Some of you may know (remember) that I am a long-time member of the Bear Patch Bits Club.  This club is part of Bear Patch Quilt Company, located near Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.  SisterStitches is the manager there.  I've made several visits to the store, when I've visited family and friends in the midwest, and it is a really, really nice store.  Lots of wonderful fabric, classes enough to choke a, well, a bear, coffee and cookies, nice quilt samples all around.

Now to the Bear Patch Bits Club.  For a mere $40.00 for a whole year (I think that's what it was), I receive a package in the mail every month.  Containing twenty (yes, 20!) 5-inch squares of new fabric that the store has  recently gotten into stock.  Accompanied by a nice letter (written by SisterStitches!), usually containing a quilt pattern using 5" squares, and also a yummy recipe.  

I have to tell you that these packages have become like Christmas every month for me!!!  I see that oversize white envelope in my mailbox, and I know that there are 20 pieces of joy inside!  Really, each one makes me very, very happy.  This happy relationship has been going on for many years.

Bear Patch Quilt Company is going to close within a few months from now.  I know.  It's very sad.  And I certainly don't begrudge the owner and employees a nice retirement.  But that also means that my little white envelopes will no longer be coming in the mail.

Well, MisterStitches has often been the spectator to my opening said envelopes, and he knows how happy they make me.  So, he really stepped up.   He asked me if he could provide a similar thing for me.   After I picked myself up off the floor, I said, yes I think you can!!  So I pointed him to Missouri Star Quilt Company, and told him that getting a charm pack in the mail would definitely mean the world to me.  

So last week he presented me with the first box.  I opened it and this was inside.  A beautiful, beautiful charm pack of "island print" batiks.  Oh so beautiful!

Just look at them all!

Such luscious colors!!

Aren't these blues gorgeous!!

And the reds/purples!

See what I mean!!??!!

As you can see, MisterStitches really hit it out of the ball park with this idea!  

I think I'll keep him around.

A friend witnessed me opening the box and going through all the colors.  Oh my, it was so much fun!