Nancy Zieman – The Rest of The Story, A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Friends

It is no secret that I was a huge fan of Nancy Zieman. When she asked me to come on her show, Sewing With Nancy, over five years ago, I felt I had finally reached the summit of my professional career. I mean, as a designer and owner of a sewing and crafting business, what is better than appearing next to THE Nancy Zieman on national television? Then, the following year, I was asked if I would review her autobiography, Seams Unlikely, and I really thought I was dreaming. If you'd like to catch that review, it is here. Over the following few years, Nancy and I would run into each other a handful of times at industry events and it always amazed me how down to Earth and humble she was. She always greeted me by name, which I thought was incredible, given the amount of people she must've met in her life, professionally and personally. But best of all, she always seemed to have some sage advice to give, a funny anecdote to share or simply just a warm smile and a hug for everyone she met.

So, as you can imagine, last Fall, when Nancy passed away, it affected me deeply. It was the end of an era... an incredible loss not just for our industry, but for friends, family and anyone who had the pleasure of meeting her.

Today, I have the utmost pleasure of being a part of the book tour for Nancy Zieman – The Rest of The Story, A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Friends, written by Richard Zieman, Nancy's loving husband of 40 years. 

Richard begins his book with a few pages of carefully chosen excerpts from Nancy's autobiography, Seams Unlikely, which I thought was a great way to begin, not only as a refresher of the struggles and challenges she had endured, but also as the perfect backdrop from which to launch his own part of the story. His story picks up where Nancy's book leaves us.

Along the way, Richard shares some behind the scenes tidbits, funny anecdotes and heartfelt personal stories, ranging from the happiest moments, like the wedding of her beloved son, Tom, to the most painful and sad ones, like her continued physical struggles, her numerous hospitalizations and her last few days. It really gives you an eye opening glimpse into the last 5 years of her life and how her unwavering faith got her through it all.

Nancy Zieman – The Rest of The Story, A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Friends officially releases on November 14th, 2018.

Would you like your own copy? Leave a comment below to be entered to win a copy of Nancy Zieman – The Rest of The Story, A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Friends. (NOTE: Comments are moderated and will appear after admin approval.)

Edited to add: The contest is now closed. The winner is comment # 5, Cheryl. Congratulations!!

If you'd like to follow along with the rest of the blog tour and try your luck at snagging a copy of her book, below is the schedule.

• Oct. 15     Nancy Zieman Productions     nancyzieman.com/blog
• Oct. 15     Eileen Roche     dzgns.com/blog
• Oct. 15     Weeks Ringle     craftnectar.com
• Oct. 16     Pat Sloan     blog.patsloan.com
• Oct. 16     Amy Ellis     amyscreativeside.com/blog
• Oct. 17     Baby Lock     babylock.com/learn-and-create/inspiration
• Oct. 17     Rita Farro     ritassewfun.blogspot.com
• Oct. 18     Victoria Findlay Wolfe     vfwquilts.com/blogs/vfw
• Oct. 18     Evy Hawkins     abitofstitch.com
• Oct. 18     Joi Mahon     dressformsdesign.com/designer-jois-perfect-fit-blog
• Oct. 19     Erin Whelan     auribuzz.wordpress.com
• Oct. 19     Clover USA     blog.clover-usa.com
• Oct. 19     Patty Young     modkidboutique.blogspot.com
• Oct. 20     Sara Gallegos     sewpositivelysara.com
• Oct. 20     Riley Blake Designs     blog.rileyblakedesigns.com

MODKID SUMMER FUN, Virtual Book Tour... The End

Well, folks, as they say, all good things must come to an end. I hope you have been following along with the MODKID SUMMER FUN Virtual Book Tour, and entering to win a free book of your own at each stop. There were some amazing posts and super cute sewn items shared. I wish I could visit everyone personally and give them a big fat hug, but alas this virtual THANK YOU SQUEEZE will have to do! :)

Here is a quick recap of the virtual book tour (with some direct links to the posts):

