Have a Heart

Our silent auction is well underway  but we need your help!  We have many worthy items, all handcrafted and donated by our employees and supporters.  They are lovingly made and carefully displayed for your careful consideration.  Each is looking for a new home, just waiting to delight you or a loved one!  And they important part--this is a CHARITY AUCTION!  Every cent that is collected will be sent to the American Heart Association to help make a difference in the lifespan of yourself and everyone you know.  Christmas is coming, and rather than turn over your $$ to a giant corporation, just stop in and do your shopping from our auction items.  I know you have a heart, so saddle up and do your part!   Call (651-429-1039) or email (bearpqc@aol.com) to submit your bid right now!  More pictures to follow...

Pam (and her posse)

We have saved a spot for you!

This is just one example of many wonderful designs by Linda Hohag that can find a place in your project bag.  Linda's company, Brandywine Designs, publishes numerous patterns and books that can be chosen for this class, taught by the designer!  Her technique of starch application to prepare pieces makes them suitable for either machine or hand stitching, and she will cover both in class.  Linda has been featured in popular quilting magazines and her fabrics are exceptional.  We usually have to turn away students for this class, but right now you can call and reserve your place.  Class is Friday, October 24 from 10 AM - 2 PM.  Cost is $30.  Call 651-429-1039

Fun Times!

We have been hanging and moving and changing samples all over the store to get ready for all our new classes.  25+ new quilts and add to that all the smaller items:  jackets, tree skirts, table runners, bags, etc., etc.  Registration starts tomorrow morning bright and early!  It is always a fun day, quilters arriving early to reserve their spot in line before breakfast, lots of friends and conversation, goodies to help you keep your energy up, and the promise of many wonderful new quilting adventures!  Just look at these happy jacks!  Don't you need them at your house?

Or spark your wardrobe with a new jacket or bag!  The little crayon bag is a bag of creativity for any little person on your Christmas list.

And how about getting a start on a quilt that will undoubtably become a family heirloom?  We have just what you need!

See you tomorrow morning!  We have lots of eye candy (and that's not just Bob)!

Pam

Sew Red Tea and Designer Trunk Show

Have you signed up yet for the "Sew Red Tea" event? Designers Terry Atkinson and Linda Hohag will join us at a special tea and home tour on Saturday, September 27th. There are 2 seatings- 11 am and 2 pm. Your entire $25 ticket will go to the American Heart Association. Our Silent Auction will also begin on Saturday, September 27th and run thru October 25thth. Our employees are busy sewing special items for this auction. I am meeting with Marilee this evening to finalize the menu- I know it will be spectacular! Sign up soon as space is limited!

Baby Cooper

Oops! Here's his picture!

Debbie and new grandson- Cooper

My newest grandson was born while I was in Switzerland. I finally got to see him Friday evening. He's already 2 weeks old. We now have 3 grandsons and a grandaughter!

More Switzerland Pictures

Thought you might like to see some more pictures!

Debbie and Laurel's Trip to Switzerland

Laurel and I had the very unexpected pleasure of winning a trip to Switzerland to sew on the new Bernina 830. What an incredible time we had! We were at the factory for two days of sewing and touring. We got to see how everything is made- did you know that all Bernina feet are hand finished! We went to a chocolate factory, bought lots of Swiss made wool yarn and even had a great Cheese Fondue Dinner with fellow Bernina dealers. Flowers were everywhere you looked. We went to several towns- Bern, St. Gallens, Steckborn, Stein on Rhein and several others. Laurel was a very patient teacher as she tried to teach me how to knit socks- I am really good at scarves and want to branch out. I am ripping for the 10th time! Because we made the Swiss Trip we will be one of only 3 dealers in Minnesota to get the new 830 machine in September. You should stop in to see the life-size poster- the machine has a 12" sewing bed and a huge bobbin and no bobbin case! We even got to go to Mr. Ueltschi's home- his family has owned Bernina since it was created- for a visit. We were really tired when we got home. We had been up for 25 hours. What a trip!

