‘Quilt In A Day’ Grows Piece By Piece

North County Times:

Although Quilt in a Day started out as a way for Eleanor Burns to support her family, it has evolved into a multimillion-dollar corporation in nearly 30 years.

Burns, of La Costa, said Quilt in a Day started in her home in 1978 with the completion of her first book, “Make a Quilt in a Day Log Cabin.”

Since then, she has written more than 70 instructional quilting books, which sell at a rate of more than 6,500 a week, and has produced numerous videos in which she gives step-by-step demonstrations. She is currently working on her 29th video series, which is called the “Magic Vine Quilt.”

In 1983, she opened the first Quilt in a Day store in San Marcos after she decided to expand the business into producing instructional videos.

The store sells thousands of quilting supplies and fabrics, including namesake lines of fabric and specialty rulers. It also includes areas for shipping products, creating new publications, classroom instruction and a soundproof studio to tape the videos.

Burns says that the company also sells its products online and through catalogs to consumers and wholesalers.

She said that Quilt in a Day has become a family business, especially since her son, Orion, is the general manager and her other son, Grant, is secretary of the company.

For Burns, her sons’ involvements are fitting since she said the company is what helped the single mom support her now-adult children.