My name is Mary Lajoie and I have been sewing since I was a young girl growing up in South-Western Ontario.  My love of sewing started out of necessity – if I wanted to wear anything new, I had to sew it myself.  Luckily, a beloved aunt taught me the ins and outs of creating beautiful clothes and sewing masterfully.

During and after my career as a school teacher and as a principal, my love of sewing blossomed into an addiction for quilts. I started to collect antique quilts - which I loved for their uniqueness and their history. I frequently wondered about the maker and the designer and was especially intrigued by the fact that a variety of tiny pieces of fabric in a many of colours and shapes could all come together to make a masterpiece.

Now, I create and design my own quilts and quilted accessories.  The energy and joy I get from designing and creating my own quilts feeds my soul and gives me life. My passion for sewing well, for creating unique and beautiful quilts, and for respecting the past has come together in my designs.  I hope you enjoy making them as much as I do!

I have been trial testing my patterns in a few favourite quilt shops in the Ottawa area and also in other locations across Canada. Some of the shops that have carried my patterns are: The Running Stitch in Kanata, Ontario, Dragonfly Fabrics in Ottawa, The Quilters’ Quarters in Almonte, and The Quilters’ Cupboard in Uxbridge, Creative Sisters Quilt Studio in Kitchener and Lori's Country Cottage, Sherwood Park, Alberta.

I am blessed to have a very loving and supportive family – my husband Guy, daughters Jeannette and Chantelle and son Patrick. Their families now include my son-in-law Olivier, and grandchildren Benjamin and Amélie, and Olivier’s children, Laurianne, Alex, and Veronique. Patrick’s partner is Mara Minuzzo and our grandson Max. Chantelle loves to knit and is now designing her own knitting patterns and she seems to have a love of fabric as well so perhaps the quilting bug will take over her life as well. Guy and Chantelle are also helping me with the website and the finer details of running a business.  Guy has always supported me in my work and he is often packaging patterns,  works on the website and helps market this business. All of our family bring us joy and happiness and we are always amazed at the talent they show in their own lives.  

 

 

 

Chantelle Lajoie

Chantelle was born in London, Ontario and learned to knit beside her grandmother, Queenie Miller. She soon found out that knitting was a wonderful hobby and this carried on into her adult life. Chantelle worked in the L'arche communities in both London, Ont. and Victoria B.C.After returning home she went to Teachers College in Toronto and started her professional career working with high school students, teaching Mathematics, Science, Physics and Special Education. She has continued knitting throughout her career and has now developed her skills into an art. Chantelle is now designing knitting patterns and these patterns will be shown on this website in the near future.

Look for her first design to be up and running in the very near future.