Quilt MN 2008

Oh what fun!  The 2008 MN Statewide Shop Hop kicked off today with a bang!  We had so many fun and happy people pass through our doors, it was somewhat of a surprise to us because last year (the first year) it was not so well attended.  This is great!  The quilters are not going to go quietly into the sunset just because of a crappy economy!  NO!  This is a view of our featured quilt and other related items.  The quilt was designed by Terry Atkinson and since I was a participant in its construction, I can vouch for the fact that it is another great pattern from her.  We also have a beautiful quilt designed by Laurel, which I will present to you shortly.  And now a plug for myself!  I have designed and published 5 patterns for this occasion, using the featured MN fabric, and they had a successful debut today!  Available only at Bear Patch!  The tabletopper and tablerunner are at the front edge of the cabinet.  To the rear is Aisle Style, a shopping bag.  Barely visible on the left is Going Sewing, items for mobile sewing.  Just barely visible to the right is Night Delight, a set of customized linens, which has turned out to be the favorite for our shoppers today!  The fabric line by Moda is a big hit, it is flying off the shelves!  We learned last year that we totally underestimated the desirability of this collector fabric line, so Debbie quadrupled her order!  But it is going fast, so don't delay!  

Pam

You don't want to miss this!!

Debbie has been going wild with the red marker again, and that is good news for you!  Plenty of fabric, kits, patterns and books are wa-a-ay reduced, plus regular fabric is 30% off and in-stock books & patterns are 20% off.  Our sale hours start tomorrow:  Thursday 9-5, Friday 9-8, Saturday 9-5.  This sale is worth the tank of gas it takes to get here!  We do look forward to this all year because it is just so darn fun to see all the smiling faces on quilters clutching bargains!  Come on down!   

Pam

Don't you just love this cute little jumper?  It is Little Charmers pattern by Indygo Junction and uses those great 5" squares.  Also pictured here is the great big prize that will go to some lucky quilter participating in the 2008 MN Statewide Shop Hop starting August 1.  Not long from now!  Start making your plans--there are a couple spots left on the weekend tour buses but you will have to act now--call us at 651-429-1039.

Our storefront is looking grand these days, the bold red geraniums are loving the sunshine.  

They make a person feel good just for being there!  And inside the store, in our front window, you will feast your eyes on a bevy of bags!  We have assembled a diverse collection of bags, ranging from purses to totes to cell phone bags to laundry bags.  People are loving the great new styles and patterns.  They will be on display throughout this month, so don't miss it!   

Wonderful Wool!

Paulette of River Rock Wools arrived yesterday bearing baskets of her beautiful hand-dyed wool cuts, so we just had to share it with you!  Too bad we don't have a touchy feely feature to the Web, because that would make you sooo happy to lay your hands on this beautiful fabric.  I guess you will just have to buck up and fill that gas tank so you can pop into the shop in time to feel this goodness before it is gone!  Our wool cubbies are refreshed and ready for you! 

Helen Kelly Book Signing

Bear Patch is so excited to have Helen Kelly with us on Saturday, August 9 from 10 am - 1 pm. We invite you to come for this book signing of her new book- Loose Threads. If you have any of her previous books, you know what a delightful author she is. Don't miss this fun event!

Loose Threads

Have you missed us?  Need a little quilting boost?  Fridays are your perfect opportunity to join us for some fun--just look at these happy people and you will be here next week for sure!  Loose Threads is our open sew day--no fee, no reservation, no guarantee you will get anything done other than soak up the fiber goodness all around!  This lovely little group actually accomplished quite a lot--although you can see Emily's overflowing bag of doll quilts to be bound didn't quite hit bottom yet!  She patiently stitched the bindings while solving all the world's problems, and will be sending the 100+ quiltlets to a group that refurbishes dolls for needy children.  Much fun and laughter was had by all, and there is room for more.  So can we count on you next Friday?

Laundry bags, Girly-girl bags, and cosmetic bags!

I have had so much fun sewing up samples from Fig Tree's "Easiest Accessory Bags Ever"! All three are my favorite. I have a list of everyone I would like to make these for- from my mom and sister's to my niece Sarah for a Bridal Shower gift. They are so easy to sew- choose some fat quarters and yardage for lining and you are all set to sew! The bags are lined and have drawstring closures. Sew one up and you won't be able to stop!

