This quilt is a perfect example of how The Patchwork Bear can transform favorite articles of clothing into a quilt full of memories and love.

Clothes were cut down to four-inch blocks and include outfits worn on special occasions and every day: Thanksgiving, Birthday, Easter, Valentine’s Day, even the receiving blanket that brought baby home from the hospital!

Some tips on choosing clothes to make the perfect quilt: clean, non-stretchy material works best, but we can also work with onesies, t-shirts, jeans and lightweight blankets. We cannot use fur, leather or heavyweight knits. Other than these few restrictions, the most important thing to keep in mind when choosing clothes: Pick ones that mean the most to you!

Nostalgic like a photo album, practical as a quilt, eco-friendly since we recycle your clothes and a sentimental way to capture favorite memories.

Order any of our keepsake quilts and bears before January 31st and save 25%! Just type 2012 at checkout to redeem. Go to www.thepatchworkbear.com to place your order today. Orders take approximately 4-6 weeks to complete after we receive your clothing. As with all our products, complimentary personalization is included with your order.

Thought you might like to see some bears in progress…these were made today and are waiting to be stuffed and finished to ship out tomorrow.

Order now to ensure holiday delivery! Our current turn-around times:

In-stock signature patchwork bears: 2-3 days to complete and ship- add 1 day for custom personalization.

Custom keepsake bears (memory bears, keepsake bears, any bears made from clothing): 2-4 weeks to complete and ship.

Custom quilts (including wedding dress quilts, memory quilts, baby clothes quilts): 6-8 weeks depending on complexity of design.

Don’t forget: all our KEEPSAKE CLOTHES BEARS are on sale in November! Place your order before November 30th to save up to 30%.  We have bears and quilts for everyone on your gift list- so skip the mall and give a handmade gift this holiday. START SHOPPING NOW: CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE PATCHWORK BEAR

We spotted our best-selling Minky Patchwork Bear in people.com and celebritybabyscoop.com!

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck were spotted in Pacific Palisades, CA with daughter, Seraphina and one of our very own Minky Patchwork Bears in pink.

Scroll through the photos and you will see a shot of the Patchwork Bear personalized with Seraphina’s name on the chest. Too cute!

You can order one of our Minky Patchwork Bears too. Just CLICK HERE. Each Minky Patchwork Bear is made with textured Minky fabric. We offer free personalization with all our products. The make great baby and sibling gifts!

They are adorable pictures of the family snuggling and being goofy with one of our handmade patchwork bears. Constance offers a glimpse into her parenting world and whether or not to put a ponytail her daughter’s hair. So sweet.  Click here to read the article.

Want a patchwork bear for yourself or a gift? Order one today. You can save 40% on all of our handmade patchwork bears through May 31st! Just type MAY2011 to redeem at checkout.

Spring is in the air and we are excited to offer ANY of our patchwork bears for 40% off. Yep, that includes the Signature Bear, Minky Bears, Adoption Bears and even our popular Keepsake Clothes Bear!

Other reasons why you should hurry and order your Patchwork Bears today:

1. They’re 40% off! Let me help you with the math: For the Signature Patchwork Bear, originally $45, now $27; the Minky Patchwork Bear, originally $45, now $27; the Keepsake Clothes Bear, originally $98, now $58.80.

2.   With the huge discount, you can place your order for all those baby and birthday gifts you have been meaning to send. We will make your bear, include a gift card with your own personal message and ship directly to the recipient. Couldn’t be easier!

3. We offer FREE personalization on all our products. Add that to the 40% discount and you have an awesome deal.

4. It’s an ORIGINAL Patchwork Bear, handmade with love right here in Princeton, New Jersey.

So hurry! Offer ends May 31, 2011. Be sure to type MAY2011 at checkout to redeem.  CLICK HERE  to start shopping…

Some gift ideas:

Our best-selling MINKY PATCHWORK BEAR. Retail $45- now $35 with coupon code SAVE10. (Be sure to type SAVE10 at checkout and click ‘redeem’)

This is our best-selling bear and also a celebrity favorite! Our original, vintage styled bear is made with minky fabric and paired with a textured, minky dot in vanilla. A celebrity favorite! Celebs like Jessica Alba, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Wynter, Constance Zimmer and more all have the MINKY PATCHWORK BEAR. Available in pink, sage, blue and vanilla.

The TEXTURED PATCHWORK LOVEY BLANKET is a great gift idea for new baby. It coordinates with our handmade bears to make a lovely gift set.

Each blanket is handmade with different textured fabrics to help stimulate baby’s developing sense of touch. Velvety soft minky, striped chenille, satin and premium cotton make up a classic nine-patch pattern. Helps promote self-soothing and will sure to become baby’s favorite blanket!

Retail: $45 – on sale for $35 with coupon code SAVE10.

The Original Keepsake Clothes Bear. We will make YOUR clothes into a custom patchwork bear!

Retail $98- on sale for $88 with coupon code SAVE10 at checkout.

Now you can capture all those nostalgic memories in a keepsake patchwork bear- use the clothes babies wore their first year, uniform or team sports clothes, t-shirts from favorite trips… the possibilities are endless and the memories are priceless.

