When a small sewing studio opened at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the goal was simple: create a space where people could gather, take classes, and use top-of-the-line machines to sew, design, and create.
That dream belonged to Katrina O’Neill, who quickly discovered the pandemic had other plans. “Suddenly, we couldn’t have classes or be in groups,” O’Neill said. “So, I downsized, refocused, and leaned into quilting.”
Today, her business, Sew Flippin Creations, is a hub for long-arm quilting in Thunder Bay’s Westfort neighborhood. Customers can rent time on her APQS long armed machine—short for American Professional Quilting System—affectionately named “Millie,” or drop off a quilt top and pick it up, finished and ready to bind, later that same day.
“Quilters are like their own little cult,” she said with a laugh. “They took over my business—and I’m so glad they did.”
O’Neill estimates she serves about 200 rotating customers. Some quilt once a month, others every few years. First-time users take a two-hour class, then book machine time to learn free-motion quilting or laser-guided pantograph techniques.
While some quilts are destined for heirloom status, others—affectionately called “camp quilts”—are made for daily use. O’Neill sees her studio as a supplement to traditional quilting services: faster, more affordable, and hands-on. “There’s magic in the making,” she said. “A quilt is love—it’s a gift you send out into the universe.”
Cross-border Appeal
With U.S. fabric prices rising due to tariffs, O’Neill believes her shop may attract more American quilters this summer. “Even with the exchange rate, Canadian fabric is often cheaper,” she said. “We’re buying the same fabric, just without the 30 percent tariff.”
Some customers from Minnesota and Wisconsin already plan quilt drop-offs while visiting family. Others book time to quilt in-store. And with a 24-hour stay, Americans can return duty-free on purchases up to $500. “Fabric is fabric,” she said. “But our prices might surprise you—and you can finish a quilt in a day.”
A Creative Community
Before launching the business, O’Neill worked in nonprofit fundraising, and had a hobby of sewing costumes. She started Sew Flippin Creations after realizing Thunder Bay lacked a sewing machine dealer. With support from the Community Economic Development Commission, she wrote a business plan and surveyed locals. Interest was strong.
“During COVID, a lot of people returned to baking, gardening, and sewing,” she said. “You can watch YouTube videos, but it’s different to learn from someone who’s skilled.”
Her small classes welcome beginners, self-taught quilters, and those curious about tailoring. Some students gather in small groups just to sew and share techniques. “It’s a mental health service,” she said. “People call this their happy place.”
Quilts are Made to be Used
O’Neill encourages people to actually use their quilts, not keep them tucked away.
She once made a hunting quilt for her son-in-law with special thermal batting. “I told him, ‘Use it. Don’t treat it like a pristine object. If it wears out, I’ll make you another.’”
Two years later, he returned with a tear in the quilt—hoping it could be fixed, not replaced. “That’s the kind of connection people have with these things,” she said. “It becomes part of their life.”
O’Neill said it’s common for people to return with worn quilts for repair, unwilling to part with them. “They’re not always heirlooms when they start, but they become heirlooms over time.”
She recommends washing a quilt before gifting it, so it develops the soft, wrinkled look that’s part of its charm. She recalled a story someone told her of two friends—one who burst into tears, telling the quilter that she’d ruin the gifted quilt by washing and ironing it. The other friend assured her that’s exactly what’s supposed to happen. “That’s what makes a quilt a quilt.”
Men at the Machine
Though quilting is often seen as a woman’s craft, O’Neill has several male customers. “We are a very inclusive environment,” she said. “Nobody is judged by skill level or gender.”
Some men come to quilting through mothers or grandmothers. “They’ll say, ‘I’m building a quilt’—using construction terms. But they’re sponges. They just want to learn.”
She recently watched a short Netflix documentary, The Quilters, about men in prison who took up quilting. “They talk the same way my male customers do. It’s the same thoughtful, creative process—just approached differently.”
If You Go:
Sew Flippin Creations is located at 111 May St. South in Thunder Bay. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday: closed Mondays. Call 807-767-2646 for appointments. To learn more, visit: sewflippincreations.com.
