Debbie, I'm in complete agreement with Barbara's comment - return them. You have done so much work in getting everything organized that you should not have to be washing, airing out and ironing anyone's HST's. As a person with asthma, I'm very sensitive to smoke and I don't think smokers realize how that smell permeates fabric.

Debbie.... No you don't have to clean smoke filled triangles, return them!

Barbara

sewmarti wrote: Sorting Queen here. I'm enjoying my self-appointed title. We have maybe 20 interested, but won't know until the day actually happens. This type of operation will always accept any help that comes our way. If you are interested. Let me know and I will get back to you with details of the big day. Clara

sewmarti wrote:

As it stands now, we have about twenty local SoTTT's members, including Clara, her Mom and me, who have offered help along with about 10-12 members of my quilt Bee, who are not SoTTTs members. It will be an interesting day and I have a feeling Clara's going to be cracking the whip to get 'er done!

Debbie - how many people will be helping you sort?

Dear, dear SoTTTs Members,

Except for receiving Rosemary's incredible gift package yesterday, it was definitely not a good day for receiving HST packages and I'd like to bring a few items to your attention before you mail you package. I received 29 packages today and it has taken me well over five hours to go through them all because I had so many problems to resolve and figure out. This is actually the first time I've encountered so many issues which is something to be said since I've now received 423 packages.

1) Please read and follow the Checklist posted directly before this post...if you do, that should resolve most issues. I've been reposting the checklist every couple of days and will continue to do so until a couple of days before the deadline when they should have all been mailed.

2) Please do not send more than 700 HSTs...the probability is extremely high that you will receive many of your own back. We do not have that many members even sending in 700, and definitely only a few who have sent more than that.

3) Please provide a TOTAL count of your HTS's (it doesn't count if you told me in your notification email because I'm not referring to that when I open your package!) Today I received several packages that did not provide a total count and one was a package of 700 HSTs. The HSTs had been put into individual baggies ranging from 14 to 56 in each bag, but nowhere on the envelope or in the package was the total count provided. At least the individual baggies had numbers on them. I had to start adding up all the various baggies to figure out how many had been sent.

4) Please do not put your HSTs in individual baggies. Those HSTs have to be removed from the individual baggies and incorporated into one large bag as soon as I receive them and before the sorting process.

5) Please do not press open your HST's...in the last week, I received four packages with them all pressed open.

6) Please cut your HST's apart. In one package today, they have not been cut.

7) If you are International, please include a copy of your PayPal receipt and make sure that you have charged a sufficient amount of postage for your return package. Include your mailing label too...and no return envelope.

If you want to know when your package arrives, be sure to send me an email through My Profile page and not as a Private Message.

9) Now for the topper...this is a very sensitive area to discuss and I don't feel comfortable bringing it up at all, but I do feel that it now needs to be addressed because it happened with two packages today and one other several weeks ago:

If you are a smoker or someone in your home is a smoker, please do something to air our your HSTs thoroughly before they are mailed. I cannot in good conscience insert these smoke-filled HSTs into everyone else's return packages since it could permeate all the other HSTs and it could cause problems for people who may be allergic or have breathing problems. The first package I received a few weeks ago contained 700 very strong smoke-filled HTS. I put them in a couple of lingerie bags and let them air outside for a couple of days. When that wasn't successful enough, I then sprayed them with Febreeze and let them continue to air outside. That helped a little, but I still had to put them in my clothes dryer with fabric sheets to try to help more. The Febreeze and dryer caused the HST paper to roll, which mean I had to then start pressing someone else's 700 HSTs. And today, I have to go through the entire process all over again.

LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LEFT UNTIL THE APRIL 1 DEADLINE!!!!

THIS BEARS REPEATING AGAIN AND AGAIN EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T MAILED YOUR PACKAGES YET PLEASE USE THIS CHECKLIST AND IT WILL MAKE RECEIVING AND SORTING THE HST's SO MUCH EASIER ON EVERYONE INVOLVED!!!

ON TUESDAY, MARCH 22, I HAVE RECEIVED 427 PACKAGES CONTAINING 169,882 HSTs AND 43 OF THOSE ARE INTERNATIONAL...THAT MEANS THERE ARE STILL ABOUT 188 PACKAGES OUTSTANDING.

HERE'S A HELPFUL CHECKLIST TO USE BEFORE PACKAGING AND MAILING YOUR HSTs (which DO need to be received by FRIDAY, APRIL 1st (LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY , so hopefully EVERYONE, especially members from outside the U.S. have mailed their packages or will air mail (International) them THIS WEEK!)

____ HST's folded & NOT pressed open and paper has NOT been removed.

____ HST's have NOT been put into individual baggies, but have been neatly stacked & placed in a larger Ziplock bag (or smaller if
not sending that many)...see photo below. Remember we have to remove HSTs from smaller bags before sort day, so you
do not need to separate them into colors or counts. Only the TOTAL count is what matters!

_____ If including HSTs for Queensland, Hanne or Christchurch, those have been put into individual bags & marked appropriately.

____ Screen Name, Real Name and HST count has been clearly marked on the Ziplock bag.

____ If International, contact Clara Lawrence (SN: ClaraLawrence) to get information on how to charge your return postage on PayPal.
Review the 2nd Post on the 1st Page of this Forum to determine how many & what size boxes are required depending on
how many HST's you will be having returned to you.

____ If International, include your address label or labels, depending on how many return boxes you paid for, along with
a copy of your PayPal receipt. Review the 2nd Post on the 1st Page of this Forum to determine how
many boxes are required depending on how many HST's you will be having returned to you. Do NOT include a
return envelope because it CANNOT be used. We aleady have all the International Flat Rate Boxes required to return them.

____ For Domestic packages: Return envelope has stamps, your OWN address as both 'sender' and 'recipient'. Remember not to use
P.O. Box addess as 'sender' since it will be closed after the Exchange. If your package is returned there for insufficient postage, it
may wind up in an unknown :shock: , unhappy home forever. Also, if you are the 'sender', then it will get returned to YOU for
additional postage.

____ Mailing envelope is sturdy and is clearly marked with your ScreenName & HST count and it has been taped, taped & triple
taped to make sure it won't open on it's way to Katy.

____ Once package is mailed, send Debbie (SN: NaneeWolf) an email to her PROFILE PAGE (not as a PRIVATE MESSAGE
or Forum post) to let her know package is on the way. That way she can let you know by return email when your package arrives.

HURRY, HURRY, HURRY TO GET YOUR PACKAGES IN THE MAIL, ESPECIALLY INTERNATIONAL...APRIL 1ST DEADLINE IS FAST APPROACHING!

connieo wrote: Thanks that helps for more than one reason. I have a nephew that is about to go over to Afghanistan with the Army and I want to keep in touch. Clara

ClaraLawrence wrote:
Clara,
My kids travel the globe. I keep World Clock on my desktop.
Here is the link, in case you are curious about some our international sisters/brothers time zone.

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/full.html

Connie

Aren't you sweet to Air out the HSTs for us Debbie. You truly go above and beyond. I will certainly appreciate it.
Hang in there, just a little while to go. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

triangles have just been sent and they are airmail

As I say good night, you say good afternoon. Thanks. Clara

clara its 1.07pm tuesday

SuperJudy wrote: Total number of triangles for the exchange only. Norway, New Zealand and Australia are separate and aren't in the count. We just add them to the collection. Clara