Conversations with Industry Experts and fellow Sewing and Embroidery Enthusiasts just like YOU!
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I'd like you to meet my friend Denise Holguin, Managing Editor of Designs in Machine Embroidery Magazine . . . also known as Blue Hair Girl!
Hello Denise! Thanks for taking time to give us a glimpse into a day in the life of Denise!
We met exactly eight years ago when I wrote my very first article for issue #55. That was the beginning of a cherished relationship! I'm sure readers are already curious about Blue Hair Girl and have lots of questions about you and the work you do to make a magazine come to life. Let's get started . . .
First and foremost, can you fill us in on your own personal stitching story?
We met exactly eight years ago when I wrote my very first article for issue #55. That was the beginning of a cherished relationship! I'm sure readers are already curious about Blue Hair Girl and have lots of questions about you and the work you do to make a magazine come to life. Let's get started . . .
First and foremost, can you fill us in on your own personal stitching story?
Shortly before being hired at DIME, my mom taught me how to sew log cabin quilts. I loved making them so much, I sewed 20+ quilt tops. The colors, the variations in laying out the blocks and the structure all spoke to my interests. I felt productive, creative, and inspired to do more!
Wow! Twenty plus is a lot of quilt tops! Fast forward to now, do you have a favorite style of sewing or machine embroidery or are you like many of us in that you like to dabble in a variety of different categories?
I toy with ideas intermittently but I usually catch the creative bug and then focus on one category. When I do sewing related projects, they are limited to rectangular or square shapes and quilts fit that category perfectly! Admittedly, I’m not an experienced seamstress. Fortunately, ready-wear gives me the chance to embellish with embroidery without having to sew clothing from scratch.
Many machine embroidery enthusiasts love making gifts for others. Do you have any "go to" gifts that you use over and over again for gift giving?
I've made small lap quilts, keepsake pillows, baby bibs, and on occasion a onesie or two. Like many others, I have a difficult time making the gift and giving it in a timely fashion (before the baby has grown out of the onesie, for instance!)
Here's an example of a favorite little onesie I made awhile back.
My go-to gift that is the least “risky” is framing a meaningful embroidery design, like this “I survived Quicksand Mountain” framed art.
I'm sure there is a very interesting story behind that gift! Can you tell us how you made the design?
Oh yes, there's a story behind every stitch! This particular piece is a one-of-a-kind gift with specific meaning to the recipient. I put the design together with software using a mix of font styles to make it interesting. Stitching a memory with meaningful words is something I love to do!
Here is yet another favorite piece, stitched with lots love. Both of these "works of art" prove that gifts can be simple. After all, it's the thought that counts, right? For me, that's what’s so fun about machine embroidery. You can make something very personalized, and make memories that last a long time!
I'm eager to find out about your new nickname of Blue Hair Girl and what that's all about! Please . . . do tell!
HA! I like to describe it as a fresh and quirky approach to embroidery.
Click on the Blue Hair Girl image to learn more. Blue Hair Girl is brand new. It has but one goal, to present unconventional products that are fun and ignite creativity in machine embroidery enthusiasts. My initial collection called Patch Celebration commemorates 15 years of working with Eileen Roche at Designs in Machine Embroidery. Each patch or badge of honor, celebrates machine embroidery obstacles, triumphs, and general mess making!
Embroidery enthusiasts are always looking for new things aren't we :-) Speaking of new, you have the opportunity to get an up-close look at projects submitted from many different designers who contribute to the magazine. Seeing so many different projects on a regular basis must be a lot of fun. Do you find yourself wanting to try out these new techniques in your own sewing space?
Yes! It’s like Christmas morning every time projects come to my office. Imagine getting to open boxes with projects that our writers have carefully and expertly made. Looking at the projects is a reflection of how the writer thinks and expresses their creativity. While I am not as talented or skilled as our writers, I do like to adapt the ideas to my own skill level. I think it’s important to remember that projects can be easily adapted. They serve as a springboard to your own creation and interpretation.
Outside of the magazine, where do you find inspiration for new projects and ideas?
Inspiration is everywhere. I enjoy going to museums, talking with friends to see what interests them, observing nature, window shopping and of course looking at what’s trending online.
Every weekend I'm at a state or national park. To disconnect from work I like to soak in the wonders of nature. I’m usually hauling tons of camera equipment and a case of miniatures to photograph. On one hand I'm far away from work but in the back of my mind I'm thinking about it and gathering new inspiration from my surroundings.
