Here's to 2014: A Year in Review
2014 was a fantastic year for the Bates Mill Store. From new styles to re-introduced styles from the archive, we're excited to share this year's milestones below:
February 2014: Seashell is Released
Seashell was released in February of this year. This unique design took over a year to create. It was perfected in stages - first the seashells were designed then the space was thoughtfully filled in with pebbles to complete the look.
May 2014: First Factory Sale & Open House of 2014
After moving from the historic Bates Mill Complex in 2013, we hosted our third Factory Sale and Open House over Mother's Day Weekend. We love opening our doors to the local community and always enjoy sharing the weaving process with visitors.
June 2014: Dyer's Wynd is Released
Like Seashell, Dyer's Wynd is another original design added to our collection. This bedspread features a beautiful, modern paisley pattern that was inspired by a picture hanging in one of the local hospitals. We pooled our community on Facebook for the name, and one of our fans from North Carolina actually came up with this name which hails from the place in Scotland where the paisley design was first imagined.
July 2014: Americana is Released
Drawing inspiration from the vast archive of Bates, Americana is a faithful reproduction of a style that Bates introduced in the 1940s. The simple all over design has quickly become a favorite in our Matelasse Collection.
November 2014: Second Annual Holiday Sale & Open House on Small Business Saturday
This November marked our Second Annual Holiday Sale & Open House on Small Business Saturday. This year, we set up the full walking tour and ensured the looms were running so that visitors could see exactly where their products were created and dive in a little deeper to learn about each step of the manufacturing process.
And as always, we couldn't be celebrating another fantastic year without you. Thank you again for choosing Bates and Made in USA. Feel free to share your own highlights from 2014 below. Here's to a great year and an even better 2015!
Comments
Maralyn Doyle said:
A fan! Still using a Bates George Washington’s Choice spread I got for a wedding present in 1968. Good luck to you in 2015!
Becky Daugherty said:
Dear Bates, 2014 was the year I found you! When my husband and I were married in 1961, my parents gave us the Martha Washington bedspread in white. We loved that bedspread and used it for many years. But the spread took its toll with the children and pets loving it as well.
For years I thought about replacing dear old Martha but just never seemed to find it in the stores any longer. Then came Google!!! Lo and behold, I found Bates Mill in Maine! Oh happy days!
This is the year I had hoped to replace Martha until…I spied the Sea Shell spread and decided it is the one I’m going to get this year. I haven’t forgotten about Martha, but the Sea Shell is speaking to me for 2015.
Thank you for bringing the wonderful Bates bedspreads back to these new generations!
Becky Daugherty