Five & Dime is our $5 Block Program. We began the program in 2011 and ran it for only 9 months. As the years went by, people wanted more blocks, so we expanded it to 12 months, began to make samples and write patterns and involve more and more people. For the 2023/2024 program, we hit a high level of participation, cutting 371 kits for 250 people each month. The fabric selections change each year. The selections for the 2024/2025 year are pictured above. These fabrics are only representations of the many fabrics we will use this year. We are over half way through this year's program, but we are already taking names for the program which will begin in August, 2025. Call us now to express your interest. Then we'll let you know as the next program registration begins. 512-312-2299.
The basic premise of the program is as follows:
Details
The basic premise of the program is as follows:
- Buy a kit (or kits) for $5 each.
- Take the kit home and make the block.
- Personally bring back the finished block to show us, on specific dates, and pick up your next block kit free.
Details
- The program runs from August of one year through July of the next.
- The first date to pick up blocks for the 2024/2025 program year is August 16th.
- The pickup dates are always the weekend which contains the 3rd Saturday of the month. We recommend that you set up a calendar reminder for the 3rd Saturday of each month. The pick up days are Friday and Saturday, but there are times when the 2nd Friday is the day before the 3rd Saturday, which is why we say that the dates are based on the 3rd Saturday of the month.
- Each month you must bring back your completed block in order to get your next block free.
- In summary, you must personally come in, with a completed block from the previous month, on the specified pickup dates to get your next blocks free.
- If you come on dates other than the specified pickup dates (printed on each pattern), you must pay for the next block.
- If you send someone else (spouse, child, parent, friend, etc.) to pick up your block, you must pay for the next block.
- If you don't have a finished block from the previous month, you must pay for the next block.
- Each year the program starts with the Month 1 kit which includes a pattern, fabric to make your block, a written page of the program guidelines in detail and one token/coupon for one free pass valued at $5. Each person pays $5 to pick up the Month 1 kits.
- If you wish to get more than one block, you may do so, but then must bring back multiple completed blocks each month. For example, if you choose to do 2 blocks, you must bring in 2 finished blocks each month. You will then get 2 new kits for the next month.
- When we use a fabric in a Five & Dime kit, we take it off of the display floor and hold it back for participants of the program in the event that someone makes a mistake and needs a replacement fabric. Replacement fabrics cost $1 each. You are not required to buy a replacement fabric. If you need to substitute a fabric, you may do so as long as we can still recognize the block. We offer this option because we have people who live in other cities which prevents them from easily being able to come in for a small piece of fabric. To be fair, however, we then offer the same option for anyone. So you may substitute a fabric for any reason. We just need to be able to recognize most of the fabrics in the block.
- The "dime" part of our program is that each time someone picks up blocks, they put a dime into a vintage piggy bank that we have. At the end of the program, anyone finishing a quilt top with their blocks is entered for a random drawing for the dimes. You have two months to finish a quilt top to be entered for the drawing.