In the language of flowers, violets symbolize faithfulness. While blue violets say “I'll always be true” and signify constancy, white violets depict modesty or the desire to “take a chance on happiness.” However, to Debbie Beaves and Patricia Day, owners of The Violet Patch, Inc., violets carry a very special meaning.

Growing up eight years apart, Debbie and Pat discovered a special friendship as adults that extended beyond their sisterly bond. With hundreds of miles now separating them and a desire to nurture their friendship, they created The Violet Patch, Inc. in 1996, honoring their maternal Grandmother, Stella Wilson, and her love of violets as well as hinting at the basic concept of the company - patchwork. Grandma Wilson also fostered a love of violets in both girls, with Pat boasting 21 true violets in her garden's collection and each adding varieties as they come across them.

Debbie, the designer and author behind The Violet Patch, has been quilting and teaching for over 25 years. As a young mother of five, Debbie taught herself to piece and the delicate skill of hand-quilting. It wasn't long before her talent for both was noticed and she began teaching. From her first classes, her ability to blend visually stunning designs with highly detailed and easy-to-follow patterns made her a favorite among her students. Her love of quilting is infectious and seems to create new quilters every day. Born and raised in Utah, she now resides in Vancouver, Washington (since 1991). She was product development manager for the Connecting Threads catalog for over seven years and has contributed to many quilting magazines. Designing fabric for quilters for RJR Fabrics and creating patterns for her new collections keeps her plenty busy these days.

Pat, on the other hand, had very little sewing experience at the time the company was formed, dutifully using her $100 sewing machine to make mutilating repairs to torn clothing, which then had to be thrown away. With a background in business and the simple desire to enter into a venture with her sister and friend, she took over the production, distribution, and bookkeeping aspects of the company from Sandy, Utah. We are pleased to say that Patricia is now an intermediate level quilter, and replaced her $100 sewing machine with a nice little Featherweight. In fact, she now collects Featherweights and owns eight. She also helps test and edit patterns and her quilting skills have developed into a passion for quilts. We all know that is, after all, the natural progression of things.