• On April 1st, my dear friend, Jen Coe, of FabricBliss, shared the Swimsuit, Sun Hat and Beach Bag she made from the book: http://fabricbliss.blogspot.com/2014/04/modkid-summer-fun-blog-tour-and-giveaway.html
• On April 2nd, we saw Carla Crim's adorable Sun Hat, which happens to be a miniature version of the one I designed for her Sewn Hats book: http://www.scientificseamstress.blogspot.com/2014/04/summer-fun-with-patty-young.html
• On April 3rd, the adorable Sara Lawson, of SewSweetness, shared the Sleeping Bag she made with her daughter (WOW!) for her Hello Kitty doll: https://sewsweetness.com/2014/04/modkid-summer-fun-and-giveaway.html
• On April 4th, Tracy Mooney at GenerationQ also made a Sleeping Bag for her daughter Cyd's doll, Mia (I just adore that sushi fabric!!): http://generationqmagazine.com/2014/04/modkid-summer-fun-blog-tour/
• On April 5th the third and last Sleeping Bag, this time with matching Pillow, came courtesy of Suzanne Winter at Pattern Revolution: http://patternrevolution.com/pattern-reviews/2014/4/4/modkid-summer-fun-sew-7-stylish-patterns-for-18-inch-dolls-by-patty-young
• On April 7th, Laura Kelly, of Laura Kelly Designs and Doll Diaries, shared a couple of mix & match Beach Bags she made from the book: http://www.laurakellydesigns.com/laurakellydesignsblog/index.php/2014/04/07/diy-doll-beach-bags-modkid-summer-fun/
• On April 8th, Lindsey Fullington and team at American Patchwork & Quilting made a plethora (I just wanted to use that word!) of mini pillows in honor of their 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge, which MODKID is a proud sponsor of: http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/blogs/apqstaff/2014/04/08/modkid-summer-fun-blog-hop/
• On April 9th, Beth at SEW MAMA SEW shared some Tips & Tricks (written by yours truly) for how to sew doll clothes: http://www.sewmamasew.com/2014/04/tips-tricks-for-sewing-doll-clothes-modkid-summer-fun-giveaway/
• And last but certainly not least, On April 10th, my dear friend, Jenny Fish, shared the adorable Cargo Shorts and T-Shirt she made for her daughter's doll: http://sewprettydresses.blogspot.com/2014/04/modkid-summer-fun-blog-tour-and-giveaway.html

Today I am ALSO giving away a FREE copy of my new book, MODKID Summer Fun. All you have to do is leave me a comment and let me know if you've been following along with the tour and if there was a particular post you truly enjoyed... maybe a project you want to tackle yourself, or a story you found particularly sweet or funny. I will leave this contest up until next Wednesday, April 16th and then I will draw a winner. U.S. Residents will receive a paper copy and non US Residents will receive a digital copy of the book.

Good luck everyone! (don't forget to leave a way for us to contact you if you are the lucky winner!)

Also, you can purchase a signed copy on our website!

I leave you with a few of the photos we took along the way as we were designing the projects for the book:

MODKID Summer Fun Blog Tour!

Oh, don't worry! I haven't forgotten about the Going Digital survey. There is still time to weigh in. I will share the results after the blog tour and we will begin digitizing the first 4 patterns immediately after!



But now, on to other exciting things!! We are having a blog tour for my newest book (pattern pack), MODKID Summer Fun. You may remember I shared some info about it back when it was first released. Well, a select group of bloggers have all received copies from my publisher and they are ready to tell you (and show you) what they thought. Follow along the tour and enter to win your own FREE copy at each stop!





4/1/2014  Jennifer Coe:  fabricbliss.blogspot.com 
4/2/2014  Carla Crim:  scientificseamstress.blogspot.com  
4/3/2014  Sara Lawson:  sewsweetness.com
4/4/2014  Generation Q:  generationqmagazine.com
4/5/2014  Suzanne Winter:  www.patternrevolution.com
4/7/2014  Laura Kelly:  lauradesignsblog and dolldiaries.com 
4/8/2014  American Patchwork & Quilting:  allpeoplequilt.com/blog 
4/9/2014  Kristin Link:  sewmamasew.com 
4/10/2014  Jenny Fish:  sewprettydresses.blogspot.com  
4/11/2014  Patty Young/MODKID modkidboutique.blogspot.com

As always, you can order a signed copy of the book here.

Essential Sewing Reference Tool
Book Review (and giveaway) by Patty Young and Emalee Grambo

***UPDATE: this contest is now CLOSED. The winner was.... Susan Bates! Congrats!***

If sewing is your "thing", then I'm sure you've heard of Carla Crim, a.k.a. The Scientific Seamstress. The girl is a friggin' genius... as in, she has a Ph.D in Molecular Biology! She is also one of the most clever and funny people I have ever met and vertically challenged, just like me, so when we run into each other at sewing events, we usually stick together!

Well, I was thrilled when Carla asked me to review her latest book, Essential Sewing Reference Tool, because I knew it would blow me away, like everything she does. A small part of me was even giddy that I got to receive an advance copy because I knew this was the sort of book I would come back to reference over and over again. And boy, was I right! Pssst... you can also enter to win a free copy by leaving a comment below this review!

But let's get right to it. My assistant, Emalee, and I are co-reviewing this book for you today. We decided to do this in tandem because I thought you guys would enjoy getting some different perspectives coming from two totally different points of view.

I will go first. The book starts out with what I like to call the hardware... everything you ever needed to know about sewing machines, cutting tools, notions of every imaginable kind, pins, needles and threads, oh my!  Then it goes into techniques. What would you like to learn about? Machine stitches, hand stitches, seams, hems, maybe even some stuff you've never heard of (hello there, Hong Kong Finish!)? Well, it's all here, and then some! Wanna know how to make your own bias tape or piping, install zippers, make buttonholes? Well, this is the book for you!

