serin10 wrote: Not on my sign up list. There is also none in Hawaii. We do have several in California. By the way those of you in California. Be safe and get out of the way of these waves please. I would appreciate any prayers for my nephew, who is stationed in Hawaii. Clara

Do we have any members from Japan?

sewdowntown wrote:
Sent personal reply.

Is it too late to join in on the fun?
Shelly

HERE'S A HELPFUL CHECKLIST TO USE BEFORE PACKAGING AND MAILING YOUR HSTs (which DO need to be received by FRIDAY, APRIL 1st , so hopefully EVERYONE, especially members from outside the U.S. are mailing their packages 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!

Thanks Alex for participating! It just makes the future arrival of our return HST's that much more exciting! It is like expecting that first baby, well maybe not exactly since the delivery pains belong to Debbie, Clara, Margo and a few others. Thanks to all of you! Maryjo

I was 50 something short because I thought the total number included the batik exchange...and it didn't - so Missing in Action was the correct code!

Crocus, I'm pretty sure Alex's MIAs were "missing in action".....although they really aren't, because she's a couple weeks ahead of the deadline and her pkg just has to travel from CA to TX...Nancy

I was fortunate enought to get out of the office today and mailed my HSTs. I sent them Priority Mail with a taped edge to be sure all good. Return postage is on the package. I like my postman. He is considerate when I bring in these quilting items to be mailed. He takes the extra time to get them done nicely for me. Will be sad when he retires. I sent the email as instructed and did the confirmation as well to track just in case the package as some difficult travels has the other story told. I keep seeing patterns that have all these HST to use in them. I need to stay focused and get two quilts that are almost done completed before dreaming of the next one. Goal this year is to finish five projects that I started and I still have three to go. Knuckle down and get r done. I just have to quilt starting new ones and finishing those before the old ones get done. I just love to cut fabric too much.

Also, I was able to get tickets to see Ricky Tims perform in Puyallup, WA. this past weekend. It was wonderful. He does a great carp impression let me tell ya. My daughter, who is 20, was entertained as well. If you get a chance, you need to go to his performance. Justin was there as well and he is so sweet. Yep, got my picture with both of them.

I have mailed my HSTs, and I read that lots and lots of people are sending or have sent their HSTs, but Alex sent MIAs. Just so I don't have to be ignorant anymore - what's an MIA?
"Many Initialed "Alex"?? Mighty Interesting Arrangements? My Incredible Artwork? Can some one clue me in?

Uh oh. I better get on the stick. Been busy sewing a class sample.

Helen in Kansas

AlexAnderson wrote:

You are terrific, Alex...thank you so much !

AlexAnderson wrote:
THANKS ALEX!! YOU ROCK!!

HERE'S A SoTTTs JOURNEY TO SHARE WITH A HAPPY ENDING !

In early February, Anke from The Netherlands, sent me an email saying she had mailed her package of 700 HST. Knowing that it would probably take a few weeks to arrive, I didn't get concerned until last week when it had almost been a month and no package. Anke had a confirmation number, so she checked on line and only found that 'Origin Post is Preparing Shipment'. She sent me the confirmation number so I could check the USPS site and it showed exactly the same thing.

I found an 800 number to call the USPS for help in tracking packages. The lady said that when a package is received Stateside, it is scanned and the tracking information is then updated. That lead us all to believe that the package was 'lost' somewhere between The Netherlands and the U.S. I checked everyday for a few days and still no updated information. Anke and I were both afraid that we'd never see the package.

This afternoon when I picked up a WHOLE LOT of packages at the P.O. box, there was Anke's sitting on the very top of the pile...just like it was saying 'HERE I AM'. The envelope was a little tattered & torn and very dirty, but since she had packed it in an envelope with a bubble wrap lining and the 700 little darlings were again packed carefully in a Ziplock bag, they were none the worse for wear. It the package could talk, I sure would like to hear about it's travels.

I was definitely doing a 'happy dance' when I was able to let Anke know it had finally arrived in TEXAS!

Interestingly enough, I looked at the tracking information on-line when I got home, and absolutely NOTHING had changed since the original 'Origin Post is Preparing Shipment'.

Amazingly and fortunately it made it, but I sure hope the package going back to Anke doesn't have to go on the same extended journey.

Talk about the 'Traveling Triangles'...this is the ultimate!