debbie lachusa

Debbie began sewing at age thirteen, making doll clothes for her grandmother’s vintage doll business. She sewed her own clothes in junior high and high school and even made her and her twin sister’s wedding dresses. After getting married, sewing took a backseat to her career and raising two children.

Eager to find a hobby after retiring and moving to Hendersonville, Debbie enrolled in quilting and fabric arts classes. She began experimenting with her new skills, and the result was AppliQuilt Art. Each piece of Debbie’s art is collaged in colorful batik fabric, appliqué-stitched, machine-quilted, hand-painted, and embellished with beads and sequins to add depth and sparkle. Her work walks the line between realistic representations and colorful, playful, abstract renditions of her subject matter.

A nature lover and avid hiker, Debbie’s art is often inspired by wildlife and the natural beauty of Western North Carolina. Her love of dogs—she was a pet therapy volunteer with her two Golden Retrievers, Hope and Faith, for ten years—inspired her to create Custom AppliQuilt Art Pet Portraits.

Debbie is a member of the Art League of Henderson County. Her art quilt, “Rainbow Buck,” was selected for the 2025-2026 Artscape Banner Program, a public art project displayed on the light poles on Main Street in downtown Hendersonville. Two of her art quilts were selected to be part of the Celebrate Art! juried show, representing artists from NC, SC, GA, TN, and VA.

You can see more of Debbie’s work and contact her at DebbieLaChusa.com/Art