Beyond that, product packaging, and even television commercials have inspired me with new ideas. If you can find that "switch" in your head to soak everything in as inspiration you’d be amazed at what you can do!
Every weekend I'm at a state or national park. To disconnect from work I like to soak in the wonders of nature. I’m usually hauling tons of camera equipment and a case of miniatures to photograph. On one hand I'm far away from work but in the back of my mind I'm thinking about it and gathering new inspiration from my surroundings.
Beyond that, product packaging, and even television commercials have inspired me with new ideas. If you can find that "switch" in your head to soak everything in as inspiration you’d be amazed at what you can do!
Great advice! I bet you have a few stories about projects that didn't go quite the way you planned them.What’s the most challenging item you have ever sewn or embroidered?
HA! We could all list a few challenges, that's for sure. This one is fresh in my mind, it's from Volume 103 March/April 2017. I started it 4 years ago and planned on making a quilt but then the quilt blocks morphed into placemats. Then, I decided the placemats needed a coordinating quilt. The quilted wall hanging you see here features dozens of 3D flowers.
Placemat designs are from the Stipple Fab Flowers and Medallions Quilt block collection by DIME.
I didn’t have a pattern or a solid plan when I jumped into making the quilt. Instead, I let the ideas evolve. On top of that, when I started the project I didn’t have all the skills necessary to complete it. But over time I developed them because it became important that I finish what I started. I hadn’t ever done binding (for the placemats or quilt) but I surprised myself by learning. There were many bumps along the way and the quilt is far from perfect but I'm happy to say it’s complete and I have it proudly on display at work.
It's beautiful Denise! I’m guessing that being the Managing Editor at DIME (short for Designs in Machine Embroidery), means you wear many different hats. Would you care to describe a few of them?
We are a small but mighty team at DIME! As Managing Editor, I’m responsible for much of the content in the bi-monthly publication. This includes assigning projects and articles to our writers, receiving projects, planning photo shoots and editing articles too! To add to that, I’ve recently started a couple regular magazine features including Subtle Tees and A Closer Look. It’s a hefty responsibility but it’s very much a team task and it brings me much joy.
Whew! It sounds like you keep quite busy! Do you have a favorite task in
that long list of responsibilities?
that long list of responsibilities?
Hmmm, That's a bit hard to answer! I like the structure of planning and organizing content for the magazine. I sleep better at night knowing I have plenty of content assigned to our writers to fill our pages! (My worst nightmare is having blank pages in the magazine!) I also enjoy the process of creating and experimenting with my own projects. I think it’s important to roll up my sleeves and use the equipment and tools our readers use. It keeps the ideas fresh and helps me relate to our readers.
T-shirts are such a popular item for embroidery and I love the way you present such a mix in your Subtle Tees column. Can you tell us more about how you got started with this?
With 100 issues in our history, we have certainly seen changes and improvements. The early days of machine embroidery were marked with teddy bears and cartoonish animals on t-shirts. There’s nothing wrong with these themes but we’ve come a long way since those days! Technology changes. Fashion and styles have changed. Social media influences us more than ever. Even though the overall concept is the same – I’m embroidering on a T-shirt – I think there are many opportunities to explore and ways to appeal to more youthful tastes. My goal for Subtle Tees is to make a T-shirt that my friends (various age groups, male and female) would want to wear. In short, to present interesting and fun ways to stitch a T-shirt.
Here are a few examples of fun and funny Tees :-)
Click on the image for a free design suitable for photo buffs.
Click on the image for a free Glitter & Kitsch design!
I look forward to reading your articles, especially because you always show some great tips and tricks. Can you share a few of your favorite T-shirt tips with us?
Sure! Today there are so many readily available tools that make embroidering on a t-shirt, (and other items for that matter) easier ever! Success is much easier now, for me and everyone else!
Tip #1: I like to use basic blue tape to clearly mark the center of my shirt. Then I make use of a placement guide to help with positioning the design.
Tip #2: Templates are an embroiderer's best friend and I use them a lot! On this shirt I aligned the template using the center mark as a guide. Special "sticky" paper keeps the template in place and makes placement in the exact center virtually foolproof.
Tip #2: A target sticker helps me pinpoint the placement when I get the shirt hooped and take it to the machine. Make sure the needle position points to the center of the Target Sticker and your design will stitch where you planned it.
