Hoffman Distributing Company Featured Designer

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Blue Ribbon Designs

Designer's Name: Belinda Karls-Nace
Location: West DesMoines, IA
Thank you for participating in our Friday Feature Belinda! Can you start by telling us about your needleart background and what needleart means to you? My family always encouraged my creativity and I remember doing needlework at a very early age. I would watch my grandmother do crewel embroidery and crochet; I have vivid memories of my first crewel embroidery and stamped cross-stitch projects at the young age of six. I learned at an elementary school age to stitch on plastic canvas - I was also taught how to crochet by an elderly neighbor that lived on our street. Throughout my adolescence I focused on art – painting, sculpting, and drawing. I really did not start counted cross-stitching until I was in high school – and it was self-taught – using kits I found at a local hobby store. I guess that was the start of the passion/obsession and career I have today. Over time, I began trying more stitches and techniques, working with various types of fabrics and threads, and researching the history of different types of needlework – I started attending classes and retreats – picking up a generous knowledge of handwork. Needlework is a huge part of my daily life and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be able to work in this industry doing what I truly love!
How long have you lived in West Des Moines and where are you originally from? I was born and raised in small town Iowa and it has a special place in my heart; I really can’t imagine living anywhere else. I grew up in (what used to be) a tiny town called DeSoto, only about 25 minutes from where I live now. For the last fifteen years, I have lived in Des Moines, settling in West Des Moines about six years ago. Iowa has beautiful (but extreme) and colorful seasons - we definitely have a spring, a summer, an autumn, and a winter. I get the best of both worlds living in West Des Moines – the convenience of the city, but the quiet countryside is only a few miles away.
What type/category of designs would you consider your "specialty"? I love early/antique needlework and historical samplers. My designs tend to combine the concept of historical samplers with the styles and colors of today. Personally, I enjoy specialty stitches and stitching over-one; therefore, many of my designs incorporate a touch of these elements. I encourage the needleworker to choose colors and materials that suit their personality and skill level…and try to provide options for personalization and making each piece "their own". A stitcher will also find designs in my catalog with encouraging/inspirational words and phrases - along with many geared towards gift giving. The influence of antique needlework styles and techniques can be seen in all of my designs….just with a little contemporary twist.
	New From Blue Ribbon Designs... Postcard From Paradise If this catchy new design from Blue Ribbon Designs doesn't get you ready for summer nothing will! Various beach/ocean motifs, such as palm trees, flamingos, sea shells, fish, and sand castles adorn this 159 x 144 sampler. Postcard From Paradise utilizes hand dyed floss from Crescent Colours and 40 ct Ivory Linen from Wichelt. Suggested retail price is only $10.00. A small price to pay for a snippet of tropical paradise! *This design will be released June 2nd at the Columbus Needlearts Market
Stitchers seem to have a larger selection of designs from which to choose now more than ever before. What is they key, in your opinion, to producing quality designs that won’t get lost in the shuffle? (Style? Price? Marketing? Materials? All of the above?) What a great question! Obviously, all the factors you mentioned are important when producing a quality design. Nowadays, stitchers are blessed with such a wide variety of patterns and materials – designs need an edge or "wow factor" to stand out. Creativity is an important key – a designer needs unique patterns and concepts – a personal style that fans can seek out when looking to purchase a new design. I believe the stitcher can tell how much time, effort, and love were put into a pattern. A design is going to get lost in the shuffle unless the artist creates something of value. Along with creativity, a designer must maintain integrity and be consistent with each release.
