October 2011

We are well on our way with the fall programs; hasn't the weather been just fabulous?! Our club classes with new and returning members have started up and will be creating original designs that begin with just a few 6" blocks. There's lots of creative fun ahead for these quilters this year.

There have been at least three BCS Mystery Reveal parties on the calendar where I have been able to see your fabulous creations from the 'Quilter's Journey' mystery that just finished, and I've been introducing the new BCS Mystery 'Quilter's Romance' to quilt shops across the countries (Canada and the US). We have almost 60 shops participating so far! It's not too late to sign up at your local quilt shop. Visit our shop list to find a host shop near you.

And speaking of mystery...I had Chinese food take-out for lunch last week. I just had to share with you the message I found in my fortune cookie, isn't that hilarious?

Between those days, and nights, I've been working on designing a couple of new patterns that I hope to have ready this month; they are now in the hands of my intrepid testers and quilters.

And one more thing - we are excited to be participating with 35 quilt designers on the Quilting Gallery website. Over a twelve week period, Celebrate Christmas blocks will be featured, to give you plenty of ideas for your Christmas-themed gifts. Instructions to make A Border Creek Christmas will be available on our website on Thursday October 20.

Happy reading...

On the Road with Border Creek Station

We need the truck! When we hit the road, there are four large suitcases stowed in the back - and that's just for the quilts; you'd be amazed how many can be packed into one suitcase (with an expandable front). There's another rolling suitcase that carries the essentials of the portable 'shop'. I travel with an invaluable helper, that's usually my husband Ron. He does much of the unpacking, and sets up the ever-popular sales table.

The Fall kicked off with three BCS Mystery Quilt Reveal and Launch parties. What fun! We were invited to Cock-a-doodle Quilts in Toronto, The Running Stitch in Kanata (Fall 2011 BHG Quilt Sampler Top Ten Shop) and Quilters Cupboard in Uxbridge (Fall 2010 BHG Quilt Sampler Top Ten Shop).

In between, we also did a Trunk Show presentation to my home guild, the Region of York Quilters Guild. The talk covered 'Borders and Settings', and featured selections from my personal collection of more than 40 quilts; I used them to talk about using various settings, sashings and borders that can make your quilt blocks look outstanding. The talk was the perfect set-up for the guild's plan for a variation on the 'block of the month' project; this year's monthly instructions will start with one 12 inch block and will be built upon each month to become a quilt by next spring.

If you would like Border Creek Station to visit your shop or guild for a trunk show or to teach a class, please contact me for details about the programs that we can offer your group.

Some helping hands

I've recently recruited our first 'employee' for Border Creek Station. Joanne Reynolds is a former and returning student who's a good fit for us at Border Creek Station. She's been a quilter for just over five years, and like most of you has a growing collection of tops that need to be quilted. She loves working with colour - any colour, but seems to have a penchant for putting brights together. What will she be doing at BCS? Well, we are just getting started, but there's putting words on the page that sound like I've said them (the truth comes out!), proofing and editing pattern instructions, helping out at trunk shows and sales, preparing fabric kits for sales.... I do have to remember that she does have a full-time job too.