2 of our Favorite Things

It's time for another anniversary moment, and it's a two-fer!

It's not too hard to guess what I'm talking about when you see this picture! 

Honestly, I'm pretty sure that if Bear Patch had lived in a previous life, it would have been a ribbon store.  That's the kind of prettiness that is just under the surface when Debbie is choosing goods for the store!  She could easily slip over the edge and buy racks and racks of ribbons and trims!  I've been there.  I've seen the lust in her eyes when she is surrounded by beautiful ribbons, and I've had to pull her back to reality!  It's a tough job, but someone has to do it!

And what about those rainbows of zippers!?  We love our 14" zippers from Atkinson Designs!  We use them in so many ways, it's hard to imagine what life was like before our rack of zippers moved into Bear Patch!  These are the best zippers for many of our bag patterns because they can be easily sized down for any length 14" or less.  There's no fear of zippers around here, and we'll help you master any zipper anxiety you might have!

So, it's December 20th just around the corner.  Our final chance to pass out a little present to celebrate our 20 years of doing business right here on the corner of 4th and Banning!  

It will be a zipper and ribbon combo, because we want to share 

2 of our favorite things with you!

Come to the store from 9AM to 9PM to receive your little present! 

 No purchase necessary, one per customer, please.  

We would love to see many happy faces on Wednesday!

Our 11th Celebration of our 20th Anniversary!

We just love to celebrate!  We find many occasions to celebrate our customers, our store, our employees, the fact that the sun was shining all day yesterday, etc.!
You know we have been celebrating our anniversary all year long, right?  So, November 20 is upon us!  And what better thing to share with you than one of our favorite pattern designers!  

Pat, of Villa Rosa Designs, is always producing plenty of inspiration!  I can't even tell you how many times we have used her patterns, sometimes repeatedly!  Her patterns are printed on heavy cardstock in glossy color.  One side of the card is a full picture of the quilt, with the very succinct directions on the reverse side.  This is the "no-frills" set of directions, very easy to understand.  Many of these patterns are good for a favorite print or panel that you don't want to cut up into little bits.  Others are just right for a pack of 5" charm squares or a 2 1/2" roll.  There's great diversity!  

Maybe a Prince tribute??

We call them Rosecards, from Villa Rosa.  The price ($2.25) makes them perfect to collect for yourself or a friend. 

And notice that one on top of the stack?  It was custom printed for Bear Patch and features the Quilt MN fabric from a couple years back.  It was used as an incentive prize for shop hoppers!

A few years ago, Pat visited Bear Patch and did a "bed turning" show of some of her quilts.  We really need to have her back!  Comparing the picture on the card to a sample made of different fabrics and colors can really bring on that "aha" moment.  We are displaying 2 or 3 hot-off-the-sewing-machine samples right now for our Christmas display, and that's a perfect example of how different the resulting quilt can appear from the picture.

So, Monday, November 20, from 9am-9pm, we will be handing out 1 Rosecard per customer!  No purchase required.  Just pick a card and get happy!  We have a lot of the newest designs to share, carried home from Quilt Market just for you.  And, of course, we have many on hand for purchase, if you want to expand your collection.

More Goodies For Our Anniversary Celebration!

 We are happy to have you back again for one more reason to celebrate Bear Patch's 20 years of fabric fun!

Come to the store on Friday, October 20, from 9am - 5pm.

You will be rewarded with one of these mighty fine glass nail files!

This type of file is so nice to use, it doesn't bend or peel apart, and lasts a very long time.

According to a Sally Hansen nail ambassador (I didn't know that was a real thing!), these glass files are better for your nails.  "Glass files, also known as crystal files, regardless of how they are used, seal the keratin layers together at the edge of the nail, preventing peeling and chipping."

Yes, we are always looking out for you, right down to the best personal care possible!  Because, those snaggly nails can be rough on our precious fabric, right?! 

 File those nails and save some fabric!

So come to Bear Patch October 20 to pick up your own fine glass file!  No purchase is necessary, but you must pick up your own!  Offer good while supply lasts.

I think it's an early Halloween treat!

Know any witches who could use a good file?

September 20!

It's a challenge to pick what's the next fun anniversary treat each month!  So many good things to choose from - we want something fun, unique, handy to have.

When we saw these little cork coasters, it seemed like a natural choice.  Because it's a natural product!

It fits in the bottom of the cup holders in your cars, trucks, boats, strollers, RV, and probably even in your private plane!  We'll have to try that in our corporate jet.

It catches any drips from your cups and bottles.  It keeps the cup holder clean, and can be removed easily with a little notched edge.

And here's an action shot of my corkie coaster in my cup holder, ready to welcome the bottom of my cup or water bottle on the way to work!  

(And my quarter for an Aldi cart and a charger cord, also essentials!)

We will be handing our a Bear Patch cork coaster to anyone who comes in the store on Wednesday, September 20.  One per person, while supply lasts.

But wait!  That's not all!

(I feel like I'm selling Ginsu knives at the State Fair!)

We have a plethora of pretty pre-cut prints for Christmas!

Now you can benefit from our enthusiasm for ordering beyond our usual supply!

