Deborah McGuire – Historian, Writer, Maker & Curatorial Advisor.

Deborah McGuire is an historian, writer, teacher and hand quilter based at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, London. Her work presents the historical British quilt as an emotional object.

Deborah’s thesis, titled ‘Emotional Journeys. The British Quilt in Space and Time 1780-1920’, is supervised by Professor Joanne Begiato Associate Dean of Research, Professor Charlotte Hodes Professor of Fine Art and Dr Sara Chong Kwan, Senior Lecturer in Cultural and Historical Studies at London College of Fashion for the University of the Arts London. See Academic Outputs for Debs’ published work or Press and Media for her ongoing public facing engagement programme.

Debs’ research partnership Within the Frame with Art Historian Dr Jess Bailey, University of Edinburgh combines academic research with active practice and preservation, honouring the intergenerational exchange of technical, artistic, and embodied knowledge inherent to working at a quilt frame. Within the Frame bridges the past, present, and future of this unique heritage craft working as an advisory partner to NGO Heritage Crafts and is committed to connecting the next generation of hand quilters with the nuanced historical contours of the artform. Within the Frame joins quilters, academics, and museum professionals with archives, collections, and living practitioners. This academic partnership refocuses how we tell stories of quilting communities in the British Isles, while encouraging the creative evolution of frame hand quilting in the present.

Deborah was awarded the Patron’s Award for Endangered Crafts at the 2025 Heritage Crafts Awards for her advocacy work supporting the skill of hand quilting in the frame through her work with Within the Frame. The award was presented at Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire in November 2025, at an event supported by Wentworth Woodhouse and The Royal Mint. The award was chosen by the King and bestowed by the King Charles III Charitable Fund.

Deborah McGuire, Winner of The Patron’s Award for Endangered Crafts 2025, endowed by HM King Charles III and presented by representatives of Heritage Crafts and King Charles Charitable Fund, November 2025. Image courtesy of Robert Wade.

Deb is a traditional handquilter, sewing British vernacular inspired modern new work on an extant Welsh quilt frame from 1900. Deb is a passionate advocate of the tradition of framed handquilting. Deb taught quilt making and now works as a mentor for artists and makers using the frame. You can read about her own quilt practice here and explore the name PlainStitch here.

Deb contributes to magazines, podcasts, radio shows and YouTube, and writes a quarterly column for The Quilter Magazine called ‘Modern Notes on Quilting’, reflecting on the quilting community today through the lens of the traditions of the British quilting past.

Deborah is an appointed Advisor to The Quilt Collection of The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles and offers mentorship through the Arts Council for traditional quilt making methods to artists and craftspeople.

Deb originally trained and worked as an international FMCG marketeer, and has since been an entrepreneurial pattern designer, patchwork and quilting teacher, long arm quilter, and quilt shop owner, company director, museum advisor and academic. 

Deb is a member of the AQSG American and BQSG British Quilt Study Groups.

Contact: deb@plainstitch.co.uk.