Jan McGrath grew up in a small farming community in Indiana that was miles from most major retail outlets. It’s no wonder that a cash register was her favorite toy, as most shopping excursions involved the entire family traveling for the whole day. Sewing was a creative outlet for Jan, her mother, and her grandmother. Every fall involved a trip to the city to buy fabric for new school clothes. After graduating from high school, the drama of college was overshadowed by the opportunity to take classes in sewing, tailoring, pattern drafting, costuming, and upholstery. A marketing degree seemed to round out the picture, and Jan’s career in retail was launched. Managing stores, opening stores, moving stores, and finally designing stores for a variety of companies in the craft and fabric industry covered Jan’s next eighteen years. The launch of Bits ‘n Pieces quilt shop put an end to the moving lifestyle and allowed Jan the chance to launch programs, classes, and events for quilters in Northwest Indiana. The greatest joys of this adventure were bringing in fun topics from all over the world and seeing quilters form lasting friendships based on their love of the artistry and each other, much like the friendship she developed with Diana, her coauthor and fellow designer and teacher.