stick together. A group of fabrics from one person being dumped into a bin and mixed over and over again with others can still stay together in groups of about 4-5. Even when we keep on dividing up the totes and trying to spread out the varieties I'm still finding these little clusters even just now.

Yes, I'm taking a little break. But not too long. I'm on the 3rd Harry Potter movie and I jumped ahead and watched the most recent last night. I'm making a lot of progress.

I'm breaking to feed munchkins, take the dog outside, break up fights with the munchkins, throw the ball so the dog doesn't drop the ball all over the triangles and cause me to start over and of course the mad dash to the potty. When you gotta go, you gotta GO!!!

Better get back to it. Feel a little like Santa with all these happy quilters. Just a little. How about you Debbie? Clara

[Martha R.]

What a cool surprise....like Christmas in April...I got my HST's today...everything else came to a halt as I examined my package. Thank you and all your helpers so much for your hard work and time...this was so fun and it just keeps on going

a happy quilter,
Martha in CA

[Debbie W.]

Most of the members who are already receiving packages (from Monday's sorting day) were those that sent in smaller counts, from the high 100s down to the 28s. There were also quite a few larger counts that were completed that day too. (There may still be a few lower number stragglers in our totes, so don't panic if you sent in smaller numbers and haven't received them yet!) We were keeping count of those on Monday and a total of 206 packages were readied for mailing. Clara took those back home with her and got them in the mail as quickly as she could. I believe that Clara's Mom, Paula (Screen Name: Irisblue) singlehandedly took care of closing & taping all the packages on Monday. And she thought :wink: she wouldn't have anything to do that day!! Terrific job, Paula...thank you!

Clara is now finishing up the International packages and I'm making huge progress with the remaining U.S. packages. I took a small load to the P.O. after lunch today and now have about 200 ready to go to the P.O. on Monday. It is with great hope that I anticipate having them all mailed by the end of next week.

Once again, if it were not for my remarkable Bee members, Cotton Pickin' Bee of the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston, we certainly would not have been this far along and it might have been July 4th rather than Eastertime when they arrive in your mailbox. We spent all day Wednesday counting stacks of 28, packing proper amounts into return envelopes and shutting them up. Five members took huge totes full of HSTs and return envelopes home with them, counting more stacks of 28, and putting the right numbers into the envelopes. I now have all of the packages back at my house and am currently in the process of marking them off the spreadsheet, making sure there's enough tape to seal them shut, and putting them back into those well-used trash bags to haul to the P.O. next week.

Now I need to keep my fingers crossed that everyone added enough postage to their return envelopes!!!

You are all updated now, so I'll put my Hogwart's Sorting Hat :roll: on and it's back to HST work for me! I think we'll have to have soup for supper tonight...no time to cook a real meal! My DH, and now experienced HST cutter, would tell you it's been quite a while since I've actually cooked a 'real meal'...going on about three months now!

[Barbara C.]

Woo Hoo.... Triangles arrived today! I love them all. Clara I hear you on the fabrics sticking together. That exlains why I got four of your blocks. Love them so, no I will not send them back to swap them out. :lol:

Thanks for all your time and hard work. Y'all have done a fantastic job!

Barbara

[Barbara C.]

Woo Hoo.... Triangles arrived today! I love them all. Clara I hear you on the fabrics sticking together. That exlains why I got four of your blocks. Love them so, no I will not send them back to swap them out. :lol:

Thanks for all your time and hard work. Y'all have done a fantastic job!

Barbara

Glad you like them.

Clara

[Barbara C.]

Note to any quilter out there.
If you are thinking at all about sending some back to swap for something different. Don't do it. Please, pretty please, it ain't happening. I would suggest you contact every or any member of this exchange and try and talk them into sending you something different. It would just be impossible for us to swap at this point.

We are all going to have personal preferences to designs and colors we like... and they all will be different. Use what you like. Enjoy.

Clara

[Barbara C.]

Note to fellow SoTTT’s;

For those of us who are still being patient; it is enjoyable to live vicariously through your postings! But gosh, wanting to send back a Half-Sq. Triangle is like rejecting one of our Sister’s! Please if you need an extra one or two HST’s colors to complete a design that you can’t live without, send me a private e-mail & I will be happy to assist you if I am able (which I probably would be able to) with sending you an extra HST’s or two, should you need it; but please don’t leave out any of our Sister’s that you were sent! If you can’t use it, send it my way-I’ll put her in my quilt! Clara, Debbie and all the other quilters who are still working diligently to get us our HST’s, I for one just can’t fathom what you have been going through to make this exchange happen; it boggles my mind. Blessings to you & take a baby aspirin (81mg) every day while you are doing this (unless your Dr advises against it for some reason as it is a blood thinner) if you are sitting for long periods of time- please walk around at least ten minutes every hour. Don’t forget to drink lots of water-that will help you get up and walk around also. I know you all have been knocking your selfs out, but I want you all to be well! Take care, blessings to the Sorting Queen & her Court-Jesters & all. We all need to include them in our nightly prayers- Barbara from Bluffton, SC

[Barbara C.]

AMEN :!: AND DITTO WHAT RIVEROWL SAID ABOVE :!: :!: :!:

[Barbara C.]

Yippeee!!! I recieved my HST's today and am THRILLED with ALL of them!!! So many, so beautiful, from so many places!! In addition to all over the USA, I also received HST's from Australia, England, Netherlands, Finland and Canada!! How cool is that??!!!

Many many thanks and accolades to all the Sorting Team!! What an amazing job!!

Now to decide on a pattern.... more fun!!

Michelle