Quilt in a Day owner builds business piece by piece

By: SHANNON WINGARD - For the North County Times | Friday, July 27, 2007 10:55 PM PDT ∞

SAN MARCOS ---- 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, at 1955 Diamond St. in San Marcos, 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.

Burns also has become a recognizable face in the quilting industry since she has produced a variety of programs for TV, including regular shows on PBS and the RFD network on satellite TV. In addition, she has video feeds streaming on the Quilters News Network at www.QNNtv.com. Ý

Although Burns said that her "Quilt in a Day" show currently isn't aired on public TV in San Diego, KOCT in Oceanside is eventually planning to include it in its programming.

She said her philosophy ---- "you just have to believe" ---- is one reason why the company has become so successful, grossing approximately $4 million in sales last fiscal year.

For example, she said her first book, "Make a Quilt in a Day Log Cabin," started off so slow with sales that she made 25 photocopies of it to be sold at a time. She said her belief that people would enjoy it has paid off, especially since the book now has 30,000 press runs about three times a year.

After publishing her first book, Burns said she spent the next five years working on books and teaching quilting classes for parks and recreation departments in Carlsbad, San Marcos and Vista.

While Burns has had a longtime passion for quilting, she said her experience as a special education teacher is another reason why the business has become so successful.

"I am really a teacher; that's my favorite thing to do," she said.

She said writing curriculum taught her how to easily break down information, which is what she does in her publications.

Burns believes that the "clear set of instructions" in her books is why they are so popular. She said at least three have been among the top 10 sellers at a variety of craft stores over the last three years.

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.

She said she loves teaching people to quilt, especially since it offers benefits such as stress relief and confidence boosts.

In addition, she said, "It's their legacy that they leave behind."

Contact freelance writer Shannon Wingard at scwing711@gmail.com.

Name: Quilt in a Day

Founder: Eleanor Burns

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday

Phone: (760) 591-0929

Address: 1955 Diamond St. in San Marcos

Products: Publishes how-to quilting books as well as produces videos. The company also offers quilting classes and supplies.

Web site: http://www.quiltinaday.com/

Established: 1978

Employees: 40-45 people

Gross sales for fiscal 2006-07: $4.1 million

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