Eleanor Burns

Founder of Quilt in a Day

Travels From Travels From:
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
Categories Categories:
REQUEST BOOKING INFORMATION

Eleanor Burns Biography

Over 30 years ago, Eleanor Burns introduced her first "Quilt in a Day" book, beginning a quilt-making revolution. She invited all types of sewers to participate in an age-old tradition using her unique style; a diverse combination of cutting and sewing applications, which replaced scissors and templates with rips and strips, bringing rotary speed to patchwork. She also introduced an incredibly rapid stitching system, applying the method of assembly-line sewing to piecework. Her concise, step-by-step directions were easy to grasp, allowing anyone to be successful at making a quilt. Eleanor Burns gave quilt makers techniques that compacted months into merely a day -- a quilt in a day. Today, as she continues to passionately devote herself to nurturing and motivating thousands of want-to be quilters with needed self-confidence, her name and techniques have become synonymous with quiltmaking.

Since 1978, when Eleanor self-published that first book "Make a Quilt in a Day: Log Cabin Pattern," she has become a prolific author, revered teacher trainer, popular television personality, and celebrated industry role model. She has authored over 80 additional books that sell at a rate of well over 6,500 per week. She has trained thousands of instructors throughout the world who teach her quiltmaking methods. In 1990, Eleanor pioneered the way people view quiltmaking with television. Her "Quilt in a Day" TV series began airing on PBS and is still broadcasting nationwide and abroad, even teaching in Japan. Adding to all of that, she has developed her own "Signature” fabric lines, several special edition sewing machines, and received numerous awards and recognition for her lifetime of achievements.

The story of how Eleanor became so popular mirrors the process of constructing an heirloom quilt. Her life, like a patchwork quilt assembled from pieces collected over time, has blended into an inspiring and beautiful story. She was born in Pennsylvania in 1945 and quite early on began sewing on a small, crank-handle toy sewing machine. Seeking out any available fabric, she discovered her Aunt Edna’s chicken feed sacks, allowing her hours of stitching time. By 13, she polished her skills up on her mother’s newly purchased green Elna sewing machine. Her childhood brought out an enterprising spirit that was expressed in persistent tenacity. Being dyslexic developed her extraordinary ability to make difficult things simple, and teaching others was a way for her to impart her passion for learning. As a young woman, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Edinboro State College. Her graduate work at Penn State University culminated her preparation to be a special education teacher, and she began teaching for the Pittsburgh school system. In 1967 she met and married Bill Burns and the process of piecing together her work with family life began.

Even though Quilt in a Day is over 30 years old, it is so very contemporary. From the Internet to her ongoing sales of that first book, Eleanor continues to uniquely inspire thousands of quilt makers worldwide everyday, one person at a time. Eleanor Burns and Quilt in a Day will always be a big part of the patchwork community. All the pieces of her life do work well together, so beautifully, bringing quiltmaking an inspiring presence that was meant to be. With the continued help of her son Orion and her sisters Judy and Patricia, she will keep bringing people into every stitch of her life, encouraging them step-by-step throughout her delightful patchwork path. So as Quilt in a Day celebrates over 30 years of quilting, you could say that Eleanor Burns has quilt making nicely sewn-up.

Throughout her career she has published over 104 'How-to' quilt books, developed an Eleanor Burns Signature Pattern Collection and designed a variety of specialty rulers produced to aid the quilter in successfully completing their quilt.

BOOK Eleanor Burns

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 07/02/2024.

Eleanor Burns Books

  • It's Elementary: Quilting Tips and Techniques (Quilt in a Day Series)
    It's Elementary: Quilting Tips and Techniques (Quilt in a Day Series)

FAQs on booking Eleanor Burns

  • How do I book Eleanor Burns to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Eleanor Burns for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Eleanor Burns, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Eleanor Burns or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Eleanor Burns

    Speaking fees for Eleanor Burns, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Eleanor Burns are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Eleanor Burns, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Eleanor Burns speak about?

    Eleanor Burns is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, Home & Decor, Television & Film.
  • Where does Eleanor Burns travel from?

    Eleanor Burns generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Eleanor Burns’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Eleanor Burns for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Eleanor Burns for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Eleanor Burns or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Eleanor Burns is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Eleanor Burns for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Eleanor Burns generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Dr. Jessica Shepherd, Josh Gates, Romesh Ranganathan, David Olusoga and Dwight Nelson. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Eleanor Burns for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

TOP