About Deb

I am an enthusiastic, obsessive quilt maker.

It all started in the summer of 1981 when I was visiting my husband to be. As we walked by a store front displaying a quilt in DeKalb, Illinois I decided that before I would be married, I would make a quilt. Well several hundred quilts later, I am still producing quilts and working hard to guide as many others as possible into the art and craft of quilt making.

In my background I have had many experiences that have helped me in my quilting career. A brief venture into Architecture while attending The Pennsylvania State University enhanced my technical drafting abilities, which aid greatly with the development of my tools for quilters. A BS degree in education from the same school provided me with the professional knowledge of how to run an informative classroom, set objectives, introduce educational material, and how to work with various skill levels . Teaching children in a public school setting for 15+ years gave me a chance to learn how to deal with many different learning styles and become flexible in a classroom situation. But most of all, my experiences in a classroom have taught me that if fun is part of the equation, learning will be the end result.

Over the years I have lived in a number of different locations. In the late 80's, while living in Binghamton, NY I had a chance to work as the pattern editor for two fledgling quilting magazines, namely Quilting Today and Traditional Quiltworks. While living in Springfield, VT I had a chance to become involved with the Vermont Quilt Festival as a teacher and judge, the Green Mountain Quilters (Vermont's state quilt guild)as president, and Fletcher Farm School for the Arts and Crafts as summer time quilting guru. All of this involvement with quilting took place in conjunction with a full time public education, teaching career.

In 1999 my passion became my full time career. I was able to devote extended time to development of original designs and I became an expert at refining the methods and procedures that were being developed in the quilt world. Increasing machine piecing efficiency became my trademark and I conducted many classes to that end.

In 2004 while teaching several quilt camps for Threads Galore quilt shop in Rangeley, Maine, my idea for streamlining the construction of the Hunter's Star pattern was being hatched. With the help of a number of faithful students who kept asking how could we... and why can't we... I worked sketched the Rapid Fire Hunter's Star ruler on a sheet of paper and headed off to make it a reality. About a year later I had a refined tool and an easy method for working with this traditionally difficult design. The next step was to apply for and receive a patent on said tool and the rest so they say is history.

I now have two different Rapid Fire Hunter's Star rulers available as well as several other tools. All are designed to be used by quilters who would like to increase their piecing skills and proficiency. The Tucker Trimmer line of rulers are fast becoming a must have in every quilter's tool kit and the accompanying pattern s for all of my tools continue to excite new and veteran quilters alike.

I look forward to many more years in the quilting world and hopefully many more quilts. And by the way, I am still hanging around with the same "husband to be"! So if you see us at a quilting event, please stop by and say hello.