Punch Queen Marianne Dekkers-Roos is showing everyone how to use a punch needle like a pro with her new book! Punching is a perfect fit for Marretjeroos: colorful, versatile, and creative! Read on to find out everything about the book *Workshop: Punch Like a Pro* and get to know Marianne in this in-depth interview!
Punch needle embroidery is a craft technique that involves drawing on fabric with thread. Want to learn more about this embroidery technique? Check out our blog post on punch needle embroidery.
Marianne, also known as Marretjeroos or MaRRose, is perhaps best known for her beautiful crochet creations (and her crochet book *Eindeloos Haken*)! Not only is she a talented crocheter, but she’s also skilled at punch needle embroidery! She teaches workshops on this craft, has already created many beautiful pieces using this technique, and is now releasing a book on punch needle embroidery.
Book "Workshop: Punch Needle Like a Pro"
The book provides a clear explanation of this technique so that, just like Marianne, you’ll be punching like a pro in no time! This handy punch guide for beginners and advanced crafters alike features patterns for a variety of occasions. You can use a punch needle to punch a trendy VW camper during your vacation, create a dazzling and glamorous piece of art for New Year’s Eve, and use a punch needle to create a romantic gift for your Valentine. The book “Workshop: Punch Like a Pro” will be launched on Saturday, September 7, at the Yarnplaza Inspiration Center. Take a look at a preview copy of “Workshop: Punch Like a Pro” here.
Interview with Marianne Dekkers-Roos
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On Instagram, we know you as @marretjeroos; on your website, as Marrose; and your “real” name is Marianne Dekkers-Roos. Where do these names come from?
My family and friends call me “Mar” or, affectionately, “Marretje.” When I took my first steps into the world of social media (I created an Instagram account in January 2013), I chose the name “marretjeroos” without giving it much thought—more or less on a whim. I quickly connected with other creative people on Instagram (so much fun) and started posting photos of my crochet work myself. Without having planned it in advance, my Instagram page became my creative showcase, and my account grew in no time.Through that same inspiring Instagram, I soon started getting questions about whether my crocheted items were for sale, if I had an online store, if I could share the pattern for a specific project, and so on. At the end of 2013, I decided to start a blog. It made sense to me to blog in English because, at first, I mainly made Instagram connections abroad, and I’m bilingual (we lived in the U.S. for 8 years). With a nod to “marretjeroos,” my official business name became “maRRose,” and since there was already a clothing company in South America and an abrasives company in England operating under that name, I added “Colorful Crochet & Crafts”: “maRRose – Colorful Crochet & Crafts” was born. Short version: Mar is the first part of my first name, and Rose is the anglicized version of my maiden name.
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You design Crochet Patterns, crochet like a pro, and use a punch needle like a pro. What else can you do when it comes to crafts?
Thanks! What lovely compliments! I think I enjoy doing just about anything creative, and I’ve done—or still do—a lot of it in between crocheting and using a punch needle. I love sitting at the sewing machine; I’ve sewn quite a few quilts, project bags, pencil cases, and pillowcases (and once, even a piece of clothing). But I also love knitting, dot painting, drawing, coloring, painting, crafting, and embroidering—they’re all so much fun. Being creative is pure relaxation for me; it makes me feel so zen!
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What is typical of Marrose?
I think these are mainly the colors I use in my projects... For the most part, they’re bright (some people jokingly call them “hysterical”) colors that you see in my work. And my projects are neatly made. I’m a stickler for detail and keep tinkering until something is exactly the way I want it.
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If you had to choose: crocheting or punch needle?
Haha! That’s like asking which of your two kids is your favorite—it’s an impossible question to answer! Until recently, I thought crocheting was my absolute number one creative hobby, but I enjoy punch needle just as much. With crocheting, the relaxation often comes from paying close attention and counting as you follow a pattern, but with punch needle work, you don’t have to do that at all—and I actually really enjoy that sometimes. I’ll put on an audiobook, grab my punch needle work, and I’m a very happy person!
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How did you discover the punch technique?
Completely by accident! I saw a video pop up on Facebook from an Arabic website, and in it, someone was creating a beautiful image using a needle with a thread running through it lengthwise. I honestly didn’t know what I was looking at! I shared the video with a few colleagues, and one of them said, “Oh, yeah, I know that—I did that a long time ago; it’s called Punch Needle.” I myself had never even heard of it, but I was so intrigued by this technique that I immediately wanted to learn more about it. Thank goodness for the internet, because that’s where I found all the information I needed, and once I had the needles at home, I got started. And wow, did I enjoy doing this! I was instantly hooked, haha!
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What do you like so much about using a punch needle?
