The Promise of Good Things To Come!

Hello friends!  We had a very enjoyable day Saturday with so many of you stopping in to shop, have a cupcake, and, of course, meet Diana as she gets ready to start her own new quilt shop, Affinity For Quilts.  So much promise of things to come! 

Now just 4 days remaining of the Bear Patch Quilting Co. that you have known for close to 22 years!  Yes, we do still have fabric, and we still have the good stuff, too!  The picture below was taken today, 1/27.  Good stuff!

During these last 4 days, we will take those prices down one more little notch to 60% off!
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 9-5:30, Thursday 9-5 and then done!
We have had so many fun interactions with you, our customers and friends.  It has been a period of adjustment, with time for me and my co-workers to embrace the concept of life without Bear Patch.  We have a great work crew, and we are already setting up plans for sewing days and retreats in the future.  A lot of you have asked, so we'll tell you a little about what the future holds for us:

Nancy T. - continues with her full time job at the League of MN Cities for now but still could work evenings and/or weekends for Diana
Diane H. - thought she was going to be a bank teller, but when she found out that they don't pay in fabric she lost interest quickly!  Diane and her husband have a little Skamp trailer, and they will be out camping whenever possible, especially up north.
Sharon L. - has agreed to stay on to share her hand embroidery expertise, and will take more trips to new destinations!
Kristina T. - might show up working for Diana, and otherwise she's knitting, dying yarn and cleaning her sewing room.  Good luck with that!
Pam H. - planning to travel, along with soon-retired husband, in our new Airstream trailer.  First we are going to Charlotte, NC, for a month with our grandsons.  A Singer Featherweight will be safely stowed for travel.  I'm getting back into knitting, and I might even use my longarm to quilt one of the many quilts of my own that have never been finished!
Carol F. - planning a 6 week road trip to AZ, FL & NC.  Is serving on the Senior Advisory Committee at the White Bear Lake Senior Center.  And always doing something good with the Lions Club.
Tammy B. - you might see Tammy back at the store with rotary cutter in hand.  And dirt under her fingernails once the ground thaws out!
Linda P. - simply looking forward to no schedule!
Debbie E. - would like to just Breathe!  And then she will organize her sewing room, knit, read, take classes, go on retreats, cook and become much more familiar with her grandkids!  Doesn't seem like there's much time left for to Breathe!
Linda E. - will continue with her full-time work for the DNR, involved with the state park campground department.  In the past, she has been a good resource for people looking for some help with making quilts or fixing problems.  If she decides to continue doing that, she will leave her contact info for Diana.
Marlene M. - already down in AZ, smart girl!
Sophie V. - plans to be using her new EMT status, so you might see her smiling face at your next emergency!  That would be very reassuring to me!
Sue S. - Will be camping and traveling. And quilting a lot. Possibly teaching classes for the new boss.
Laurel R. - is starting off her retirement with a trip to Belize with husband, George.  After that, she has "many, many, many quilting projects planned" and might work some teaching into her schedule.

Karen L. - will still be working fulltime as Business Office Manager at Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood and Lakeview Commons in Maplewood.

So, you can see that many good things await us!  I have always embraced the idea that change is good because the next new thing might be even better than the old.  And it keeps the old brain cells working!  I hope to see some of you on my shopping trips to Affinity For Quilts!    Pam

Way Back in 2018

On last November 18, we held a Retirement Dinner for both Laurel and Debbie.  The hard part was making sure that Debbie could maintain a "hands off" position and leave all the planning to someone else!  We held it at Tria Restaurant in North Oaks.  They specialize in banquets and events, it would be a beautiful place for a wedding reception.  We had a private dining room with beverages and a buffet dinner.  It was delicious!  We had a little entertainment in the form of many pictures of the past years at the store, thoughtful tributes from our group, and a special exclusive reading of an ode to Bear Patch written by our own Linda P.!

I sharing this today because I glanced through pictures and found these from the table decorations that Linda and Tammy designed.  What a great centerpiece, different for each table!  Each square glass vase was wrapped with colorful tape measures and a tape measure bow was added to the bouquets.  Tammy used some seasonal decorations of little pumpkins and gourds and seed pods to mix with the flowers.  The small quilts in the center were made by a couple people from a class in the past.  Little fairy lights and votives were added to complete the scene.  

A great idea for a way to incorporate quiltyness into your next gathering?

And now, it's 50%!

Yay Ayla!  You are dy-no-mite!  I bet it takes a lot of energy to keep up with this little ginger!  She makes a very good spokesperson for Bear Patch, unfortunately, she'll be out of a job soon! 
We are now going to require a minimum cut of 1 yard of fabric.  And we are no longer accepting any checks, all purchases must be cash or credit card only.  And, as always, all sales are final.  We will still honor old gift certificates if you have something left to spend.
We expect that our last day of business will be January 31.

Announcing New Ownership of Bear Patch!

It's great to be able to bring you some good news!  Pam here, reporting from the action spot in downtown White Bear Lake!  This has been a wild and crazy period in so many ways!  Deciding to close a business, and then going through everything involved with that, is not a job for the faint of heart!  We have listened to your many supportive comments and concerns and wishes for Bear Patch to continue.  It really means a lot to us, but didn't change the fact that some of us are just itching to move on to the rest of our personal stories after Bear Patch!  But we have been patient and diligent, and have been rewarded with the fact that we now know that there will be a quilt shop returning to 2199 4th St.!  

The new shop will be opened in 2019 by Dianna, who is very excited about the new possibilities!  There will be a pause in the business as things change hands, some physical changes are made, and then a new shop with a new name will proudly open its doors to quilters again!  I hope I can be a regular shopper!

I know a lot of you are curious about this new quilt shop owner.  We know that you will all give her the welcome and respect that she deserves, and that she will work hard to earn that.  But remember that this will be her place, her choices, and her dreams.  The address will remain the same, but expect everything else to be different.  We have a special opportunity for you to join us to meet and greet Dianna on Saturday, January 26, from 11 AM - 2 PM!  This date is National Local Quilt Shop Day.  Local Quilt Shop Day is a worldwide event designed to raise awareness of the importance of independent quilt shops to the local economy. It is a day for consumers and retailers to celebrate the creative pursuits of quilters, sewists, fabric enthusiasts, and crafters everywhere and to support the local quilt shops that make it all possible.  What better way for 
Dianna to take a leap into the quilt shop world!
Bear Patch will remain open for business through Thursday, January 31, at 5PM.  All of our merchandise continues to be reduced 40%!  We still have about 2500 bolts on the shelves, so there's something there for everyone!  There's a peak below of just a portion of our shelves and all those wonderful bolts!  We have had so many happy faces with heavy bags leaving the store!  There must be an wait list for professional quilters right now, because a lot of backing yardage has been sold!  So join us for some shopping and especially on the 26th!

Regular hours continue:  Mon-Tues-Wed 9-5:30   Thur-Fri-Sat 9-5  Sunday 12-4


 If you have any questions, please call (651-429-1039) or email (bearpqc@aol.com).  See you soon!