Pat Syta started sewing when she was about twelve years old. In 1991 she began quilting when a friend she worked with talked her into taking her first quilting class. Pat was to make an eight-block sampler, but eight blocks weren’t enough of a challenge, so Pat made an eighteen block queen sized quilt, which she still sleeps under.

The quilt bug hit hard. Two years after her first class, Pat began teaching at a local shop in Anchorage, Alaska. Teaching beginners is her specialty, but she loves traveling, teaching to all levels of students and taking challenging classes herself.

Pat promptly became active in three guilds when moving to Colorado. Along with some friends Pat started Parker Piecekeepers Quilt guild in Parker, became director of Quilt Colorado in 2012, and was Program Chair of Arapahoe County Quilters.

Pat has authored two books: Bear’s Paw Plus, published by Martingale, and Red at Night under her Piece by Piece Memories company.

Mimi Hollenbaugh started quilting in 1983 and since then has almost never been without a project (or two or three) on the go. Her first love is applique, but finds that she is drawn to many forms of quilting and needle work.

Although Colorado became home in 1993, she and her family found themselves taking advantage of an opportunity to live and work in England for two years in 2002. That opportunity lasted for almost ten years (!) but in 2011 they returned to Colorado.

While in the UK, besides working and teaching at Puddleduck’s Quilt Shop, Mimi designed quilts for Makower Fabrics, which were featured in British Patchwork and Quilting and Fabrications magazines. Additionally, she co-authored and published a book of children’s quilts in the UK entitled Good Night Sleep Tight.