$10 coupon code is valid on ALL Patchwork Bear products including signature bears and blankets and custom keepsake bears, blankets and quilts. Expires March 31, 2011. Be sure to type SAVE10 at checkout to redeem.

make a bear from YOUR clothes!

We can’t think of a better way to preserve and display your favorite articles of clothing… as an original patchwork bear!

Send us your favorite clothes, t-shirts, etc and we will turn them into a custom bear. Some ideas:

• baby clothes
• t-shirts
• birthday bear (clothes worn 1st, 2nd year…16th year, 50th!)
• a loved one’s clothes who has passed away (memory bear)
• dad or grandpa’s ties
• sports or school uniforms

The process is simple: just send 6-10 articles of clothing to The Patchwork Bear and in 2-4 weeks, you will receive a custom bear made entirely from your clothes. An instant heirloom!  Just follow this link: KEEPSAKE CLOTHES BEAR to place your order today.

Now available in a GIFT BOX SET - includes with instructions, shipping box and return shipping. We redesigned and packaged this unique bear so you can give a truly custom gift for baby showers, birthdays, anniversaries and more. Purchase the gift box kit online and it will be sent directly to your recipient. Full instructions and return shipping included in price. Retail price $98. ON SALE NOW for $75!

create a patchwork bear from your own clothing!

Our popular Keepsake Collection (bears and quilts made from your favorite articles of clothing!) has nearly doubled in sales from last year and we were excited to debut our redesigned packaging for the Baby Clothes Bear Kit at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas this past October. Now you can order a complete kit for yourself or as a gift. The kit includes complete instructions for shipping your clothing to us in the box provided as well as options to have input in the bear design. It retails for $98.00 and includes return shipping of your finished bear.

For 2011, we look forward to making many more keepsake bears and quilts for you. I also am making a resolution to post more often- so check back for sales, specials, updates and product reviews of some of our favorite ‘finds’ in the mommy/baby world.

All the best in 2011,
Jennifer Cura, The Patchwork Bear

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I have such difficulty in parting with my children’s clothing. Although I have donated much of their past wardrobes, I still have a lot of pieces saved. For instance, ones they took pictures in or ones they wore for their birthdays or holidays. Up until now, they’ve been stored away in a plastic tote, but I’ve found a great way to preserve our memories with some help from The Patchwork Bear! http://www.thepatchworkbear.com/

The Patchwork Bear was founded by owner, designer, and mom, Jennifer Cura in 2004. She combined her love of sewing with her skills as an architect to produce a product line that is handmade with love right in the USA. Jennifer’s impressive quality workmanship features thoughtful details like hand-embroidered eyes and nose, premium designer fabrics in 100% cotton and custom personalization. http://www.thepatchworkbear.com/info_pages.php?pages_id=2

With their latest “Keepsake Collection”, http://www.thepatchworkbear.com/keepsake+bears you can upcycle any precious articles of clothing and turn them into a family heirloom that will last for generations. The one-of-a-kind quilts and patchwork bears can be made from outgrown baby clothes, wedding dresses or articles of clothing from a beloved person who has passed away.

In addition, The Patchwork Bear also features a ‘Bears With a Cause’ http://www.thepatchworkbear.com/bears+for+a+cause collection. With collaboration from Brad Pitt’s sister, Julie Neal, the Adoption Bear was created. This unique bear features your child’s name on the chest with a flag of their birthplace on its foot.
And for a recovering breast cancer patient or survivor, the Breast Cancer Buddy Bear http://www.thepatchworkbear.com/bears+for+a+cause/Breast+Can… is sure to offer comfort while a portion of its proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

The Patchwork Bear uses such fun, coordinating patterns which allow you to mix and match and create your own gift set!
My family received a Signature Patchwork Bear in Poppy http://www.thepatchworkbear.com/patchwork+bears/POPPY+Patchw… along with a Lovey Blankie http://www.thepatchworkbear.com/MINI+lovey+blankie in the coordinating, textured fabric. Once you give them a gentle squeeze, you can automatically feel the time, love and effort that was put into making them both! My three-year old has creatively named her “Teddy” and carries her everywhere, while my youngest loves cuddling up with her new blankie and feeling the different blends of cotton, chenille, and satin fabrics.

While we are huge fans, The Patchwork Bear has also become a favorite of high profile celebrities including Jessica Alba, Tori Spelling and Cate Blanchett, and has been featured in Us Magazine, American Baby, E!News and many more! http://www.thepatchworkbear.com/info_pages.php?pages_id=20

Please visit their website to view the entire product line as well as receive great weekly discounts–Until Nov. 7th, you can receive FREE PERSONALIZATION on any order! Perfect timing to have a personalized bear or blanket made for the holidays. Just type PERSONALIZEIT at checkout to redeem. http://www.thepatchworkbear.com/

I’m sure you’ll fall in love just as we did!

**CityMommy and it’s representatives received no form of monetary compensation for this post. I received a sample of the above mentioned products to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way** (Mary Ann, NEPA Director of Operations)