We will give you 20% off any of the Halloween or Christmas pre-cut packages -- this includes packs of  2.5" squares, 5" squares, 10" squares, 2.5" strip rolls, and bundles of fat eigths and fat quarters packaged by the manufacturer.

Plus, any of the panel prints from 2017 Christmas fabrics!

You probably know a little about pre-cut fabrics, but if you are wondering what all the fuss is about, here's the info:  these are die-cut fabric pieces of a line of fabric by a specific designer.  They are cut at the factory, wrapped and labeled and shipped.  So you get a range of coordinated fabrics to work with in a pack.  

This is some of our stock, we have more squirreled away in the storeroom.

Please note, this is not a sale on fabric yardage.

We do have an assortment of books and patterns that are written for these pre-cut sizes, so we can help you find a reason why you must take advantage of this sale!

Those little 2.5" squares are like candy to me!  Very hard to resist and just as fun.  

Unless we're talking about M&M's!  

If you are possibly looking for more inspiration for quilt patterns specific to pre-cuts, then you should hop on over to the website for the Moda Bake Shop.  You can even search their files according to the size of the pre-cut pack.

So mark your calendars for next Wednesday, September 20, from 9am - 9pm.

See you then!

A Favorite Thing for You

If you have been inside our doors very often, you might have noticed that we like to eat!  And how convenient that we have a deli just down the street named Eat!

When we have classes or events over lunchtime, you will find us fetching box lunches from Eat! for everyone.  They do a great job, and they are good people. It's a family business that the people of White Bear Lake love to support.

So it's only fitting that one of the favorite things that we want to share with you on our anniversary date is food from Eat!

Visit Bear Patch on Sunday, August 20, from 12 noon - 4PM.

Say "hi" and get your yummy cookie coupon, while supply lasts!

One per person, no purchase required.

Then stop at Eat! during their regular business hours (noted above) and redeem your coupon for a delicious cookie treat!

See you on Sunday!

Thursday Is The Day!

First big reason to shop at Bear Patch on Thursday, July 20:
This is a day that requires you to play hooky from whatever else you are supposed to be doing!  Your presence is requested at Bear Patch!  20 is that magic number signaling another anniversary gift from us to you!  This month, we have called on the resources of a very talented local designer--Gudrun Erla!  You might already know Gudrun and her company, GE Designs.  She designs quilt patterns and fabric, too.  And lately, she has been busy designing rulers through Creative Grids Rulers.  Her Stripology and Stripology Squared Rulers have been big hits with many quilters, and she has a full range of books and patterns to support those rulers.  In addition to that support, she has another product - GEasy Ruler Stickers - which come in oh-so-handy on my cutting table!  I did write a product review on this blog last May, which you can refer to if you would like to see how I make use of the Ruler Stickers.  But better yet, watch this video to help you understand why you really need these stickers!



For our anniversary celebration, Gudrun has packaged single sheets of stickers for us to give away!  You will receive 64 colored arrow stickers just for being our very best customers!  They will be 1 of the 3 colors in her usual package, and if you want the full assortment they will be available to purchase.  No purchase necessary, available 1 per customer while supply lasts.
2nd big reason to shop at Bear Patch on Thursday, July 20:
Our summer sale starts!  25% off in-stock fabric, books and patterns!  Many kits will be included for past projects, too.  And here's something we have never done before-- all fat quarters are $1!  And our little Bear Cubs (12" x 10") are 3-for-a-dollar!  We have been very busy reducing our stock, marking reductions, and preparing for our 5 day super sale!  Here are the dates:

Thursday, July 20, 9-5

Friday, July 21, 9-5

Saturday, July 22, 9-5

Sunday, July 23, 12-4

Monday, July 24, 9-9

I promise it will be worth the drive, unless you're coming from Alaska!  Or depending on your thinking, it might even be worth that drive just for the fun of it!  I think if I look real hard at the horizon, I can just barely see a convoy of quilters speeding southeast to Bear Patch!

Get The Write Stuff at Bear Patch on the 20th!

We're already back to the 20th of the month!  It's anniversary time!  Wow, time truly does fly especially when you don't want it to, right?!  The years have really flown by for everyone at Bear Patch, remembering the "early days" of the store and then realizing it seems like it just happened not too long ago!

And we are all set to see you at the store on Tuesday, June 20th, from 9AM to 9PM!  That's 12 full hours of opportunity to stop in and pick up a little gift from us!  No purchase required, just show us a smile and you'll be rewarded with a special limited edition ink pen from us!

Whether you use it for making notes about all the fine quilts that you make, or a grocery list, it's ready to do the job!

But now I'm going to let you in on a little secret.  I've been told that if you wave this special pen over your stack of unfinished projects like a magic wand, the quilt fairy will appear like magic and make them all finished for you!  Not guaranteed to work every time, but hey, why not try it?!

Celebrating 20 Years!

We are ready for another 20th Anniversary gift to you!

Seems like we just finished the last one, time really does fly when you're having fun!

We have a fun notepad for you, not just plain old paper.  This one is graphed and ready for your next creative masterpiece design!  Last week we enjoyed a fun seminar by Nina, a Bernina educator.  She showed examples of quilt designs she has made derived from photos.  This little notepad would be so helpful with that!  Sketch out a block, or a whole quilt!