Make an effort to learn to use the tools for your particular machine to find this center point. While I have access to the top-of-the-line machines that can scan for the Snowman, I usually use more basic machine models, or I purposely skip the fancy features when I use top-of-the-line machines. I do this because not everyone has access to the machines with all the bells and whistles.
Make an effort to learn to use the tools for your particular machine to find this center point. While I have access to the top-of-the-line machines that can scan for the Snowman, I usually use more basic machine models, or I purposely skip the fancy features when I use top-of-the-line machines. I do this because not everyone has access to the machines with all the bells and whistles.
You included a few photos from your feature article called A Closer Look. The little quilt and the miniature man below are too cute!!! When my magazine arrives I usually flip to this page first because it always makes me smile!
I know photography is another creative outlet for you. Can you tell us more about the miniatures?
I know photography is another creative outlet for you. Can you tell us more about the miniatures?
A Closer Look lands on the last page of the magazine. It also makes an appearance on Eileen’s Machine Embroidery Blog, Instagram, Facebook and the Designs Plus Newsletter.
It combines two of my favorite personal hobbies with work. I have always loved miniatures and photography but never dreamed I would merge them with machine embroidery! The miniatures are H-O scale and N Scale – the type of miniatures used for model trains. They are very tiny, not easy to handle, easy to lose and are my prized treasures!
Quite frankly, photos like the bobbin man below give me a chance to be a little silly and portray the creative life in miniature form. It is not without it's own set of challenges, like getting all my "models" to hold steady as I photograph them!
It combines two of my favorite personal hobbies with work. I have always loved miniatures and photography but never dreamed I would merge them with machine embroidery! The miniatures are H-O scale and N Scale – the type of miniatures used for model trains. They are very tiny, not easy to handle, easy to lose and are my prized treasures!
Quite frankly, photos like the bobbin man below give me a chance to be a little silly and portray the creative life in miniature form. It is not without it's own set of challenges, like getting all my "models" to hold steady as I photograph them!
The little guy trying to untangle the bobbin makes me laugh but also reminds me that mistakes can and do happen to all of us. Can you name a few of your favorite tips or tools for mistake proof machine embroidery?
The Snap Hoop Monster is one of my all time favorite tools. Truly, until DIME invented this, I wasn’t overly motivated to embroider in a big way. For me, hooping with a traditional hoop was sometimes unpleasant and unforgiving. But the Snap Hoop Monster made it so easy and pleasant that I couldn’t resist.
I was always taught that you shouldn't tug on the hooped fabric because you’ll get puckered embroidery. But with Snap Hoop Monster, the frame is flat and magnetic. You can tug and rearrange the fabric all you want without compromising the outcome of your project. This example shows a large hoop but the Snap Hoop comes in smaller sizes to accommodate a variety of machine brands and models.
You are a wealth of knowledge and inspiration Denise! Every question I ask makes me think of three more! We may have to do a sequel one day :-)
Before we say goodbye, what advice would you give to those who are really new to machine embroidery and are afraid of making mistakes?
Before we say goodbye, what advice would you give to those who are really new to machine embroidery and are afraid of making mistakes?
I find that I have a critical voice in my head but I have learned to ignore it or at least muffle the sound! Some of my best mistakes have turned in to opportunities.
I also learned late in life that people that appear to have everything together aren’t necessarily perfect when you look a little deeper! Someone else's approach to a project shouldn't stop you from achieving success using your own methods. The creative process is a never-ending learning process. Start out with small accomplishments and focus on the overall goal, building your skills. To sum it up I would say embrace your own style and don't waste time by not trying or by worrying what others will think!
I also learned late in life that people that appear to have everything together aren’t necessarily perfect when you look a little deeper! Someone else's approach to a project shouldn't stop you from achieving success using your own methods. The creative process is a never-ending learning process. Start out with small accomplishments and focus on the overall goal, building your skills. To sum it up I would say embrace your own style and don't waste time by not trying or by worrying what others will think!
Your message of encouragement rings true for all of us! Thank you for taking time from your incredibly busy schedule to tell us more about yourself and give us a behind the scenes glimpse at DIME. More than ever, I appreciate the effort it takes to produce each issue of the magazine! Keep up the good work Denise!
Thank you, Joanne for this opportunity. You have been a very valuable part of our team of writers and I’m grateful to know you!
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Resources: Visit your local sewing machine dealer and ask about ordering these specialty items from Designs in Machine Embroidery.
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