It's a Big Project!

It's the season of DIY in so many ways!  Whether at home, in the garden, or at your local quilt shop!  It's just as important to refresh, renew and rejuvenate for the store as well as at home.  I know how great it feels when we get to re-arrange and redecorate at home, even if it's not major.  So we are in the process of some of those changes around here, too!  Some of these are way behind the scenes, some of them are out in the open.  Here's some highlights (or lowlights, depending on the stage of the project!).

Sort of "before", this used to be the "tech room".
There were 3 workbenches for the Bernina repair department,
 along with all of the necessary tools and equipment and parts.

And this is "after" partway done.  That cabinet on the wall is actually a radiator cover,
 so it's kinda cozy to snuggle up to that in the winter!
This will become part storeroom, mailroom, office,
copy room and staff room.  All fit in like pieces of a quilt.

And this is where the repair/tech room has moved to.
It's shared with desk and file space for bookkeeping and
Bernina storage.  And a lot of this moving around was done while
 Beth (our own very special Bernina whisperer!) was away
for part of the winter, and luckily, she likes it!

A prime example of how it gets worse before it's better!
This used to be an office area, and it is going to become
part of the sales floor soon.  But right now, it's a major mess!

And Bob in action!  After he wraps up his real job during the day, he comes to
Bear Patch and toils away on all of these changes.
He is the King of Almost Everything when it comes to tearing down and fixing up.
If you haven't been here to meet Bob, he is Debbie's husband,
 and the go-to guy for sooo much for us!  

Debbie is our paint color picker outer, and she has really been
challenged with the situation on these walls.  
A lot of this was real rough unpainted bare wood, 
and the colors on the paint chip are nowhere near how it turned out on the wall. 
 So there has been much debate and sampling and additional coats 
applied to be deemed acceptable.  You know how we quilters get about color!

Another one of Bob's recent projects is a huge help with our quilts on display.
It is hard to find good ways to mount quilts on the wall.
Some of them can be heavy and bulky.  We've had various hanging systems in use,
but Bob has started mounting a new wooden hanger that he has devised
 and it is great!  There's a lip on the top of the board so we can clothespin
or use binder clips to get those quilts up there.
So much easier and better for the quilts, too.  Thanks, Bob!

That covers some of what's happening at Bear Patch, we are constantly evolving to make your experience better all the time.  I'll include some more pictures as things progress, but I just wanted to share this with you so you understand why some things are moved and shifted around and sometimes even hard for us to track down.  We appreciate your patience!