Notes from the Patch

Boy, have I got a deal for you!

I just heard from Josh and Kevin over at Shoot Fly Shoot. They are offering my readers a 30% discount on their Photography 101 and editing classes! (So excited) Just enter the code SFS30 and it will get you 30% off your class through Monday only! If really learning your DSLR camera and getting off auto mode is on your "to do" list, this is a terrific deal. I personally recommend these easy to understand classes. I've spent hundreds of dollars on photography classes in the past and this is by far the best class I've ever taken. It's a deal at $69, but now it's 30% off.

Encourage one another,

Happy Birthday toooo US!

Twenty seven years ago when I was trying to decide whether or not to open a quilt shop I remember thinking I didn't want to be sixty and regret that I'd never had a shop of my own. Oh, I'd started and managed a shop for someone else, but there is just nothing quite like having a store of your own, or so I imagined.

This is me in the early 80's (just before I opened Strawberry Patches) showing off my creations at a craft show. That's how I got started - sewing and selling things I made. Do you remember those decorated hats and hoop art? We thought they were lovely back then. We were making baby bedding way back then too!

I've been in this business for nearly half of my life and have been loving pretty fabrics and sewing since I was a little girl. Now that I'm over sixty I can't imagine my life without Strawberry Patches. I'm so glad I was naive enough to think I could do this. I've met the most wonderful people here; from the ladies I work with to the ladies and gentlemen who are our cherished customers and friends. Strawberry Patches has been and is a very important part of my life.

This is the postcard we sent out announcing our opening. A little worse for the wear (but then who isn't after hanging around for nearly thirty years?). My best friend Beverly started Strawberry Patches with me and then sold her interest to me three years later so she could spend more time with her boys. Beverly still makes most of our kids clothes that we display in the store and her husband Dennis is the craftsman who built all of our beautiful cabinets. Gosh, reading this postcard makes me realize that some things haven't changed. We still offer the best quality fabric and trim, the latest patterns, hard to find supplies and accessories and I think we still have impeccable models. That makes me smile to think we've stayed true to who we started out to be.

On April 6^th & 7^th we will be celebrating Strawberry Patches' 27^th birthday by having a party and sale with 27% off all purchases*. This is our way of saying thank you for your friendship and support. We hope you'll join us in the store or on line for this sale. For on line orders, just say "Happy Birthday" in the comment box and we'll take 27% off your order at the register.

We hope you can come to our party. After all, without all of you there would be no reason to celebrate !

Encourage one another,

*Sale excludes: Sewing machines, sewing machine service, sewing furniture, blocks of the month, custom work and classes. Limited to stock on hand - no special orders or presales please. 

It's Father's Day...let's go fabric sale shopping!

Once we moved and settled into the new store I could see where I wanted to fine tune our fabric offerings. You know, less novelties, more of this and that.

Fine tuning means clearing out some resent collections that are a bit, um, picked over, so we've put lots of wonderful fabric in the "Sale" category on our website. Collections from Moda, RJR and Benartex all for $7.00 per yard with one yard minimum cuts please.

With cotton prices pushing the $11.00 a yard mark these are terrific values on great current fabrics. This is a good time to stock up on backings for all of those quilts you plan on finishing this summer!

This is a first come, internet only sale. Local customers can place their order and pick it up in the store to save shipping.

Happy Father's Day. Happy Shopping!

Encourage one another,

 

Back to work and to an exciting new year

Today we lock up our Ventura beach home and head north to Bakersfield and to the bright new year that stretches out before us. I'm anxious to get back to my little store and my sewing machine. I don't know about you but after all the holiday hoopla I'm feeling the need for a bit of fabric therapy.

Our teachers have been busy planning exciting new classes and clubs and our  block of the month programs are under way. There should be absolutely no excuse not to sew. So If you need a little nudge to get started, I think you'll find something to tickle your creative fancy here. Our uber popular First Saturday starts February 5th and you won't want to miss this years amazing quilt! We'll be adding more classes throughout the month so check back often.

One of the many exciting things I have planned for the new year is more email sales like our wildly popular Stuff My Stocking sale we did just before Christmas. If you missed it or were one of those that found out about it too late you need to go here and sign up to receive our email newsletter. Watch for our first sale sometime in February. I've already started shopping for it and it promises to be a doozy!

Gotta go batten down the hatches and high tail it for home before the snow storm shuts down the mountain passes. I've got exciting stuff to do and nothings gonna get in my way!

Encourage one another,

 

Store cleaning in progress

Sorry. No post this morning other than this apology.

All day Monday I kept thinking I should stop long enough to take some photos, but I was on a roll and nothing but customers was going to deter me.

I'm on a cleaning kick and since it doesn't hit me often enough I had to seize the moment.

You know when you just can't take the clutter another minute? Yeah. Like that...

...Humm....just got and idea and if I type it, I'll have to actually DO it.

I think I'll do a sidewalk sale today. A spur of the moment Get it while it's HOT Sale. (Since we're having one last heat wave here before the fall weather sets in) - not that this stuff I'm putting on sale is so hot because if it was hot it would have sold by now. Right?

Anyway.

I've gathered some pretty cute models (quilts, dresses, wall hangings)

along with some not so hot gifts, remnants and bolts of aging fabric that all need to go.

Stop by if you're local and see what I've put on sale. The selection will change by the hour  as I continue cleaning.

Come early. Come often. Heck just spend the day so you'll get first dibs on all our hot stuff.

Well, better get dressed and off to work to dig  that sale table out of storage.

Encourage one another,

 

It's a Bargain Bonanza!

So how was your day?

Mine was pretty much spent on my bum at the computer.

You see websites are a lot like houses. They need to be spruced and straightened from time to time and ours, not unlike my house was way past due.

I ended up putting a bunch of great fabric in the Bargain Bonanza section.

Put some pretty awful fabric in there too.

I'll let you decide which is which.

You can all me crazy, but if you see something you can use just mention my blog in the comment section and I'll take a dollar a yard off on your entire sale order.

I'm talk'n Moda, Michael Miller, Maywood, In the Beginning and others for as little as $4 per yard.

Egads!

If this goes well I'll add more tomorrow. So stay tuned!

Encourage one another,

Gobble Gobble

So what are you making for Thanksgiving?

I know. I know.

But if you don't at least get your fabric now, the good stuff will all be gone when you need it.

You know, when you decide to whip up a table cloth and twelve matching napkins for when the family is due to arrive in an hour for your big Thanksgiving dinner.

Not suggesting that you procrastinate or anything. I'm just say'n...

Here's Gobble Gobble by Sandy Gervais for Moda Fabrics.

You'll be so thankful that you started sewing early because you know what they say...

The holidays will be here before we know it.

Encourage one another,

PS The early turkey does get the worm and a 20% off discount on all precuts and fabric from Gobble Gobble. Just enter "Blog special" in the comment section when you order on line and save 20% on your entire Gobble Gobble order.