A website is about as commonplace for businesses today as a telephone. How important a role does the world wide web play in our industry and do you see it’s role increasing in the future for shops, consumers, and designers? Needleworkers have become quite Internet savvy – they search for products and patterns online, they make purchases online, and even build stitching friendships online. The world wide web provides a tremendous opportunity for communication, marketing, and promotion – it also allows needleworkers to make informed decisions on patterns, products, and materials. Stitchers can now research products, techniques, designers, and needlework shops…all from the comfort of home. My website is a fundamental part of my business – I update pages weekly, if not daily – this is the easiest way for consumers to find the most current information and details about my designs. It allows me to show my products and communicate with needleworkers worldwide in the most efficient manner. As a designer, it's crucial to realize the Internet is an important tool for attracting and maintaining customers. Designers and needlework shops are utilizing this tool to entice younger generations to pick up a needle, to showcase their products, to gain exposure, and to communicate with customers. Maintaining an Internet relationship is quickly becoming a "must" in the needlework industry.
Can you share a little about your family and are they supportive of your career as a cross-stitch designer? My husband (Travis) is very supportive of my design company – he is a wonderful sounding board – I can always count on him to give me an honest opinion and to encourage me when I need it most. We just celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary last month. Travis has learned quite a bit of cross-stitch lingo over the years, yet it is always entertaining to hear him trying to explain to people about my career. We have an adorable dog named Simba (a Shih Tzu) that does a wonderful job of keeping my lap warm while I model stitch.
When you don't have a needle and thread in your hand, what other activities occupy your leisure time? I enjoy taking care of my home and yard, cooking, sketching, and reading about historical needlework, antiques, and textiles. I have recently become more interested in quilting and I am currently working on an appliqué wall hanging. I love to attend sporting events and would be thrilled to spend any free time at a baseball park. I also like to do girlie things with my friends – like shopping or having tea. Something many of your readers would be surprised to hear about me – I have collected music and autographs since I was quite young – we have what we call a "music room" in our house – it is filled from floor to ceiling with music memorabilia, along with around 5,000 vinyl record albums.
Being an avid sports fan and native Iowan, do you support the Iowa State Cyclones or the Iowa Hawkeyes in the fall? Being from Iowa, one would think I would be a diehard Iowa or Iowa State fan....but to be completely honest, my husband and I are over-the-top fans of the Michigan Wolverines! I know that seems strange, but I grew up a Michigan fan (watching games with my grandfather).Yes, I have an entire Michigan wardrobe and we fly a Michigan flag outside our house on game days.....our dog even has a tiny Michigan sweater. If I have to choose an Iowa team, I would say I am more of a Cyclone fan - being 30 minutes from Ames - and having a best friend that is working on her graduate degree at Iowa State.
I understand you won some ribbons in the 2003 Iowa State Fair, which is a pretty big deal! Can you share a little about that experience? Yes, the Iowa State Fair is a huge "ordeal" here! Needlework has a large, wonderful exhibit and is located in one of the only air-conditioned places to visit on the entire fairgrounds. In 2003, I stitched the sampler "And They Sinned" by Examplar Dames Design Company entirely over-one on 32-count linen. My stitching circle of friends encouraged me to enter it in the Iowa State Fair. I decided to enter five pieces and ended up taking home eight different ribbons (including "Best of Show"). It was a very encouraging and rewarding experience - it made me feel like I was good at something and that I could make a "go" of my design business. Having my needlework so well received definitely gave me the confidence boost I needed to pursue needlework as a career. The name "Blue Ribbon Designs" was born from my state fair winning blue ribbons.
Do you have a favorite recipe you could share with us? I’m not a big "sweets" eater, but I love to bake. This is a recipe that I have been making for years. I bring these bite-size treats to my local EGA Chapter bake sale every year and they are always snatched right up! Belinda’s Bite-Size Sticky Buns 5 T. Butter, melted 2 T. Light corn syrup 1/3 cup Brown Sugar 1/2 cup Pecans, finely chopped 12 pieces frozen roll dough, thawed Grease 24 miniature muffin cups. Set aside. Combine melted butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and nuts. Spoon mixture equally into the bottom of 24 greased mini muffin cups. Cut each dinner roll in half. Place cut sides down on pecan mixture in muffin cups. Cover and let rise in a warm place until rolls double in size. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, cool 1-2 minutes then invert pan on cooling rack or wax paper. Enjoy! These little treats are not only sinfully sweet and irresistible; they will make your home smell absolutely wonderful!

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