Welcome to the September edition of Meet the Maker – Designer Spotlight! This month I am excited to introduce Debbie, crochet designer behind MadameStitch. I absolutely love meeting new makers and learning more about them!
Tell us a little bit about yourself…
I’m a wife of many years, a mom to 3 grown children and my little furry princess Daisy, and a grandma to 2 boys. I’ve lived in eastern Pennsylvania for nearly 30 years after growing up in Missouri and living in Texas for a while.
MadameStitch is actually my second career. Last year when the pandemic forced everything to go virtual, I knew it was time to finally retire from singing professionally and teaching voice at the university level to focus solely on MadameStitch. I’m like a kid in a candy shop, exploring all kinds of new things as I learn about the business of crochet!
How long have you been crocheting?
I’ve been crocheting for 50 years. My grandma taught me how to crochet and I instantly fell in
love with it. The only time I slowed down was while my kids were young.
What types of patterns do you design?
I love to design scarves and cowls, baby blankets, and anything that includes a traditional granny square. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with garments – sweaters and vests – and hope to add them to my library of patterns soon.
Is there anything in particular that inspires your designs?
I get my inspiration from everywhere – fashion catalogs, other crochet designers, yarns I love,
stitch patterns, color combinations – you name it. It’s amazing what can trigger an idea in my
head…and keep me up at night!
What is the main reason that you crochet?
I crochet because I love it so much, full stop. Not a day goes by that I don’t crochet. It’s my
respite at the end of a workday, it starts every day while I have my first cup of coffee, and it fills the stressful gaps during the day. I feel utterly compelled to give crocheted gifts at every opportunity and I’m kind of known for it. My baby blankets are always a favorite gift.
How did you decide on your maker name?
Weirdly, I was discussing my plans to turn crochet into a business with my massage therapist during a massage. When she threw out “MadameStitch”, I knew that was it because it perfectly represented my two careers with one name – professional singing and crochet.
Do you have a favorite pattern you designed and why?
Every piece I design has something special about it that I love. If I were to name a couple of
designs, though, I would have to say the Blissful Blocks baby blanket because of its modern,
unusual look (I got so many compliments when I gifted it) and the Granny Square Scarf because,
well, I adore granny squares, and the colors are gorgeous.
To view the pattern. click on the photo below.
What do you love most about being a crochet designer/maker?
I’ve always been a creator. I learned to sew as a kid and made all of my own clothes, including
my wedding dress. My long-time career as a professional classical soloist and voice teacher
meant I was always creating beautiful music. Now, I get to play with yarn and stitches all day
long, at least when I’m not working at my computer, of course! I absolutely love figuring out what stitches and patterns bring out the gorgeous features of the yarn and highlight the colors.
What do you love least about being a crochet designer/maker?
Honestly, if I could crochet all day long and leave the rest to someone else, I would be a very happy camper. I spend way too much time in front of the computer. Although, I have to admit
that the inner tech geek in me isn’t so unhappy when I have to be my own IT guy!
Is there any helpful advice you could give someone just learning to crochet?
Be patient and stick with it. Crochet doesn’t necessarily come easily to everyone but, if you
really want to learn, you can! There are so many fabulous resources out there to help with the journey. Crochet is such a beautiful art form; it deserves commitment and practice.
When you are not crocheting, what are you most likely doing?
I spend lots of time with family. I’m so lucky to have my children and grandchildren close by so
we do lots of cooking/eating, playing board games, hiking the nearby trails together. And, every day includes a lot of walking with my miniature Aussie-doodle, Daisy.
What is your favorite type/weight of yarn to work with and why?
I gravitate to DK and worsted weight yarns. Anything lighter or heavier than those two seem difficult for me to work with. I love DK because I can find gorgeous indie-dyed yarns in
luxurious colors and the resulting drape can be stunning. I love worsted weight the most, though, probably because it was all I knew for so long. It’s the perfect weight for granny squares, which I make for a lot of projects.
Do you have a favorite place to crochet?
Anywhere I can crochet is my favorite place! However, I would have to say my recliner is the
comfiest.
Do you have any upcoming designs or new plans in the future as a maker?
I have at least 3 beanie patterns and one poncho pattern that I’ll be relea
I have a few projects in various design stages – a pocket shawl, a hooded vest, a triangle shawl –
that I hope to have out this season. I’ve also been contemplating how I might develop a
charity/donation component to my business. I’ve always had a heart for giving crochet to others and using it to help in times of need.
If you could create with any other medium (other than yarn), what would it be?
I think I’d have to say photography. There are so many ways to capture people and nature
through photography that, if I had the time to really dive in, I think it would be a wonderful
hobby.
Debbie also offers crochet tech editing services. You can find out more about that HERE.
For more patterns and cozy granny square inspired creations from MadameStitch, check out Debbie’s Website!
You can find MadameStitch on the following platforms: Instagram , Etsy and Ravelry
Do you love granny squares? You can also signup for her her email list and keep in touch with her for more granny square inspiration HERE.
I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about Debbie, from MadameStitch in this month’s edition of Meet the Maker – Designer Spotlight!
If you would like to view some of my free patterns, you can check them out HERE.
