The Company

Bio coming soon...

My first memory of stitching is weaving colourful yarn through the mesh of an onion bag. I was five. My mother encouraged my early projects with bits of fabric, fine thread and proper sharp needles. She was an accomplished maker---sewing, embroidery, knitting, crochet---even macrame. This was after all the 70s! What I inherited from her is a deep respect for traditional techniques updated for today's maker.

I consider myself a maker. Life would be unendurable for me if I couldn't make things. And making things by hand using exquisite textiles and fine thread provides me with the greatest pleasure.

Teaching is also a pleasure. To sit, share, and stitch with others is deeply important to me. I enjoy thinking about how to best present a technique which will help students enjoy early success but also ignite their desire to go deeper. I seek to play a small role in elevating the dignity of making by hand.

I look forward to sharing traditional and new techniques in all areas of textile arts, quilt-making, embroidery, bag-making and accessories.

Growing up, I was surrounded by sewers skilled at making clothes and quilts out of scrap materials. It
was at the age of four that one of those sewers, my aunt, equipped me with the needle, embroidery
thread, cloth and basic techniques required to make my first stitches. In junior high, I added another tool
to my sewing repertoire when I learned how to use a sewing machine in my home economics class. With
access to a machine at home, I was able to further this skill making clothes and other projects. Through
the years I have increased my skills in embroidery, knitting, cross stitch and anything else that involves
needles and thread. While I started making quilts in my 20s, it wasn’t until I started taking classes at
Earthly Goods in 2000 that I started to improve my skills. In 2004, I added another tool, combining my
professional computer skills with my passion for quilting, and learning to use Electric Quilt to design my
own quilts. EQ8 has proven to be a valuable tool in helping me design more complicated quilts, and I
have thoroughly enjoyed growing my quilting ability and using my EQ8 knowledge as I am now in
retirement.

When I started quilting I was lucky enough to be mentored by a great group of women who introduced me to many quilting and fiber art techniques. I was captured by the idea of applique and the ability to tell a story through quilting.

I enjoy the tranquility of hand applique and watching a story come to life stitch-by-stitch. I do both traditional and pictorial applique and was so pleased to have one of my quilts juried into Quilt Canada. I believe in continual learning, so I continue to explore new applique techniques and constantly challenge myself. I really enjoy sharing my knowledge with others.

Live a Great Story…Corey has been an artist in one way or another since he was a small child. Growing up in the small fishing village of Bellevue, 90 kms west of St. John's, NL, he was very lucky to be surrounded by inspiring natural beauty. Bellevue is a close-knit community of approximately 350 residents and is the quintessential example of “it takes a village.” As a child, Corey was part of the church choir and community concerts, spent hours outside exploring, building, creating, and finding the odd bit of trouble to get into.
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In 1999, Corey graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a Bachelor of Music (vocal performance) Degree and a Bachelor of Education Degree. He spent nine years teaching in the public-school systems in both Newfoundland and Alberta. Today, Corey sings baritone with Greenwood Singers, a semi-professional choir based in Edmonton.
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In 2008, Corey completed a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Washington, Seattle. Upon completion of this program, he embarked to start a consulting company in the IT sector. In addition to IT consulting, Corey also co-owns ReGenesis (a medical practice) with his husband, Lloyd.
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Needing an outlet for his creative side, Corey found quilting in the Fall of 2014. He was inspired to make his first quilt after seeing a quilt his Mama had completed. His Mama’s quilt was a pinwheel pattern that she built with love and passion. Corey has since been engaged across North America as a presenter, teacher, and lecturer. He recently was selected to teach three of his original patterns at Quilt Canada in Vancouver 2022, as well as numerous teaching and guest performances at guilds across the country. He is also a Sew Kind of WonderfulTM certified teacher.
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Corey is thrilled to be part of the teaching faculty at Blue Barn Quilt Co. He’s excited to welcome you into the shop and the classroom!