NF 31 Journey into the Light

About this Swap

After a 15-year hiatus, I am excited to host another Nifty Fifty Quilt Block Swap once again. I thought long and hard about a theme for this swap. Over the past 15 years, my life has been a journey through grief, sadness, trauma, and loss with moments of success and being ecstatically happy for a brief time only to be crushed down into the grips of dark abuse. Because of this journey, the theme for this Nifty Fifty Swap will be: “Journey into the Light” The quilt blocks will represent the light, healing and hope that can come after any major hardship in life whether it be the loss of a loved one/friend, a divorce/broken relationship, loss of a job/house, or losing yourself in an abusive situation. Block Inspiration Quilters are encouraged to choose or design blocks that reflect: • Peace • Tranquility • Hope • Healing • Empowerment Designs should soothe the soul. Examples include: • Bodies of water (oceans, lakes, rivers, waterfalls) • Hearts and symbols of love • Doves or birds of peace • Nature scenes (mountains, sunsets, sunrises) Block Requirements • One 6½-inch quilt block • One 6½-inch muslin signature block including: o Your name o Your state o A positive note, affirmation, or quote to inspire others on their journey towards the light Color Palette Please use a combination any of the following color themes and include one batik fabric in your block: • Blues / Turquoise / Teals → Peace & tranquility • Pinks / Fuchsia / Lavender / Purple with touches of red, yellow, or orange → Strength, hope, sunsets/sunrises, love • White / White-on-white → Healing & renewal How to Join I am currently accepting names for the waiting list. If you are interested in joining the Nifty Fifty Swap 31: Journey into the Light, please apply to join the Nifty Fifty Quilting Website and following instructions to join our swap. You do not need to live in the state you represent, but you should have a meaningful connection to it (born there, lived there, or a special place you’ve visited). Deadline Dates: They will be set when we our swap is full. First deadline date will be for the red, white and blue sample block for the Breast Cancer Charity Second deadline date will be for the first half of the blocks Third deadline date will be for the final set of blocks Tentative Quilting weekend in Virginia to sort the 2,500 quilt blocks and to sew the Breast Cancer Charity quilt together as our original Nifty Fifty 1 swap group did after our swap was completed. Nifty Fifty 31 Swap--The Heart of the Journey This swap is more than the swapping of quilt blocks. This swap is built on friendship, compassion, and support. It is about lifting one another up with our stories of healing and finding the light. The sharing of our stories behind each of our quilt blocks will benefit others in finding the hope and light. It is about creating friendships and support through our discussion board during the journey of our swap. So please be active on our discussion board so we can get to know and encourage each other. I have chosen the heart to represent my journey into the light. Quilters are some of the most creative people I have ever met, as shown through the many beautiful and unique quilt blocks, we have shared over the years in our swaps. Each block reflects not just skill, but individuality, imagination, and personal expression. While I have chosen a heart to tell my story, please feel free to use a heart design for your own journey—or create something entirely your own. That is what makes our Nifty Fifty swaps so special: the incredible creativity and uniqueness of each quilter. My story behind my heart quilt block will be shared in the description alongside the photo of my block. If you feel comfortable, please share the story behind your quilt block when you submit your sample to me. With your permission, I will include your story in the description along with the photo of your block when I upload it to our page. Together, we are not just creating quilt blocks—we are creating connection, understanding, and hope through the stories we share. My hope is to recreate the magic of our very first NF1 gathering—coming together as quilters from across the country to once again share in the joy of connection, creativity, and community. Together, we will swap out our 2,500 quilt blocks and sew our Nifty Fifty 31 Breast Cancer Charity quilt together. More details will be shared as we get closer to completing our swap. I am excited to eventually see the unique quilt blocks our quilters will be creating along with their stories for this journey. 💛   Hugs, Teresa We have another quilters signed up for our swap. Welcome Kathy!! Kathy is now signed up for the state of Alabama.