Nature Spirituality Prayer Quilt

EDITED: The number of swap partners will be one less than the number signed up. The final pattern will reflect the number of squares we send and may include one or two of squares you make yourself.

EDITED: The pictures shows diamond siggies. People can choose if they want a diamond shape or a square shape. Swappers will be asked to specify which they prefer on the e-mail list so their partners know how to make it for them.

EDITED: CHANGED ENDING DATE TO NOV. 5

US AND CANADA (The original one was only US and Canada but if others are open to it, I can make it international).

This is a second attempt at the Nature Spirituality Prayer Quilt. It's open to anyone who finds spirituality in nature and would like to make a quilt (or learn how to!) It doesn't matter your religion. There will be opportunity to tailor squares to a person's religion or other interests, but there is no pressure to do so. The only requirement is that it is focused on nature spirituality if it's not personalized.

You will make 12 "siggies" total (11 for your partners and one for yourself). These are muslin squares you decorate for your partners. And with each of those you'll send a square of printed fabric. So, the steps to this swap are:

1) Sign up on swap-bot! (of course!)

2) Sign up to the Yahoogroup so that we can interact with the people we are making squares for. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nature_prayer_quilt/

3) *Optional* If you would be interested in squares personalized to you, then follow the directions on the e-mail that will be automatically sent to you when you join the group. It will tell you how to make a special "profile" for your partners.

4) Buy supplies.
* 2 yards of 100% cotton unbleached natural colored muslin fabric. * 2 yards of any cotton fabric you feel drawn to. * Pigma Micron pens or Sakura Jelly roll or other similiar pens, your choice of colors * a role of freezer paper (must be freezer paper)

5) Wash the fabric (both kinds) in very hot water with mild detergent, dry, and then iron with a very hot iron to pre-shrink the fabric.

6) Cut a 10 squares of fabric (12 1/2 by 12 1/2 inches) out of each kind of fabric (total 20 squares - 10 of each kind).

7) Cut 10 squares of freezer paper (10 1/2 by 10 1/2 inches).

8) Center the freezer paper on the back of the muslin square with the shiny, coated side down. Iron the paper on without steam and with lots of caution! The fabric will be stiffened.

9) Write on the non-paper side of fabric. Leave 2 inches margin on all sides. Decorate it with either a nature-spirituality theme, or if you want to, customize it to the person by looking at their file on the yahoogroup. The decoration can be a wish, a poem, a quote, a prayer (that works with their religion/beliefs), a drawing, a doodle, etc.

10) Sign your name, the date, and the city or area you live in.

11) Remove the paper from the back and iron the square with a very hot iron to set the inks. This will make it washable.

12) Put the siggie and one square of the print fabric in ziplock bag for each of your partners and mail them off!

13) Receive yours in the mail and someone has been nice enough to volunteer telling us how to put the quilt together. (I'm just hosting this swap since the original person hosting had to drop out. So those of us wanting to continue the swap are working together on it.)

The final quilt will look similiar to this, but with bigger squares:Siggie Quilt (I found this random on the internet)

We really need dedicated people for this, so I may have to ban anyone who I'm not confident will complete the swap. :(

Make sure you join the yahoogroup! If you are having problems, message me. If there is anyone signed up for the swap but not on the yahoogroup by the time the swap starts, they will have to be banned. :(