Often, we work with customers to change the size of a quilt to something larger or smaller than the original pattern.  I've wished I had some graph paper to help them visualize what it will be like, and now I have it!  Keep your pad handy when shopping or dreaming!

We have plenty of these to help you on the way to creative success!  So come to the store this Thursday, April 20, to celebrate our 20 years of business, and receive your design pad.  No purchase necessary!  We are open from 9-5!

It's Almost the 20th of March!

Here we are, creepin' up on the 20th again!  

Remember, the 20th of each month is a special day at Bear Patch.  

Because we are turning 20 this year!  

Were you around the store 20 years ago?!  There's a few folks who have been true blue fabric friends since Day 1, back in 1997, and still love to pop back in to Bear Patch for a good fabric and friend fix. 

I, personally, shopped at Bear Patch when it was still very new.  I had occasionally been to Reed's Drug Store in White Bear Lake, where the basement was a fabric shop, and I even remember taking a class to make a doll of some kind.  That was a pretty popular idea back then, and it carried over to the new Bear Patch Quilting Co.  Some of the people working at Reed's when it closed decided to join forces for a new quilt shop.

Yes, we had dolls and "Folke Painting" in 1997!

I apologize for the quality of the snapshots from 1997, but we have to work with what we have!  The oh-so-popular glossy prints make it hard to get a digital picture without glare!  But the impression is still the same--starting from ground zero!  Lots of open space, working on card tables and folding chairs to order the first bolts of fabric!  The faces are tiny, but you might recognize some of them--

from the left:  Laurel, JoAnne, Jerry (standing), Debbie and Terry

Gradually, the space started filling up--

You might remember when it looked like this.  

That was then, this is now, a few thousand bolts later--

But back to the ongoing anniversary party!  

If you can make it to the store on Monday, March 20, you will be rewarded with a "gem" of a gift!  Sorry, not handing out precious jewels!  But we are handing out one of our favorite things--

Best Press Gems-- a 2 oz. sample size.

If you aren't familiar with Best Press, here's what the good people over at Mary Ellen's Products have to say about it:

Best Press Spray Starch and Sizing Alternative --There hadn’t been a new product for ironing in years - and I got sick and tired of using that spray starch in an aerosol can! So now I bring to you Best Press, a clear, crisp spray starch with a lovely scent that makes ironing more enjoyable. It’s in a non-aerosol bottle, so it’s environmentally friendly and you can see how much is left, too.

With Best Press, there’s no flaking, clogging, or white residue on dark fabrics! And more! A special stain shield protects fabrics, and the product helps resist wrinkles. Best of all, it’s more effective than any starch you’ve ever used. Try Best Press today - you will never go back to ironing with ordinary spray starch!

Try all of my wonderful scents! Lavender Fields •Citrus Grove •Linen Fresh •Caribbean Beach •Cherry Blossom •Tea Rose Garden •Peaches & Cream •Mint Splash and, for those who prefer no scent, try my •Scent Free!  

Mary Ellen's is a local company, and we like to shop local!  There's a story behind the company about the woman who started on a shoestring and built a successful business.  

Click on this link to learn more about it!

We love our Best Press, and we keep it handy to use at the store for our classes and projects.  It has become a staple in our inventory, and we are happy to be sharing a little bit of that love with you!

So don't be late, come to Bear Patch on Monday from 9am - 9pm.

No purchase necessary, just show up for the gift!

Let's Get The Party Started!

We are kicking off our 20th Anniversary celebration on 

Friday, January 20!

It's time for little celebration of our years of business and our wonderful customers.

This is going to last all year long!  

Mark the 20th of each month on your calendar and 

plan to visit Bear Patch on those days.

Remember the saying "Measure twice, cut once"?

Wise advice, and now it will be easier 

with your new little blue Bear Patch ruler!

Everyone who comes to Bear Patch on 

Friday, January 20th, from 9am-5pm, 

can pick up a pretty new blue ruler.  

This is 1" x 6", the size of the ruler that 

I probably use more than any other.

So we hope to see you Friday!

One ruler per person, no purchase necessary!

Just show up and pick it up!

And stay tuned for our February surprise!

Call 651-429-1039 if you have any questions.

19th Anniversary & Remodeling Sale!

Our annual Summer Sale has been super-sized!  

It has grown from 3 days to 9 WHOLE DAYS!  July 15 - 23!

25% off the following:
 all fabric on bolts, including already discounted sale fabric! 

(minimum 1/2 yard cut)

25% off in-stock patterns, including clearance

25% off in-stock books, including clearance 

25% off regular priced in-stock kits 
25% off wool on bolts

  

Please note that these items do not receive an additional 25% discount:
wool cuts already discounted for clearance
selected kits already discounted for clearance

This is going to be fun!  Don't miss out!

Regular store hours:  

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday  9 am - 9 pm

Thursday, Friday, Saturday  9 am - 5 pm

Sunday 12 noon - 4 pm

PS - If you think this is good, wait to see what happens for 20 years!