Pat Sloan

Pat Sloan has been creating since she was a child. Some of us have a need to make things and Pat is one of those people. From the first shoebox dioramas to sketches for a fabric line, there has always been creative energy flowing. Her 'first' professional life was working with computers as a programmer for various companies, eventually moving into project management. At about the age of 40, Pat decided there might be something else out there for her and she went looking for it.

Back in 1985 she tried quilting and has never looked back. As a child Pat made doll clothing by hand for her Barbies, had a sewing machine at about the age of 14, sewing lots of clothing (including her wedding dress) until she found quilts. Quilts opened a whole new creative fiber outlet that is still exciting and challenging to this day.

Quilting allows Pat to work in fiber, which is her favorite thing to create with. So when she took the lead to build her own design firm she went with the quilting industry she had grown to love. Writing books and patterns for others to use was soon followed by traveling to teach and lecture. Rounding out her resume are fabric lines and working with several manufacturers on promoting the products she loves!

But all in all Pat loves to motivate others to FEEL creative. There was a point when she did a lot of management work in the computer field and was not making anything. This did not make for a happy camper! Once she realized what the problem was, creating never left her side. With the opening up of the internet and its communities, Pat has built strong groups first at yahoo, now at her forum and on Facebook. She even started the 'Quilters in Second Life' .. a group for quilters in the virtual world of Second life.

In the Quilt World, Pat has published over 20 books, over 100 patterns, has her work published in all the major quilt magazines, and to date has over 8 fabric lines. In 2000 Pat's designs became so popular that she and her husband Gregg formed a design and publishing company called Pat Sloan & Co, which has has become their full-time family business.

Besides working with fiber, Pat loves to meet and learn about people in all fields. She often takes workshops outside her field of quilting to be inspired by others, like beading, painting, and playing with paper.