Traveling Stash box arrived!

I've won a "traveling stash" box!  I was so excited about this since the TS that I got several years ago had been crammed full of delicious quilting yummies.  This is what I found in the TS when I opened it today:

There was a new magazine and a Debbie Mum book in there along with many, many fat quarters.  There were a couple of packages of seam binding and appliques.  However, one of the packages of binding was a little on the elderly side.  Can you read the date on the package?  It says 1969!  Folks, that's nearly 45 years old, for crying out loud!  I don't care if it IS made of rayon, it went into the trash!

I also threw this mess in the trash as well.  Scraps, bits and pieces, even a piece so stretchy it could have been used as elastic!  (There was a piece of flannel in there about 10" square that I considered keeping as a dusting rag. Except I hate dusting!)  Obviously these were NOT "quilt-shop-quality" fabrics! I found a piece of upholstery fabric in there as well!  Come on, quilters!  There is a list of the rules included in the box and they clearly state the fabric should be new and quilt shop quality, and nothing less than  a fat quarter unless it's been cut to be part of a collection ( postage stamp squares, charm squares , etc).  The rules also state "This is NOT a dumping place for all your outdated unwanted items."  

This is what I plan on adding to the box despite the fact that I'm not taking anything out of it for myself.  The pieces I left in are nice but not my color or design choices. The piece in the back--blue and gold cats--is 3 yards, and the under-the-sea piece is a yard as is the piece with the buildings on it. The rest are fat quarters, all purchased in my favorite quilt shops.  I may find a pattern or two and maybe some notions or other trinkets, but I promise that everything I put in the box will be of great quality!  I also will go to the PO tomorrow and get a LARGE box to fill up instead of the medium one that I got.

In case you're not familiar with the traveling stash, it's (supposed to be) a box crammed full of quilting goodies.  If you're chosen to get one of these boxes ( I think there are four or more boxes traveling around the US at this time), you get to take anything you want from the box and you have to replenish with things of equal value.  

Now for the rules--because we have to make sure everyone plays nice and that the box gets passed around as much as possible.

RULES:

1.  Be an active blogger. Post about receiving the stash and about the giveaway on your blog in a "timely" manner.(This means "ASAP since the next person is eager to get her hands on this treasure trove!)
2.  There is a note in the box that logs where the box has been. Please add your info and place the note back in the box.
3.  There is a list of Rules and Guidelines in the box. Please read and follow these and return the list to the box.
4.  You may take anything you like from the box.  Just replace every item with comparable quilt shop quality items equal to the amount taken. There are guidelines about this which I will post to the person who gets the box from me.
5.  Ship the box to the next person in a "reasonable" amount of time. (This also means ASAP! See #1 above)
6.  Due to the amount of postage, shipping is only within the USA.

Okay. That's the low down on the traveling stash. Sorry if I sound like a witch about this but to be honest, I'm quite disappointed, both that there was such crappy stuff in there as well as disappointed in my fellow quilters for putting that stuff in   I thought we were better than that.  I'll do my best to make sure you're not disappointed if you win this box sent from me and I hope the next person to get the box does the same.  

If you want to be the next one to get a box of quilting goodies, leave a comment on my blog. I'll be drawing the winner at noon on Saturday, March 9, 2013.  If you want to share this opportunity to those who follow your blog, please do so. The more the merrier, right!