Changin' and Rearrangin'

A few more store improvements have appeared within our walls.  In some previous posts, I shared pictures of work-in-progress.  See, it's not just our quilts that are a work in progress!

The large old box shelves that housed our batting supply have been removed.  Carpenter Bob built some much improved cubby box shelves for our batting in another spot.

In place of the old batting storage, we have a nice new clean wall and all our our thread has been moved across the store to that spot.  

This is just a few feet away from all of the hand embroidery threads, so it can now be called the "Thread Department".  

Some of these stackable thread shelving units will still undergo some changes, as we get new units and get our selection more organized.  We love the Mettler and Aurifil brands!

Over where the thread racks used to be, Bob has built and installed some more shelving for fabrics.  The picture below was taken before even more units were added to that wall.  Our dream is to have the right balance of shelving and bolts so none of the bolts have to be on the floor!  Never gonna' happen!  And we would be so sad if it did!

We have some new space created for our extra-wide Cuddle fabric bolts--  it's 88-90" wide, so makes a fabulous back for many quilts and doesn't need a seam!

And on the flip side of that shelf unit we have--

All of our wonderful cozy Cuddle bolts (58-60")!

Most of the Cuddle that we sell is destined to be quilt backs, but there are lots of other things that you can make with this soft plush fabric.  Click on this link to the numerous free patterns on the website that use Cuddle fabric.

Here's something else fun for you--

A group of new Moda Grunge fabrics on our shelves!

Come in to see the wonderful shades and tones at your fingertips!

It's Already Time To Vote!

Are you ready to vote?!

No more freaky debates, no more Twitter anything, no more lies and innuendos?!

Just a throwback to the time when you simply get to vote on what you like, and you can even have a do-over every time you visit Bear Patch from now through November 1.  How great is that?

First, let me explain the beginning.  Our Bear Patch Circle of Quilters meets every other month on a Saturday morning.  (Next meeting is December 3.)  Attendees get a chance to sit back, learn about what's happening and what's new at the store.  There is talk about rulers, notions, patterns and books, including some demonstrations and tutorials.  And there's always a sweet treat to share, plus the coffee pot is close at hand!

The group was offered a chance to participate in a challenge.  They were given a piece of fabric from fabric "headers" donated by our Moda representative, Julie.  These are large swatches of fabrics shown to shop owners to make buying decisions.  Each participant received a different fabric.  The challenge then was to make something from that fabric and bring it back to display.  The possibility of winning super duper prizes was an added incentive!  Three Viewer's Choice prizes will be awarded, plus one more favorite picked by employees.

We received 15 projects from the group, and I have to say, they have really hit the mark with variety and creativity!  Now, any of our customers can view the projects and cast a ballot for their favorite.  And you can vote again every day you visit!

I had intended to compile a nice little slide show here for you.  But there seems to be a little war going on between Smilebox, Adobe Flash Player and my MacBook!  So we can skip the slide show and just enjoy the pictures below!  I have added pattern information as far as I am able to determine, and I will add more as it becomes known.  Some of these are originals, others are adaptations of existing patterns.  They are presented in random order numerically.  A swatch of the original challenge fabric is attached to each, so you know what the starting point is.  

So get ready for a load of pictures--

Our autumnal view on the hub of White Bear Lake.

Collage pup designed by Laura Heine

Bowtucks Tote

The little pyramid opens into a sweet sewing box!

Mini Pop Up

Sampling Some Fresh Fabric

Our friends at MODA sent us a new load of fabric earlier this week, and we thought you might like to see them!  Some of these are very useful as a grouping, or as accents and support pieces for other fabric groupings.  In all of the groups pictured here, there are more coordinated prints in the line, but we select the pieces that we feel will be most useful and interesting to our customers.  It would be great to bring in the entire groupings, but that's not happening in our floorspace!  You can view the entire collections if you go to this page on the MODA website.  If you click on the designer name under the picture below, you will find out more about them.

Thicket by Gingiber

Grunge in some new colors

Hey Dot by Zen Chic

Hey Dot by Zen Chic

Sundrops by Corey Yoder

Great Colors!

Here's a few highlights about fabric choices we have made for you!

And you don't have to like them all!

This is an example of a color card, which is just the fabric design printed on paper, not fabric.

This is often what the sales representatives show us before the fabric is made.

This one is a few choices from the Riley Blake company, designed by Sue Daley, and I intend to go crazy with fussy cutting this for English Paper Piecing!  EPP is a fun and addicting form of hand sewing, and you can learn all about it 

at our monthly Paper Pizzazz group.

Below is a display for the Calico Days fabric designed by Lori Holt, also made by Riley Blake.

We will be stocking this fabric group and there will be 

a sew-along that is web-based.

The blocks in the quilt displayed will be made and joined into a quilt.  And it's likely there will be other go-along projects, too!  Watch our Facebook and email to find out more when the fabric is ready for you in early 2016.

One of the quilting world's favorites for a long time is Pat Sloan.  She and Debbie are standing in front of a quilt made of fabric she has designed for Moda.  She is always happy and vivacious, and she hosts a radio/podcast for American Patchwork and Quilting.  If you haven't listened to it before, you should.  She has contacts with so many people and interviews them on her program.  So you get to find out about what's new and current for fabric and quilting.

We sat down with our "fabric rep", Julie, to look through new fabric lines coming from Moda.  So many to choose from!  We had to show some restraint, because we can't have it all!  One of the new groups we loved was by Sweetwater designs.

Below are some pictures of sample projects that the fabric companies bring to display.  As you know, it's always interesting to see something made of fabrics that you might not have considered before.  That's why we work all the time to create fresh samples of fabrics you can purchase.  These are 2 pillows and a pincushion, and I don't have pattern details for you, 

but I think it's worth sharing anyway.

