Teal Mini Swap 2015 - Here's the Deal!

It's almost here...Teal Mini Swap 2015!

It's a new year, a new sponsor, and a bit of a new format - therefore, as you may have noticed, it's got a new name. It's also time to answer, in frequently asked questions format, some of the burning questions you may have regarding this year's "kick ovarian cancer to the curb and run it over with the car" swap and fundraiser, perfect for sewists everywhere.

 What is the Teal Mini Swap?

Teal Mini Swap, formerly known as Two for Teal Mug Rug Swap and OCRF fundraiser, is a way for EvaPaige Quilt Designs to help raise awareness of this ridiculous disease during the months of August and September, which is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. The basic premise is formulated around the What We Know of All Quilters and Sewists Trifecta:

• They love to sew
• They like fun gifts in the mail
• They are mostly women and/or have women in their lives and would like to prevent women from dying from ovarian cancer if at all possible.

Participants are asked to pay a nominal fee when registering. They are then sent the name of their swap partner along with a small piece of the focus fabric, to be used somewhere in the mini quilt they are to make for their partner, which they are responsible for making and sending by 9/30/15.


This year participants can choose to make either a mug rug (up to 10" square) or a mini quilt (up to 18" square). Partners will be matched according to their preference, ie, if you request a mug rug, you'll be matched with someone who also is requesting a mug rug. Same for minis. Just be sure to check the appropriate box on the registration!

What is the focus fabric? What if I hate the focus fabric?
This year's focus fabric, a piece of which will be sent to each participant, will be a lovely tone on tone teal from our sponsor, Blank Fabrics. The exact size of the piece will be determined by the number of participants, but it will be enough to put somewhere in the project. I'm sure you will love it. However, if you do hate it, you can always use it on the back. That is totally legal.


I'm thrilled to have Blank as a sponsor this year - they have been a voice from our industry for ovarian cancer awareness for some time now, and I think it is a great partnership!

I'm sure we will all be way inspired!

Why OCRF?
Ovarian Cancer Research Fund is amazing. They've funded over 200 new clinical research grants since 1998. Directly from their website, OCRF researchers are conducting all types of research, including:

• Developing innovative strategies for early detection
• Discovering genetic polymorphisms that increase risk for ovarian cancer
• Understanding the underlying genetics and molecular biology of ovarian cancer
• Identifying new, better targets for treatment
• Determining how to super-charge a woman’s immune response to better fight ovarian cancer
• Deciphering how and why ovarian cancer spreads, and how to stop it

If you've dealt in any way in your life with OC, you know all of these areas are incredibly important in finding ways to kill this thing dead. I receive and read their quarterly newsletters and I am inspired by the accomplishments they are helping to create in this fight. That is why I choose to make them the recipients of the fundraiser.

Why not wait til October and pink it up?
Breast cancer sucks. I hate it as much as anyone else does, and even more than I ever did at this point as each year I seem to know more people my own age fighting the bastard. However, teal is important to me as my mother died of a rogue and awful form of ovarian cancer (as if there could ever be a good and sweet form) in August of 2002, so I've chosen to raise awareness and funds for this cause instead of jumping in the pink piles of fabric in October. I know many other designers and fabric companies will have ample opportunities for us then. This is my contribution to the health of quilters, I'll let them have theirs.

How much will the fundraiser cost me?
The cost for US residents will be the same as last year, $15 per participant. This year I am also opening the fundraiser and swap to Canadian residents, who unfortunately due to higher postage costs will need to pay $18. I will attempt to match Canadians with Canadians and US with US so as to keep postage costs for mailing of your projects fairly even,

How much do you plan to profit from this?
Nothing. Here's the breakdown:

• $10 from every participant will go directly to OCRF
• Approximately $3 per participant will go toward postage (higher for Canada)
• Approximately $2 per participant will cover miscellaneous expenses such as envelopes, extra fabric, and paypal fees

As much as I wish I could absorb all of those extra costs, EPQD is not rich. At. All. I've learned the hard way that I can't give stuff away or expect to work at a loss most of the time with my events. So I have no choice but to pass those costs on and hope you all understand.

Okay. I'm convinced you aren't trying to get rich off a cause. When can I sign up?
Sign ups will be open via a PayPal link, available on the sidebar of this blog, starting August 10 and will stay open until August 29.

Great. Then what?
The timeline will be as follows:
August 10-29, signups
August 30-31, I prep the packets for mailing on September 2
September 2, I mail packets and make donation to OCRF
September 3 - 5, race to your mailbox to get your packets
September 5- 30, create your mug rug for your partner and mail it off
September 5-30, watch your own mail for your own mug rug!
Whenever you receive your mug rug, post a photo of it to the Facebook Open Group. 
That way we can all admire it!

This all sounds fantastic. But how am I supposed to remember to sign up?
 Put an alert on your phone. Or you could go all old school and write it on your calendar, your hand, or put a note on the fridge. Better yet, check out the Facebook Open Group now as all the details and announcements will be available there the second I think of them.

If you see this image, you landed in the right place.

I hope that answers most of the questions. Any more can be directed to me at evapaigequilts@charter.net. Let's turn our studios teal in September!