Deborah has been explaining how (and why) to make fabric for many years—through print, slide programs, guild talks, and keynote addresses. In addition to loving textiles, she has devoted large portions of her life to books. Deborah edited textile books and magazines for Interweave Press for fourteen years, including twelve years as editor-in-chief of Spin-Off: The Magazine for Handspinners. She also edited Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot for the Handweavers Guild of America and served as production editor for the University of Massachusetts Press.

Having experimented in depth with many fiber techniques, she has concentrated on knitting, spinning, weaving, and crochet. She has exhibited weavings and multi-technique pieces in juried and one-person shows. A strong believer in creative problem-solving and personal empowerment through crafts, she advocates for the conservation of rare breeds of sheep and of the rich textile knowledge that humans have developed over millennia.

An essayist and short-story writer, she is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Colorado Authors’ League, Publishers Association of the West, and the Independent Book Publishers Association, and has also served as a member of the board of directors for the Colorado Authors’ League and the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.