Someone asked me to post this for her. It is something I feel definitely needs to be addressed. I have started marking "flakes" down, those are people that do not respond to me or their partner and those people will be dropped from the swap.
I am having a bit of an issue with participants in the Block Swap Adventure. I have been particpating in this group for over 2 years, and have met some wonderful people, and from almost every partner have received a block, which I absolutely love.
My issue however is with those partners who DON'T COMMUNICATE!!!
You don't have to send me an email every week letting me know what the status of my block is, but it would be nice if you acknowledged receipt of the information that Melissa takes the time to distribute, and maybe confirm exactly what you are looking for.
When I contact you I might be asking for clarification on colours for backgrounds, or if you like a particular type of fabric, like balis. I want to be able to send you the best block that I can, and without hearing back from you, I am only guessing.
I also like to hear from you when you receive the block that I sent. I always send you an email advising that it has been posted.
In the last 4 months, 3 of my partners were non-communicaters and so you got what you got, and I hope it was acceptable. This is supposed to be a fun group, but without answers to my questions, I stress that I might not be making a block that you will appreciate.
Anyway, that is my rant, so PLEASE COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR PARTNER!!!!
14 comments:
I'm not a member of this group, but I think you speak to a problem in general with people! Why is it that there is not a general courtesy given to people with their words. Words are so important for many reasons. One is to pass information, and another that is very important to me, is just to have a friendly connection so life is more enjoyable! I liked your ranting! ♥
The reason I quit this group was because I went 3 months straight sending my partner their block and did not receive a block in return. Yes, 3 months, in a row, I got the flakes.
I'd love to rejoin once you get them weeded out. I love making and sending and swapping but it was a waste of my time and fabric to make and not get anything back. I can see it happening once in a while and with a partner who tells me why then I can understand it. This isn't the only swap this has happened to me with either. I'd love to rejoin once it's fixed! :D
I agree with having communication with partner! I assumed that the blog was also to be used for the same purpose but am noticing that fewer people are posting peaks and other tidbits which i luv to read about! It is frustrating as I too sent a block and got a flake myself and no response to my emails!!
Aww poor thing. I always let my partner know what is going on. But I feel the frustration.
Thank you for your rant. So far all my partners have communicated quite well.....even the one that NEVER sent me my block..........after our previous moderator contacted her she apologized and said the block was done and promised to send it......I'm still waiting....
I so agree ;-) After being stung a few times, if I don't get any contact from my partner, I don't send a block :(
Thanks, Melissa, for posting this and for your help in weeding out the "flakes." Those of us who truly participate and enjoy the camaraderie appreciate your hard work. It's good to see the names/faces of some of the swappers who are truly committed to keeping this a fun adventure. With the exception of my January block (which I've still not received nor heard why), I've been blessed to have had no "no shows." Minimally, if a participant is unable to supply the block, a simple "sorry--can't do it" is not at all too much to ask.
Aww. Sorry to hear of the issues. I did not receive a block from my very first swap partner. But I did receive communication from her and she was going through a very difficult time. After that every block was received. I have usually had good communication as well. I'm not trying to brag. I just wanted to let you know that I have just been fortunate to have had GREAT partners. Thanks, Michelle, for dealing with the headaches in this matter.
I was a member of the group for two years, and I think I only missed receiving one block. Sadly, it was from a person who requested a very specific block that required the use of a ruler that I didn't have. I was very disappointed that she sent nothing to me, but for the most part I got AWESOME blocks, and i wish you all well. I dropped out this year to concentrate on some other projects, but I may be back in the future.
I left the group because of this too. I had a bunch of late posters which is not a problem if an email is sent letting you know. I too would like to rejoin the group but have no intention of wasting time and fabric on flakes which I had a few of.
I have to agree with everything that's been said here. I e-mail my partner as soon as possible and have always gotten a response even if I didn't get a block. Which so far has happened only once in the year I've been a member. I would also like to see my peek posting. I think in the yr I've been a member I've only had 2 of my partners post peeks. I feel kinda left out. I really enjoy this swap so let's not ruin it!
I think I'll be a little voice of dissension here. When I receive the swap information from Melissa, I trust that the information given to her is up to date. I make the block and send it. If I get an email from my partner, I always respond, but I don't believe I should be required to initiate an email exchange. This is a block exchange. Yes, there can be some great friendships started here, but they should be voluntary. As for sneak peeks, there have been numerous times I forgot to take a sneak peek photo, but it was never intended as a slight to anyone. I've never seen a sneak peek of any block made for me, but I've been the recipient of some lovely blocks, nevertheless.
While we're on the topic of concerns about the swaps, I have a question. Is it now acceptable to use muslin for white backgrounds instead of quilting cotton? I'm in several different swap groups, and I've received three different blocks lately using muslin. Is it a way to save $ since muslin is cheaper than quilting cotton? The blocks are still pretty,, but I'm just wondering if it's now the norm.
I only swapped for a few months and loved all the blocks I received. I think communication is very important because you can at least know if someone is still interested in swapping. No communication to me would mean that person is no longer around. I dropped out because I felt that some of the blocks were too difficult for my skill level and I didn't want to disappoint. I would be interested in a swap where everyone is swapping the same block pattern, and then at the end, we can see how different everyone's quilt turns out using the same block with different fabrics. Anyway, hats off to Melissa for organizing this swap....she can't control the honesty and integrity of the swappers! :))
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