Fall 2008 Official TOBE
Treadle On 2008 Birthday Block

You send a set (or sets) of blocks to the hostess. On a specified date, she swaps the blocks out to the other participants. At the end, each participant receives a new set of blocks back from lots of other participants.

Kelly Pakes
RR2 Box 323
Rome PA 18837

International members -- September 24, 2008
U.S. members --October 1, 2008

http://www.treadleon.net/quiltshop/2008birthdayblock/birthdayblock.html

You will need two floral fabrics and a "brick" fabric for each set.

• 100% COTTON--do a burn test if necessary to ensure this. Burn the edge of a scrap of the chosen fabric. The burnt edge should turn into a powdery ash. If it forms a hard or lumpy edge, or has a plastic smell when burning, it is a synthetic blend and should not be used for this TOBE.
  
  
• Color Scheme: Two floral fabrics, something representative of your location if you wish (state, province, country), if not just use flowers that you like, plus a pale "brick" shade for signing. See instruction page for examples.
  
  
• PREWASH and test for colorfastness. This is important because the sizing can prevent the ink from penetrating the fibers when signing.

• Select an archival, permanent, acid-free pen. Sharpie markers are NOT a good choice as they will bleed a yellow "shadow". I've had good results with Pigma, ZIG, and Micron pens. Quilt stores and scrapbooking shops/departments carry them.
  
  
• Black seems to be the best color for permanence, but isn't mandatory.
  
  
• Sign in the "non-floral "brick" sections of the block.
  • Be sure not to sign within a quarter inch of the block edge because that is the seam allowance!
  • Be sure to sign using the orientation in the instructions so everyone's signatures face the same way in the finished quilt!
  • Include at a minimum your name and location. Optional information is some combination of machine used, TOBE, and when you joined Treadle On.
  • Example:

Kelly Pakes, Rome PA
ca. 1882 Domestic treadle
2008 Birthday TOBE
Joined August 2004

If you have physical problems signing, just sign your name. The rest of the blocks will have the TOBE information, and while it's fun to know the machine, it's not necessary.

To make signing easier, try one of the following suggestions:

• Iron a piece of freezer paper to the back of the signing area.
• Place a sheet of 400 or 600 grit sandpaper under your block.
• Clip the sandpaper and block to a clip board.

Either of these methods help keep the fabric from shifting under the pen. I personally use the sandpaper.

Place your blocks in a zip lock bag with the following information written on the bag:

• Name
• E-mail Address
• Number of sets of blocks you have in the bag.

This is your "squishie".

1. Get two identical mailers from either an office supply store or use the post office's mailers and save yourself an extra stop. Take the hostess's mailing information along when you are ready to mail your squishie.
   
   
2. Address one of the mailers to yourself, include your return address. Do NOT seal this envelope!!!!
   
   
3. Have the addressed mailer and your squishie weighed together and put the correct postage in STAMPS on the mailer. This is your pre-paid, return envelope. Do NOT run it through the postage meter! Metered postage is dated and will not be valid when the hostess tries to mail your squishie back to you.
   
   International members will not be able to prepay their return envelopes. The hostesses usually accept some sort of compensation in the form of a gift in exchange for paying the return postage. When I was hostess, I was more than happy with the fabric I received from my international participants--it more than covered my expenses!
   
   
4. Address the other mailer to the hostess. Put the stamped return envelope and the squishie in this mailer and seal it.
   
   
5. Have the sealed envelope weighed and stamped.
   
   
6. Send it off.
   
   
7. When you get home, email your hostess and tell her that your squishie is on its way.

Let the hostess know when your return squishie arrives. I was on pins and needles until I knew all the squishies had safely reached their destinations when I served as a TOBE hostess.