Welcome to Rae-Bon Sew & Quilt Shop

Welcome to Rae-Bon Sew & Quilt Shop! I’m Sandy Beneke, owner of Rae-Bon Sew & Quilt Shop. I’ve worked in or managed a retail fabric store for over 25 years, but owning my own quilt shop was always my dream. When the retail fabric store I managed in Fargo decided to close its doors in 2009 and my favorite local quilt shop went up for sale it was kismet. I jumped at the opportunity for this new challenge.

I’ve been sewing and crafting for as long as I can remember. I first started out making felt clothes for my troll dolls. When I was a bit older in girl scouts, I needed a costume for a rally that I just couldn’t buy in a store. One of my friend’s moms sewed, so she taught my mom and myself to sew and create the costume. I fell in love and continued sewing garments for quite awhile. In the 80s when I was working at Hancock Fabrics, calicos started arriving in the shop and the quilting craze began. I jumped right on board taking a quilting class at my local quilt shop at the time with a friend and I’ve been hooked ever since. In the early 2000s machine embroidery was the new thing and I loved adding that to my sewing and quilting arsenal. I love being in the quilt shop every day sharing my passion for quilting and machine embroidery with others. Bringing out the creativity in others, whether it’s a beginner just starting out on their first project or a seasoned pro who is finishing a more complex project is one of my favorite things.

I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and have lived all over the United States. In fact, each of my four children were born in a different state. We moved to Fargo over 30 years ago and decided that was enough moving! My children are all still in town as well as my six grandchildren and seven fur granddogs. You’ll see the whole family around the shop helping out on occasion, especially for large events. A mention of my family wouldn’t be complete without mentioning my only kid still living at home – my adorable Westie, Daisy. She can’t come to events, but she’s definitely always helping behind the scenes in the sewing room.

See you soon!

Hello! I’m Jennifer McCall, Sandy’s daughter and right hand woman. I’ve been working with the shop since the first paper newsletter. From afar I handled the website, social media, newsletters . . . anything computer related. In 2019 (exactly 9 years to the day that Sandy purchased the shop), I moved to Fargo and joined the shop full time.

Growing up with Sandy as a mom, I’ve been sewing and quilting forever. Mom remembers my very first “sewing project” as taking the trim from the sides of dot matrix printer paper and designing patterns for clothes. I’ve always liked to work outside patterns and designed my own things, so of course my first quilting project was complex. I’d never made a quilt before but at the age of 12 decided I would make one for my mom for mother’s day. I gave each of my siblings graph paper and asked them to design a quilt block. With the help of my grandma I sewed up each of the blocks. It turns out making a quilt takes a lot longer than a weekend, so I had to wrap up the unfinished blocks for mom for mother’s day with a note that she had to teach me how to add sashing, quilt, and bind it. So a gift that required a little work on her part.

Working at a quilt shop is a perfect mix of my love for creating, research, and teaching others. I always want to know the reason for something: how do you pick a batting, does thread type really matter, etc. It’s been a joy to share all this knowledge with others through teaching, online videos, and chats in the shop.

I live in Fargo with my husband and two “kids”: Iris (Beagle) and Cooper (Westie). When I’m not in the sewing room, I love walking the dogs and trying out new recipes.

Happy Sewing,

Mariann

Mariann’s bubbly personality will always brighten your mood. She has a story for everything and a memory for every story you tell her. She has a love of scraps and always has a great project idea to use yours up. Can you believe Mariann only starts one project at a time? That’s some amazing self control! 

Mariann was formerly an elementary school teacher and she shares that talent with all the budding sewers during youth sewing classes and camps. Have you ever noticed the back wall of blenders looks particularly well colorized? That's all Mariann's hard work. Every few weeks she does a great clean up for us and puts all the bolts back just where they belong.

Kelly

Kelly's warm and welcoming personality makes every visit a delightful experience. With a wealth of knowledge spanning traditional quilting, serging, and machine embroidery, Kelly is eager to share her expertise with you. 

At home, she's a dedicated seamstress and enjoys working with her Baby Lock Serger, Brother Sewing/Embroidery machine, and Pfaff Sewing/Embroidery machine. Her passion for sewing extends to helping others find the perfect machine for their interests. From quilts and garments to machine embroidery and bags, Kelly enjoys creating a variety of projects. 

Kelly has furthered her sewing education and earned her Martha Pullen Certification. And when it comes to fabric designers, Sweetwater is her absolute favorite!

Lisa

Lisa has an amazing eye for color and is a genius at taking bits of fabric and turning them into gorgeous kits for patchwork bags, potholders, and more. Her favorite sewing projects are purses and totes. Sallie Tomato is one of her favorite purse pattern designers. 

Lisa is equally passionate about hand-sewing, having gained extensive knowledge during her time at Nordic Needle. From cross-stitch to hand embroidery, she has plenty of expertise to share with you!

Vicki

Vicki has always loved sewing, crocheting, and trying her hand at new crafts. After taking her very first quilting class, she was instantly hooked — and she never imagined it would lead her here!

Rae-Bon quickly became her happy place, especially because she loves being around people. Her favorite moments are helping someone choose the perfect colors or adding those final, finishing touches to a quilt. And of course, nothing beats a good show-and-tell — seeing everyone’s beautiful work absolutely makes her day.

Vicki enjoys machine embroidery, quilting, and combining the two to create pieces filled with personality, story, and joy.

Bill

Bill comes to Rae-Bon with a background in printing press work and custom cabinetry, giving him a strong foundation in precision and mechanics. He has been a quick study in machine repair and is rapidly becoming an expert in the field.

He’s also one of the kindest guys you’ll meet — someone who genuinely appreciates the artistry and craftsmanship that go into quilting. We’re grateful to have him on the team and know your machine is in excellent hands with him!

Chris

Chris tried retirement… but she missed all of us far too much! She’s now back in the shop a couple of days a week, working her magic in machine repair. With her meticulous attention to detail, your machine truly couldn’t be in better hands.

Chris is also a passionate maker. She loves quilting, embroidery, needle felting, Hardanger — the list goes on and on. If it involves fiber arts, chances are she’s already mastered it and is excited to share her enthusiasm with others.