That's all for today!  I have more to share in the next few days!  This afternoon Debbie and I will be returning to Minnesota, filled with ideas and plans!  Back to work and back to sewing!

Bits from Quilt Market

I have a hodge-podge of pictures taken at quilt market a week ago.  I didn't take as many pictures as usual.  (Sorry!)  I will do better next time!

Some interesting "big stitch" hand quilting.  I was thinking of my Slow Sew group when I saw this.

One of our long-time favorites, Stitchin' Sisters, with a couple new patterns.  Making good use of plastic screen and tape measures!  Watch for a class on how to use these hardware store staples in your next sewing project!

A galaxy of beautiful thread colors at Superior Threads--

Some quilting that caught my eye, which might end up in a quilt of my own.  It seemed pretty easy and forgiving, 2 key features of a good quilting design!

Ordering fabric at Moda can be a bit overwhelming.  The 2 pictures below show some samples of some of the fabric we ordered for the store.

And we really enjoyed the fabulous booth at Buttermilk Basin!  She is local, so transported a lot of display pieces and props for her booth.  It felt like walking into an old time general store!  We purchased several of her patterns, and here are some examples:

Batiks Are The Best!

I have previously posted a video showing the process of making batik fabric for Moda.  I have been preparing a new pattern using a quilt that I made from batiks, and I started thinking about that video.  While looking around to find that video, I came across another that is a new and improved version.  This one is narrated by a designer for Avlyn Fabrics, and explains what is happening to the fabric.  Plus, he includes information about the copper stamp making and the history of the art of batik.  So here you go---


Here's the quilt I made, please ignore the scraggly winter-dead grapevines at the top.  I hung this outside in the sunshine on my pergola for the picture.  

I used mostly leftovers and scraps of my own stash, along with sharing of my good friends, Nancy and Leisl.  The sign of a good friendship is the sharing your stash of batiks!  I am actually thinking that I would like to make this again, with more planning of the colors.  And a lighter outside border.  And a larger size.  In a rectangle instead of a square.

When I look at our shelves of batiks, it gets that notion going that I should start selecting and collecting a whole bunch of new batiks!  I used 91 colors of batik in this quilt, just a fat eighth (9" x 20") of each one.  So if I pick up a little here and a little there, I will be ready to go again!  Will you join me?  

The Gypsy Wife Quilt

I have been bitten by the Gypsy bug!  And I want you to be bitten, too!

There is a quilt by Jen Kingwell that caught my attention awhile ago, but I didn't have a pattern.  It looked like a lot of fun to make, but did I really need to take on another quilt project?  I already have more completed quilts and more quilts-in-progress than any one person should have!  But then, I saw the pattern at retreat and Nancy just flaunted it at me the whole time.  Who could resist?  

So, we found out that Jen Kingwell is now a designer for Moda Fabrics.  And at Houston Quilt Market last fall, we met her and loved looking at her samples and designs.  Below is the Gypsy Wife Quilt covering a table.

And both Debbie and I agreed that her fabric designs (below) were something we really liked, so it has been ordered for Bear Patch and is supposed to be released in April.  Keeping my fingers crossed that we will get an early shipment.

Gardenvale by Jen Kingwell for Moda

With her connection through Moda, her patterns are more readily available and less expensive without shipping from Australia.  You can call Bear Patch (651-429-1039) to order your own pattern.  Here's a picture of the entire quilt, not the designer's original quilt but made by someone else and posted on Flickr with other gypsy quilt pictures.

So, I have a plan.  Well, actually, I am following a plan made by someone else.  On the Factotum of Arts blog there is a schedule to make all of the blocks over a year's time.  I think I can do this!  How about you?!  We can stay in contact and share pictures back and forth via email and our blog.  It's easy to hop on the Gypsy bus because the first month's task is to pick fabric.  And the fabric I picked is not a complete picture of what I want to use, but it's enough to get me going.  And gives me a good excuse to both shop my own stash as well as pick up new goodies as they come to Bear Patch!  I'll take a picture of my fabric selection and put it here for you to see.  And maybe take some inspiration to start your own!

If you visit the Factotum of Arts blog, you can even print out the schedule for the year.  For February, the task is to make the blocks below:

February blocks

I have them up on the design wall so I can see if the colors are what I want and where I want.  There is one large block, and I even found a "P" (for Pam!) to put in the center to begin the process.  Then 6 small pinwheel blocks, with borders added to 4 of them.  So far, the directions have been good and the process painless.  And the month isn't even done yet!  Next month will be another large block and 6 different small ones.  Easy!

Design Delight!

We would like to give you a sneak peek into the background of a group of fabrics we fell in love with!  This was just about the only group of fabric that we said "We'll take it all" instead of narrowing 40 bolts down to 20, a more reasonable number to purchase and stock in the store.

This is a new designer name for Moda.  Moda has a whole bunch of creative people contracted to come up with new designs.  They range from people who actually studied and worked in the field of design, to others who are self-taught with success.  The designers come up with the sketches and artwork, work out a plan with the company, and then Moda works magic to turn it into fabric.

The picture below shows a portion of a group called Gardenvale by Jen Kingwell.  Click on the link to learn more about her.

Below are some examples of her style of quilting--a lot of color and design all wrapped up into a beautiful quilt.

 She is a hand quilter and this closeup shows how she quilts and embellishes at once.  Looks pretty good!  Makes me interested in the trend towards "big stitch" quilting.  Enough that we bought some needles and thread and we will give it a try!  If it is a success, you might even see a chance to learn and join the hand quilters' world!