The Blue Heron Quilt Shop is aptly named for its beautiful lakeside location on the shore of Kamaniskeg Lake in front of the hospital in Barry’s Bay. Annette Thistlethwaite said she and her husband had bought their home at 59 Trader Lane in June. “This is retirement,” she said smiling as she welcomed me inside her well-lit shop with colour-themed displays of cotton, hand dyed felted wool, antique sewing machines and an enormous longarm quilting machine. Thistlethwaite said she and her husband had long planned to retire to Barry’s Bay, having enjoyed many vacations during the past twenty years with family members who always holidayed at Opeongo Trail Resort in Combermere. Their relatives have retired here too – proving there’s truth in the municipality’s tagline “Come for a visit, stay for a lifetime.” Above: Thistlethwaite with her hand dyed felted wool.
Just as Thistlethwaite is no stranger to the Valley, she is also no stranger to quilting. She operated Blue Heron Quilt Shop in Bobcaygeon for many years, but when the couple decided to retire she closed that shop and sold off most of the stock. The past four months have been busy settling into their new residence and preparing to re-open her business. She says she loves the Valley and that people here have been very welcoming.
In addition to offering customers a selection of fine cottons and her own hand dyed wool, Thistlethwaite says she will also do longarm quilting to order. (Above: her longarm machine) Blue Heron Quilt Shop hours of business are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, and the shop is also open by appointment Tuesday and Wednesday. Her website blueheronquiltshop.com gives a sense of her warm and welcoming enthusiasm.