Even more Market

A glimpse into some of the wonderful displays in the vendor booths at Quilt Market--Quilt Moment, Crow River Quilting, and Indygo Junction.  The artistic creativity of many of the designers extends to their ability to make awesome displays to exhibit their goods.  And they also have to be pretty resourceful to find ways to put together the props, etc., without shipping everything to the convention center from wherever they live.  One woman wanted to have a couple comfy chairs upholstered in her fabric to be used in her booth.  Instead of buying and transporting them, she used Craigslist to find someone in the Portland area who would loan her the chairs in exchange for receiving them back with a new look!  And it worked!  

more Market

A few pictures to give you a better idea of what goes on at Quilt Market.  First, a picture of Debbie with Linda Hohag in her booth for her company, Brandywine Designs.  Then observe the piles of fabric samples at the MODA table!  And finally, our shopping spot at the Westminster/Free Spirit booth.  We spend an hour or so looking at hundreds of choices at each major fabric vendor, trying to telepathically connect with you, our customer, to choose what you will be unable to resist when you walk into the store!  I know, it's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it!

It feels Like Christmas!

It feels just like Christmas at Bear Patch. I have spent hours marking in all our new books and patterns that travelled from International Quilt Market in Portland, Oregon via MH Designs vehicle to the store. I heard it was a fantastic trip! Each day, our "man in brown" brings us even more for your purchasing pleasure. Pam set up a rack in the front of the store with all our new "stuff" so it's not hard to see it all! Last night we had a Bear Patch Teacher's meeting- what fun going through everything to see what would make great classes for you. I was so impressed- there was no fighting over patterns and books! We just got in a new rack of King Tut quilting thread by Superior threads. Lots of great colors. The thread is varigated and changes every inch. Try it out! The new "Dish Towel of the Month" is up- it's really cute! I just got done with Valorie Wells Throw pattern. I made it up using the large florals from Westminster. You may wonder how to use these large florals and may even question if they "really" go together. I always say, "Once the seam is sewn, they go together". I had my quilter use a wool batt in it. I love how soft it is! If you are looking for a new machine, our Bernina Department has some great sale prices as well as extended financing. Come in for a demo and you might just win a $1500 shopping spree at the Sew Center. We still have openings in several classes- we can take registrations until the time of the class. So, if you find some time on your hands- come join us. Friday's have been a lot of fun with our open Sew time. Check out the available dates and join us! We also have an additional 20% on all Sale fabrics every Friday. Stop in for some great prices- these fabrics make great quilt backs and are also great for increasing stash and for making charitable quilts. Until next time- Debbie

What's New!

Despite some frustrations with getting the pictures on here that I wanted to show you, I have not forgotten about you! My great new little camera, my Mother's Day gift (thanks kids!), has a bunch of interesting photos from our trip to Quilt Market stuck inside! Not the camera's fault, but a missing file from my hard drive. So I guess there will be a Geek Squad intervention in the near future. But in the meantime, I have my backup camera to bring you these pictures today with tempting fabric photos! I spent time yesterday trying to make room for more new fabric, and it is becoming a big challenge! We need YOU! Your stash needs NEW LIFE! It's a win-win situation! I felt like I was in Moda Mecca, surrounded by bolt after bolt of luscious, soft, beautiful fabric in colors that just make you want to drop everything and grab that rotary cutter! And if that isn't enough to grab your attention, we have more new Kaffe! Yes, Amy and Cindy, just waiting for you! 20 bolts of brand new selections chosen at Quilt Market and rushed to Bear Patch just in time for a great summer quilt. We have seen many examples of large-scale prints like these used in both contemporary and traditional quilt designs. Some of us like what I call the "big-chunk blocks" and others like the pleasure of piecing smaller bits together. Either way, there are some dyn-o-mite quilts just waiting to happen! We would be happy to help you audition fabrics for whatever purpose you have in mind. We will soon have our new patterns from our Quilt Market excursion organized and available for you to choose from. We have some patterns from the names you know well, plus some totally new designers that we think you might like, as well. From quilts to bags to clothing to embroidery to wool to punchneedle, we have it all!

We have started a new idea for us (or changed up an old one!) and have set aside many Fridays this summer for you to use our store as your own studio. Bring your machine (or rent ours for $5 and save the back muscles) and a project or idea to work on. Use our worktables, electricity, irons and ironing boards, cutting mats and coffee pot! We will help with questions as much as we are able, plus sometimes all it takes to get past a roadblock is a little group support. There is no cost and no sign-up, just early bird gets the spot! From 9-5 on these days: May 30, June 6, 13, 20, 27, July 18, Aug 15, 22, 29. Hope to see you soon!

Day One

We are initiating our store blogsite today, with the hope that it will give us one more way to reach out to you, our customers and friends. We hope to post about events, activities, new arrivals, and probably even food! Stay tuned to more news as Debbie and Pam go to Quilt Market in Portland, OR, tomorrow.