Day 2 of my celebrating 42 years in business is celebrating moving to British Columbia 30 years ago. I packed 6 tons in a 5 ton truck [with my X Lawrence] and headed out here. WOW 30 years……. Lots of adventures there. Here is a weird thing.. I’m living next door to the little house that I rented for 5 years when I first moved here to Chemainus on Vancouver Island 30 years ago. So cool to be back in my old neighborhood. Not for long though as I do housesitting so I’ll be on with my adventures soon.
In the 80’s I hosted and produced 33 TV programs on my techniques on quilting for CF Cable in Montreal called Jan Donaldson’s Quilted World, Jan Donaldson’s Stained Glass Quilting and Jan Donaldson’s Shadow Quilting. I brought out 8 patterns in the 3 techniques and went about marketing them across the country at Quilt shows and Quilt Conferences along with the Olfa Cutter that was just new on the market. I travelled to Victoria to sell my patterns at the Canadian Quilt Conference and I was shocked that when I boarded the plane in Montreal it was -30 and in Victoria at the University where the Conference was there were blooms all over the place as well a some fruit trees in bloom. WOW…..
I’M GOING TO MOVE THERE ONE DAY… I thought… And I did with a 5 year stopover in Toronto first. Best move ever. and thanks to my glass blowing friend Linda Westrom of Rhythms Art Glass who talked me into making Chemainus my home when I got here. It was a real busy tourist town and perfect for a clothing designer like me. I was making mostly fun kidswear at the time and opened a studio showroom just off the beaten track. I WAS HOME.