Biography

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A former elementary school teacher, Deborah Schwartzman was introduced to quilting in 1975, when she attended a workshop on teaching patchwork to children. The geometry of quilt making, the fascination of “intersecting possibilities,” appealed to her. Thirty-six years later, it still does.  She is intrigued by the interplay of shapes, lines, colors, textures and stitches; she is a passionate collector of fabric.

Self-taught, Deborah’s early quilts were full sized and functional.  Later she began to use the quilt as a medium for contemporary self-expression: she discovered the diversity and spontaneity inherent in a smaller format. Whether in her garden or studio, nature is her ultimate instructor in color and design and it continually challenges her to observe, rethink, refocus, and stretch in new ways.

In 2015 Deborah began an exploration of the medium of mosaic , specifically working in glass, taking classes at the Main Line art center and being reenergized by a medium that echoes the piecing inherent in quilt-making.

Deborah’s original quilts have traveled to exhibits throughout the United States and Europe, and have been displayed in art galleries.

In 1999 she became the director of ArtQuilts at the Sedgwick renamed ArtQuilt Elements in 2008, and continues to support the mission though no longer the co-director.  She has taught quilting locally and lectures to quilt guilds in the tri state area. Deborah is married and the mother of Rachel, 38, and Daniel 35 and grandmother of Mila 6 and Micah18 months old.