As of September, quilting enthusiasts will have their own exclusively Canadian magazine. The quarterly, BC-based Quilter’s Connection will feature quilt shops across Canada, stories about everyday quilters and, of course, quilting patterns galore.

The new magazine rises from the ashes of the quarterly Connections for Quilters newsletter, which was launched in 1993 for B.C.’s quilting community. When its publishers, Ray and Fran Helgeson, announced their retirement earlier this year, quilter and writer Heather McArthur was eager to take a chance and expand the publication.

“I have been a quilter for over 15 years, searching for a quality magazine that had Canadian content for quilters, and there wasn’t one,” McArthur said. “When I heard that the publishers of Connections for Quilters wanted to retire and pass that newsletter on, I thought it would be a great opportunity to create a magazine without having to start from scratch.”

To support the independent quilting community, McArthur decided to skip the big newsstands. Instead, Quilter’s Connection will be sold in select quilting shops across Canada for $8.95 an issue, with annual subscriptions available for $29.95. So far, McArthur has secured distribution at the following locations:

• Satin Moon (Victoria, BC)
• The Fabric Addict (Lethbridge, AB)
• The Quilt Patch (Moose Jaw, SK)
• Veronica’s Sewing Supplies (Kindersley, SK)
• Quilting Confections (Windsor, ON)

With a little help from her family, McArthur spent about $6,000 to launch the first issue, although she has kept overhead costs pretty low. Printing is done at Rhino Print Solutions, and her staff so far consists of herself and one dedicated layout artist who’s working on the first issue for free. The magazine also receives content from unpaid freelancers with a passion for the subject matter.

Advertisers include quilt shops, quilting events in Canada and the U.S., and sewing machine manufacturers (a full-page colour ad costs $1,940). For the first issue, 1,000 copies will go towards subscriptions and in-store sales, and another 1,000 will be distributed at Canadian trade shows such as Toronto’s Creativ Festival (Oct. 16-18) and Abbottsford, BC’s Quilts at Tanglebank Gardens (Sept. 12).

If all goes according to plan, McArthur hopes to double the magazine’s circulation in the next year and increase its page count from 48 to more than 90.