About Us
I’ve been stitching since I was about 8. I began with embroidery, making doll clothes, string art, knitting, and crocheting. In my early 20s I started doing crewel embroidery, cross stitch, needlepoint, candle wicking, and any kind of combination stitchery project I could find. When we were in Japan, I even did a little Bunka embroidery. My husband retired from the Air Force after 20 years (12 of which were overseas). We were stationed in Italy, Japan, and Germany and took advantage of the opportunities available and travelled around to other countries. After the Air Force, we moved back to Florida as our family is mostly in the Tampa bay area.In 2000, I discovered Brazilian Embroidery and have been fascinated by it ever since. I eventually joined the Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery International Guild (BDEIG) and attended my first seminar in Portland, Oregon in 2003. Soon after that I began teaching Brazilian Embroidery, Romanian Point Lace, Hardanger, Needle Tatting, Needle lace. I was the Nominating Chair for BDEIG in 2005 and 2006, and I began teaching at the annual BDEIG seminar in 2006 and have taught there every year since. I also began designing Brazilian Embroidery designs that same year and started a new business, Deb’s Brazilian Embroidery Lace Art (D’BELA) which I still own. I absolutely love the art, the people, designing, and teaching. In 2007, I became the Membership Chair for BDEIG and still hold that position. In 2008, I bought the Stitchworm store and had it for seven years where I taught classes, continued designing, and picked up knitting again to help customers, did finishing work and taught knitting. In April, 2015, I closed the Stitchworm store, started a new website DBELANeedleWorks.com, and relocated the merchandise to the Fab Fiber store. Now, I am at the Fab Fiber store every Saturday all day. I’m available for teaching classes on Saturdays or any evening during the week.
Deborah ‘Debbie’ Goff
D’BELA Owner