Let the bidding begin!

We are excited to present our 2009 silent auction to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation to support breast cancer research. We have many donated items on display and we are ready to accept your generous bids! This is a fun and easy way to support the very important work of this organization and at the same time you can go home with some wonderful quilted goodness. We have a variety of sizes, styles and types to suit many interests, I'm sure there is something that will strike your fancy. Pictured above are a crazy quilt (pattern by Two Kwik Kwilters), the Bow Tucks Tote, My Paris Travel Bag by Fig Tree Quilts, a pinwheel tablerunner and a gorgeous silk dupioni quilt. Below is a darling tea cozy, Bubbly Babies quilt in blue and white, a set of embroidered accessories and a churn dash quilt. More pictures and information coming, I promise!

Very important detail---bidding ends 10/31 at 5 PM!

Sale Fabrics- also known as Bob's Bargains

The Sale Wall is full! Lots of new fabric and nowhere to put it so we got our red pens out and marked down lots of fabric. These are great bolts for adding to your stash or for quilt backs. Come check it out!

Amy Butler Love

Making room for new fabrics is an endless challenge around here! Just when I think everything has a place of its own, our Man in Brown delivers more boxes, and we are like kids in a candy store opening up the flaps to peak at what's inside. This time it is 26 bolts of new Amy Butlers new line named Love. Lime, tangerine, periwinkle and turquoise are a few of the featured colors, very bright and cheery. It could probably help you make it through the winter to just have a bundle of these lovely fabrics to fondle when the going gets tough around mid-February!

Also just received a good assortment of vinyl fabrics from Moda and some Kaffe Fassett prints. These are soft and supple, good for bags, bibs, book covers, tablecloths, or whatever your imagination can come up with! These are in addition to our ~20 designs of oilcloth in great prints with a retro/vintage style. Plenty of design possibilities!

Beautiful fall Skies

Just wanted to share photos of the sky during a sewing break. I was working on my quilt for the Silent Auction Breast Cancer window when I decided it was time for a pontoon ride. I would love to capture these colors in a quilt!

Lots of Wool!

I love hand dyed wool and we just got in lots of it from our dyer- Paulette. Look at all the yummy colors. Can't wait to start a new project!

Scrap Therapy

Scrap Therapy

Laurel started a new class today- Scrap Therapy. Everyone received a "scrap" bin and got busy organizing their scrap stash. Scraps were cut into strips and squares with ideas given for projects. I love the idea of labeling a baggie with the following: Expires on (the date 1 year from now)! We have several more "cutting" classes schduled- come join the fun!

Back Home Again

One of the fun things we do at Bear Patch is our monthly groups, clubs, classes, support groups or whatever you want to call them! These groups offer us a chance to come together repeatedly and come to know each other much better. As we work on a common theme, we also learn a lot from each other. Our block of the month group for 2009 has concluded, and last week we saw the work of several go-getters who had managed to put all the pieces together. Group members had the option to use the pattern and fabric collection by designer Kaye England. Each month 2 versions of the same block were constructed, one 12" and one 6". But as you can see, there was room for individuality:

This quilter followed the pattern as written.

This quilter used the same red/pink fabric around each block, on each side of the floral strips, and in the narrow border.

This quilter used an entirely different set of fabrics, chosen to coordinate with her home. Instead of the floral strips she used a strip of the border fabric with inset squares. This helped her tie all the colors together.

This quilter used the featured fabrics but a setting of her own design, changing the size and overall look even though the blocks are all the same.

There were several more variations, but I included these to bring home the point that even though we all started out in sync, we all chose our own path to the end, and that is the joy of life! Our group is taking a hiatus until the new year and I'm working out a plan for something new for 2010. Stay tuned!