Tammy founded "TLD Designs" in January of 1986 just one month after graduation from college at the age of 22. Her hope at the time was to be able to follow her heart and sustain herself in textile fabrications and wearable art.
Tammy studied fashion design at both Harper College - Palatine, IL and at Northern Illinois University - DeKalb, IL. Tammy received her degree in Clothing and Textile Science with a minor in Fiber Art in December of 1985. The next month, she began post graduate studies and a graduate assistantship teaching sewing classes and textile/science lab.
While at NIU, in addition to her course load, Tammy received recognition for costume design work on several NIU dance and theatre productions. It was also during her matriculation that she designed and produced hand-woven and knit fabrics for Grass Orchids of Chicago. The designer for Grass Orchids, Paige Mayberry, incorporated one of Tammy's hand woven fabrics into a dress she created for Oprah Winfrey to wear to Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwartzeneger's wedding.
Tammy's focus for the first 10 years was to create original ArtWear pieces and present them to the buying public. Each piece she creates is one-of-a-kind and may include one or more of the following techniques or textiles she, herself, produces: hand weaving, hand and/or machine knitting, hand dyed/painted yarns and fabrics, hand-made felt, laminated felt, recycled sweaters, appliqué, stitching, assemblage, lampworked and/or fused glass.
In June of 1988, in partnership with her mother, JoAnn, Tammy opened her first mini-boutique within a "retail incubator" located in Chicago's historic "Oldtown" neighborhood. From their 50 sq ft retail space, they sold jewelry, apparel, accessories, fine art and home decorative objects. Initially, all items were produced by the pair, but they quickly expanded their boutique space and began to showcase the work of other Chicago area artists whose work they admired.
In May of 1991, Tammy formed another partnership with fellow boutique owner and wearable designer Zully. The two ladies took over the "retail incubator" that housed their boutiques, Chicago Originals, Ltd. Tammy served as the director of operations, overseeing the day to day business activities and the full time staff for the 3 years they continued in this format.
During the fall of 1993, Tammy and JoAnn secured a commercial location in Westmont, IL (a close suburb of Chicago) and The
TLD Design Center & Gallery was created. 
The initial intent for their space was to provide
a gallery setting for their own work and to function as Tammy's working studio. It
was a full year before the Gallery opened to the public and it
was at that time Tammy's husband, Brian Maley, joined in the daily operation of the business.
In the spring of 1995,
in response to repeated inquiries, Tammy began offering creative art classes in
this location. Her very first class was Beginner
Level Weaving Skills. Currently the Design Center offers well over 125 different classes with a team of
5 "core" instructors.
Each year, several specialty workshops are scheduled and lead by nationally
recognized artists.
As Seen In:
Nov/Dec 2006 - "Belle Armoire" Magazine
Article and
featured items by Tammy: Free Hand Felt Lace Sleeveless Wrap Top
together with several scarves.
"Altered Couture" Magazine 2006 (pg 146) Article and featured hats & mittens by Tammy: Recycled Sweater Hats
March/April 2006 - "Belle Armoire" Magazine : "Arboretum Shawl" a felted Silk piece shaped like a Fall Leaf.
Summer 2003 - "Belle
Armoire" Magazine : "Summer Social" a square
brimmed Felted Silk hat and
"Trellis" a Felted Silk, lattice patterned shawl.
As Seen on TV: In November of 2004, Tammy shot two
segments for the HGTV
show "Crafters Cost to Coast" which initially aired on April 19,
2005 and
re-aired on October 13, 2005. The show has been renamed to "That's
Clever" and aired on March 28, 2006. In the
episode, Tammy demonstrates the creation process for her felted silk scarves and
her glass hair/scarf/hat accessory she calls a "Passion Twist"
2008 Prairie State Art Festival : Arlington Park Race Course
2005 LaGrange West End Art Festival / LaGrange, IL
2003 Fall Colors Art Festival : Morton Arboretum / Lisle, IL
Articles and Reviews:
1990 - Bolingbrook Sun : "Bolingbrook woman weaves herself a business" by Karen Kaegebein
1991 - Entrepreneur Magazine : "Hatching a Business"
1991 - Today's Chicago Woman : "Space-Age Entrepreneurs Share your hopes, fears and rent with other in an incubator" by Tammy Deck
1994 -Chicago Tribune : "Meet Tammy Deck, dream weaver" by Nancy Stetson
1995-Daily Herald : "Creative mom, daughter find happiness working together in gallery" by Beth Wilson
2000 - Press Publications : "A gallery grows in Westmont" by Randall Mielke
2000 - Westmont Progress : "Gallery gives home to art in the suburbs" by Tricia Despres
2004 - Chicago Tribune : "Lye or no lye, making soap is a true challenge" by Sandra Swanson
2005 - Reporter/Progress Newspaper : "Westmont artist will be featured on HGTV program" by Dave Fornell
2006 - Reporter/Progress Newspaper : "Artists in Action set for Summer Series" by Allison Swade
2007 - The Doings Newspapers : "Suburban Art Groups are Alive and Well" by Jennifer Larsen Duda
2007 - The Doings Newspapers: "Art Exhibit illustrates what can happen when people take time to be creative" by Sandy Illian Bosch
Tammy is an "Illinois Artisan"
She is a founding member of the
Westmont area Friends of the Arts
and a member of the following guilds / groups
Handweavers Guild of
America
Illinois Prairie Weavers Guild
Tammy's work is available through this website, at the TLD Design Center & Gallery 26 E. Quincy St., Westmont, IL (630) 963-9573, at the Illinois Artisan Shopsat Rend Lake in Southern Illinois at 14967 Gun Creek Trail Whittington, IL 62897-1000 and James R. Thompson Center at 100 W Randolph St Ste: 4-300, Chicago, IL 60601.....as well as, a select number of art festivals in the Chicagoland area.
Click
here to see her art fair schedule
Tammy will be at the Coupeville Arts Center on Whidbey Island in Washington State to teach a 4 day Felting Forum called "Felt Art from the Start" (this does not involve knitting or needling)
Tammy will be at the Gia Rosa Creativity Studio to teach 3 days of felting classes called "Felt Art from the Start". Sign up for one....or all 5 techniques (this does not involve knitting or needling)
Tammy is available to lead workshops in
weaving, dyeing, felting, and Lampwork bead making techniques or to serve as a
guest speaker for groups and guilds. Please inquire for
fees, scheduling and travel discussion. Tammy@TLDDesigns.com