Everything! Seriously! For starters, I really enjoy drawing again. I always loved doing that as a kid, but I never really did it again after that. Once it was decided what would go into “Punch Like a Pro,” this was the very first task for the book: drawing all the illustrations and patterns. I really enjoyed doing that. It’s not a requirement for punch needle (you can, of course, also use existing patterns and images), but for me it was an unexpected bonus. Next, I absolutely love it when a technique offers you virtually unlimited creative possibilities. What you can do with punch needle is so versatile. That’s what I wanted to show in my book, too. In addition to the fun hoop art and little “paintings,” you’ll find many applications and techniques in the book. Such as a delicately punched brooch, a rugged wall hanging, cushions, and pencil cases—it’s all possible! Well, as I just mentioned: the act of creating itself is also simply delightful! In the introduction to my book, I say: “Your hand more or less automatically carries out the silent instructions from your eyes, and that makes punch needle a ultra-meditative activity. On the ‘creative Zen’ scale, punch needle scores very high.”
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When it’s someone’s birthday or they have something to celebrate, do you give them a handmade gift? (After all, those are the best.)
Absolutely! Especially when I know the recipient will appreciate a “gift from the heart” like that—that’s what I love doing most! A great example of this is one of the projects in the book: the little painting with the quote “It’ll Be Okay” that I made using a punch needle for my dear creative colleague Nienke to celebrate the launch of her book.
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After completing many wonderful punch projects and teaching “Punch Needle Like a Pro” workshops, you’re now publishing a book on punching! That’s great! Can you tell us a little about the book “Workshop: Punch Needle Like a Pro”?
Cool, huh? I still have to pinch myself every now and then! I actually wrote a second book—just like that! And it turned out so beautiful—I’m incredibly happy with it and proud of it! Now that I think about it: it turned out exactly as I’d hoped—how amazing is that! It includes all the information on materials and techniques you need to get started. And I’ve also shared all the tips and tricks I’ve gathered over the years in the book. The book is absolutely packed with projects and patterns! 28 patterns for cute little paintings and hoop art (which you can, of course, use for other projects too!). Plus a number of other projects, such as a brooch, a pincushion, a large Cushion, a wall hanging, an iPad case, a pencil case (2 designs), and—my personal favorite—I’ll show you how to use a punch needle to punch a (child’s) drawing! I’m also very happy with the design, editing, and photography for “Punch Like a Pro”—it really ties the book together. I’m so grateful to everyone who worked so hard on it!
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What do you hope to achieve with the book *Punch Like a Pro*?
Above all, I want to share with EVERYONE the incredible joy and endless possibilities that using a punch needle offers!
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A Volkswagen van, a botanical cushion, a cheerful pencil case—your punch needle patterns are incredibly versatile. Can you use a punch needle to punch anything?
Yes, I can definitely say that! You can use a punch needle to punch anything and on anything, as long as you use the right combination of yarn, needle, and fabric or surface. I even punched on canvas once! I didn’t enjoy working with it, but it is possible. On my blog, you’ll find a free pattern and tutorial for using a punch needle to apply an appliqué to a denim jacket. That’s also a good example of how you can use a punch needle to punch on anything.
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Which pattern from the book *Workshop: Punch Like a Pro* is your favorite?
I’ve already let that slip: the drawing by our daughter Quinn that I punched out! She made it when she was 6 or 7. She’s 23 now and has long since moved out, but the drawing is dear to me and hangs in a place of honor in our stairwell. Over the years, it has faded, and while I was working on the book, I realized I could try to preserve her childhood artwork by using a punch needle. I’m so glad it turned out so well, and I’m excited to share in my book how to tackle a project like this!
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Where do you get your inspiration?
Everywhere and nowhere! That sounds corny, but it’s really true! It could be a certain color combination in an ad, or a photo of a beautiful flower! Illustrations I come across on Instagram or Pinterest. For example, the leaf cushion in the book came about because I’d used a punch needle to punch out a small painting featuring a monster leaf and was looking for the challenge of a large-scale punching project. I’m sure the trend of having lots of plants and green in the home subconsciously played a role in my decision to make that cushion with all kinds of leaves.
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The punch projects are beautiful little works of art! Is your house full of them?
My studio is (wonderful and inspiring), but our living room isn’t! As much as I love surrounding myself with lots of color, I also enjoy being in a space that’s a bit more subdued in terms of color. It’s a bit of a contradiction, but that’s just how it’s always been. Our garden house is an explosion of color with lots of pink (lovely), but the living room at home has a white base, lots of black, chrome (design), with a single red accent (also lovely).
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Do you have any styling tips for the punch projects?
In my book, I share a few tips on how you can make these little paintings even more “personal.” The design with the leaves is one of the simplest creations, but that’s exactly why it’s so much fun—because you can adjust the colors to match your interior. Personally, I really love that. In one of the photos, we show how you can turn it into a beautiful set (by stretching a fabric with the same colors over another wooden ring).
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If you’ve never used a punch needle before, is the book *Punch Like a Pro* a good fit?
Absolutely! The book is actually perfect for beginners because I walk the reader through the process step by step. I explain everything about the materials and technique. For example, I explain how to thread the needle, stretch the fabric, and make the first (and subsequent) punch stitches. And if you’d rather get a “live” demonstration, you’re always welcome to attend one of my workshops.
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And… if you’re already a true punch pro, is the book still a good fit?
Yes, that’s exactly how the book is structured: it includes all the information a beginner needs, but it also features challenging projects for the “punch pro”! The hands-on projects are a lot of fun if you already have some experience. And you’ll find more than 7 of those projects in the book!
