A leading figure in the publishing industry, Phyllis Hoffman DePiano was Chairman of the Board and founder of Hoffman Media, LLC. A native of Alabama and a graduate of the University of Alabama in Birmingham, she began her career as a Certified Public Accountant with a nationally known firm before founding Just CrossStitch magazine and a special-interest publication company in 1983 that is now known as Hoffman Media.

Phyllis was recognized industry-wide as a savvy businesswoman and talented entrepreneur. She served as the creative engine of the company, producing magazines that define and celebrate women’s lifestyles, including Southern Lady, TeaTime, Taste of the South, Cooking with Paula Deen, Victoria, The Cottage Journal, Classic Sewing, and more. A passionate sewist and quilter with an amazing stash of fabrics and notions, Phyllis delighted in making things for others and especially treasured needlework, quilts, and other textiles handed down through her family or given to her by others. She worked wholeheartedly to bring Quilt Street to fruition but passed away less than two months before this digital resource for quilters was launched. Her legacy of creating beautiful things and of inspiring and educating others to do the same will live on through all the people and brands she touched.