“Aren’t you afraid to cut into that fabric?” It’s a question Patricia Belyea hears often.
“The things we really need to fear in life are much bigger than scissors cutting into fabric,” she explains from her log home in Eastern Washington. “As quilters, our lives are usually low key. So if we can get excited about cutting apart fabric, our hearts race—and we feel alive!”
That fearless spirit drives Patricia’s art, teaching, and life—propelling her forward on an unlikely journey from a downtown business owner to innovative textile artist and international tour leader.

Maurine Noble, (left) and Patricia at the Quilt National in 2009

Friendship and Mentorship

Patricia’s quilting journey deepened when she met Maurine Noble, a renowned teacher two decades her senior. A simple request for help blossomed into a friendship filled with love and mentorship.

“I didn’t just start making quilts. I started a relationship with someone special,” Patricia shares, her voice still catching years after Maurine’s passing in 2013.
“I was always eager to show Maurine what I was making.” Their connection extended beyond fabric and thread—Wednesday nights meant driving half an hour to watch Project Runway with Maurine, sharing popsicles and placing bets on winners—precious time together that sustained them both.

In her early quilting years, Patricia created “quilt sketches”—rapid-fire comfort-sized quilts designed to explore ideas and techniques as quickly as possible. Maurine contributed to the frenzy by continually passing along treasures from her stash of global fabrics.

Innovating with Curved Piecing

Rather than following traditional patterns, Patricia pioneered her signature “inserted curves,” a daring technique taught to fewer than 100 students worldwide so far.
Her method involves building a complete quilt top, then “slashing” into it to insert curved elements. The results are breathtaking: arcs that float across layers of color, rings that pass seamlessly through backgrounds, and curvilinear lines that change color precisely as they cross different elements.
“The world hasn’t seen that before,” she says with quiet certainty.

The Joy of Creative Challenges

Patricia’s teaching is about more than cutting apart fabric—it’s about transformation. “On Day One and Day Five, I have two different people in my workroom,” she notes. “Students arrive carrying responsibilities and preoccupations on their shoulders. By the final day, they radiate with confidence and creative joy.”
Her workshops, with step-by-step instructions, balance careful guidance with bold leaps. “I hold their hands, but I also throw them in the deep end. I want students to choose their own palettes, design their own backgrounds, and invent their own curves.”
The result? Quilters discover themselves through the process—trusting intuition, embracing risk, and reveling in the thrill of making something entirely their own.

Patricia (front) with her youngest daughter and business partner, Victoria at Tōdai-ji in Nara in 2024

An Obsession with Japanese Textiles

Patricia’s fascination with Japanese textiles began serendipitously, through homestay students from Matsuyama. One bolt of yukata cotton led to another, and another, until her growing collection evolved into Okan Arts—a family business importing Japanese fabrics and leading textile tours across Japan.
Many of Patricia’s students also appreciate Japanese textiles.That said, Patricia emphasizes that no Japanese textiles are needed for her Inserted Curves workshop.
To share her love of Japanese textiles, Patricia is bringing a pop-up shop to Estelle—featuring yukata cottons, Japanese wools, and kasuri cottons.

An Invitation to Transform

This April at the Estelle Center, Patricia will teach more than an exciting quilting workshop. She’ll bring inspiration and motivation to transform hesitation into creative energy and obstacles into opportunities.
The workshop focuses on Patricia’s revolutionary method of inserting curves into pieced quilt tops. This technique creates an inlaid effect similar to woodworking—where curved elements integrate seamlessly into backgrounds.
Patricia’s workshop offers a five-day experience filled with enthusiasm, expertise, and encouragement. For those who participate, it’s a time to create something new with their quilting, and maybe even with their outlook on life.