Peggy Bourassa and a Love of Quilting 

                        and Community

If you step into Treasured Times Quilting and Gifts on 10 th Avenue in Forsyth, you are immediately surrounded by color, fabric, completed quilts and busy hands doing projects. This is the domain of Peggy Bourassa and her daughter Nichole, both of whom pride themselves in a business which offers not only excellence but generosity and kindness.

What struck me the most was the motivation behind this business. Advised by a neurologist to counter Nichole’s deterioration from MS with an activity which can retrain the brain by consistent repetition, Peggy got them both involved in quilting, with repetition of cutting, putting “puzzles” together, and stitching in the same way. This pursuit obviously works, as Nichole not only works on projects and helps run the store but also handles the online business.

Peggy was raised in the Peerless area in northeast Montana, attended nursing school, and became a nurse for 50 years, including running an assisted living facility in Billings. Meanwhile, she started Treasured Times in her basement but soon moved to a retail location in Billings. She recently retired from nursing. Meanwhile, her quilting friend and customer Susan Quinlan convinced her, “We need a store!” and the Forsyth store became her focus.

Because Treasured Times not only sells discounted fabric and quilting needs but also offers custom quilting, a typical day for Peggy involves dealing with customers in many ways. They have recently added long arm quilting with a machine which can do computer-generated stitching patterns or be used manually, depending on what works for the current quilt. Many of their best customers are truckers, who want quilts for themselves but also for loved ones.

One project which still stands out was the restoration of a heritage quilt. This quilt hadhorsehair stuffing and had been used to smuggle jewels and money out of Russia to get its owners passage to America. Restoration required taking the quilt apart, finding appropriate fabric to replace some parts, and then resewing. The ladies obviously enjoy the challenge of restoration, which involves creativity and fabrication, ideas which have been mentioned by most of our entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, Peggy continues her love of needlework like embroidery, something thatprovides a relaxing diversion for a nurse. Treasured Times is one of the few stores in this region carrying needlework supplies. She also does wool applique. Her busy days depend on backup from Nichole, and she says her husband helps and can now cut fabric straight! Peggy also notes that she loves seeing what other people create as well.

Those other people include the local quilt guild, which she helps, and people at events, including big ones in Billings, Missoula, Bismarck, Laramie and Gillette. She also sponsors a monthly “Treasured Ties Thread Therapy Weekend” at Rosebud County Library, offering“crafting, community fellowship and fun”. In addition “Glory Stitchers” is an every Wednesday event for anyone doing needlework. Peggy loves this social aspect of the store, with people around the table sharing their work and their camaraderie.

Outreach includes quilts for cancer units, including the Billings Clinic Cancer Unit whereher son works. In addition, they provide donated quilts for teenagers, foster kids and homeless kids, and many for veterans. They do three to five quilts per month for veterans and are working on one per month for veterans in Forsyth.

Quilts provide not only warmth but also beauty and security which can be very therapeutic. Peggy keeps quilts in her car for giveaway and tells of one time when Nichole suggested they stop at a house marked for a veteran. They gave a quilt to the veteran there, who was going through a very difficult time; later they heard from him that the quilt had gotten him through major trauma and on to a better life.

How does Peggy view all of this? Of course, she faces challenges such as the increasing cost of goods and sometimes not finding what she needs. She constantly deals with the amount of work it takes to be a small business owner. All of that considered, she says, “We are so blessed to do what we do.” She is delighted to be in Forsyth, glad to be part of a small rural community. Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to be prepared for five to seven years of really hard work before they see the fruits of their labor.

With their multi-faceted talents and services, Peggy and Nichole Bourassa have fit into the Forsyth and surrounding area communities well. Treasured Times Quilting and Gifts has certainly offered us some genuine treasures.