A familiar brand returned to Minden last week, with Remember Me Quilts Plus opening a new location in the village.
The business is at 146 Bobcaygeon Rd. and is under fresh ownership, with Lois Coltman taking the reins from former proprietor, Allison Mallette, who is retiring after seven-and-a-half years running the store.
“This was a recent opportunity. I’ve been looking for something to do… I’ve done tatting for a lot of years and learned how to quilt when my son was two or three, so been at it for 30 years now,” said Coltman, a teacher who has been on injury leave since March 2025.
It’s a return to Minden for the brand, which initially launched at 105 Bobcaygeon Rd. in 2019. Mallette said she was able to build a strong clientele through the pandemic, making and selling masks and different fabrics to makers across the region.
She relocated to Norland last year ahead of a potential sale to a Coboconk-based buyer, but when that deal collapsed, Coltman stepped up.
The new owner said part of the appeal was taking on a business with an established clientele. Mallette said she has regular customers spread across the Highlands and in Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, Bracebridge and Gravenhurst.
The store will carry different fabrics and materials for quilting, stitching, sewing and more. About 90 per cent of the products offered are sourced from Canada, with popular brands including Northcott in Vaughan, Mook Fabrics from Medicine Hat, Alberta and J.N. Harper textiles out of Quebec.
Coltman said she will also be able to finish quilts others have started in-store using a specialized long-arming technique that requires a computerized machine.
“For those, people have pieced a quilt together, they’ve got the batting, the backing and I do the actual fancy stitching. There are thousands of designs and options for people to choose from,” Coltman said.
She also wants to offer different workshops, getting back to her roots in teaching. She picked up quilting from volunteers during a Quilts for Cancer event in Lindsay in the 1990s and wants to pass what she learned on.
“I have a teaching room in the back, so can get into all kinds of fun techniques. I really want to teach kids – I used to teach sewing with a colleague of mine when I was teaching in the public school system. I feel like with home economics class falling by the wayside, important skills like this aren’t being taught anymore,” Coltman said.
A grand opening is being held October 10. Hours are Tuesday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday.
For more information, visit www.remembermequiltsplus.com.
