Debbie is a textile designer, hand-dyer, author and tutor. With over 30 years’ experience, she is happy to undertake pattern design commissions for knitwear and crochet. An expert hand-dyer, she works with natural and synthetic dyes on both yarn and fabric and has a particular interest in researching dyes in the 1800-1900’s.
Debbie has 6 books and over 120 articles published in major magazines and welcomes requests for articles, how-to features, technical and research articles, video tutorials and books.
Debbie is a director of Making Futures CIC, a social enterprise that aims to build confidence, wellbeing and self-esteem through creative activity. Making Futures works with community groups, schools, colleges and third sector organisations to deliver a wide range of workshops, classes, City & Guilds, Arts Award and Artsmark.
An experienced retailer and designer-maker Debbie also offers business mentoring and start-up advice to new creative enterprises. In particular she works with individuals who face barriers to employment, working with them to set up home-based creative businesses that allow them to achieve their potential whilst having regard to any specific needs they may have.
Debbie is a partner in online retail company, DT Craft & Design. Arising from Debbie’s first book, Hand-dyed Yarn Craft Projects, the company was set up in 2006 to sell natural and synthetic dyes, undyed yarns, equipment, kits, books and other products featured in the book.
It is always difficult when someone asks what I do for a living since there are many strands to my creative work (or I have fingers in many pies as some have said!).
Above all I see myself as a passionate lover of textiles – whether that is as a learner, educator, researcher, collector, sharer or maker I’ll happily talk textiles ‘til the cows come home and beyond.
Here I share some of the facets of my textile practice. Feel free to have a nosy around and see what inspires me and explore what I can do to inspire you and/or the people you work and play with.
Live life in colour!
Debbie Tomkies
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever” Mahatma Gandhi