But, perhaps, the section I was most excited to delve into was the garment-making and pattern sections. Well, after having been designing sewing patterns for over 7 years, I have amassed a huge quantity of reference materials, from sizing charts to measurement conversions... some of them are bookmarked on my browser, others are printed out and filed away. But, whenever I need to look something up, I invariably always forget where I've saved it. Well, who needs Google, when you've got the Essential Sewing Reference Tool at your fingertips? If you are a beginner pattern-maker, this will be an invaluable tool to have... oh how I wish I had this book way back when I was just starting out!

Now, on to Emalee's review. Hers is less conversational, and more to the point (bullet-pointed and all!):

• Visually appealing
• Covers every area of sewing industry: Bed sizing, pillow sizing, curtains, bed skirts, table cloths, placemats, belts, bags, garment construction…
• Pg. 46: Her way of cutting bias tape is a helpful reference.
• Pg. 47 and 48: Awesome new way to do continuous bias tape!
• Zipper instructions are always helpful to beginners.
• Pg 70: Her instruction to place a toothpick under a button when sewing is great! Never heard of that! 
• Pg. 89: Hemming a Tablecloth! Never knew that either and that is awesome!
• The sizing charts and number conversions are super helpful to have.
• This book has every reference you could ever need all under one cover!

Well, there ya have it, folks! I hope this review was helpful to you. And many kudos to my friend, Carla Crim, for a most excellent reference tool that we will surely use for years to come!  

GIVEAWAY!!! If you would like to enter the giveaway and receive your very own copy of the Essential Sewing Reference Tool, please leave me a comment below. We would love to know: Are you new to sewing, or pattern-making, and are looking for a book to help you kick start your business? Or are you an old pro just looking to have all those helpful reference materials in one spot? Make sure you leave us a way to contact you if you win (email, clickable link, etc.). We will draw a winner on Wednesday, March 19th.


***UPDATE: this contest is now CLOSED. The winner was.... Susan Bates! Congrats!***

Seams Unlikely Book Review

I am so honored to have been asked to participate in Nancy Zieman's Blog Tour for her new autobiographical book, Seams Unlikely. I had the pleasure of finally meeting Nancy last Fall when I went up to Wisconsin to tape a couple of episodes of her popular TV show, Sewing With Nancy, and I found her to be one of the most genuine people I have ever met... she was warm, welcoming and humble, which is something you don't usually get from high-profile people.

So, of course, I was curious to learn more about Nancy's life. Like most autobiographical books, this one begins at early age. I was fascinated to learn about farm life because it was so different from the way I grew up. Nancy really makes you feel like you were there... milking the cows, feeding the chickens and tending to the vegetable gardens. A far cry from my urban upbringing. From the very first few chapters of the book, you already start to get a sense of what shaped Nancy's personality... from the family values instilled by her parents to the health problems that plagued her since infancy. My heart broke when I read about the onset of Bell's Palsy and the myriad of knee surgeries that left her not only physically but also emotionally scarred. Nancy's writing style is so conversational, so frank, that you feel like you are sitting across the table hearing her tell you these stories over a cup of coffee.

When I was up in Beaver Dam last Fall, Nancy and I had an hour to kill during the drive down to Madison to film the TV show. At the beginning of our drive, I asked Nancy to tell me how she got started in the business. She explained how she used to travel with some of her favorite notions and people would often ask her where she got them, and how this evolved into her company, Nancy's Notions. Then she went on to tell me about how hesitant she was about appearing on TV because of her facial paralysis. Well, in the next part of her book, she goes into every detail you would ever want to know about how she started her business and grew it to what it is today.

Now, this is where I began to feel a bit more connected to her story. It was exciting to read about her husband, Rich, leaving his work to join her new endeavor (just like Jon did when he joined MODKID back in 2010). Then reading about how they moved the business from their cramped basement quarters into their first facility (just like we did a couple of years ago!). And hiring their first employees (just like we did!). And attending trade shows (helloooo?). Need I say more? I felt like this book was written just for me because I could identify with so much, but yet with every new chapter I was learning something new...something that hopefully I could apply to my own business. Nancy doesn't just tell you the good... she tells you the bad and the ugly too! The trials and tribulations of running a successful business while juggling a personal life are all spelled out right there in the pages of Seams Unlikely.

Of course, MODKID is still at its infancy stage, so I can only hope that one day I can achieve the level of success that Nancy has accomplished with both Nancy's Notions and Sewing With Nancy. More than 30 years later, they are still going strong and have a fan base as loyal as can be! Here's a funny anecdote: when we were wrapping up the taping of my second episode for Sewing With Nancy, the floor manager, Greg, said that I was a natural and totally belong on TV. Nancy looked at me and jokingly said "Oh-uh, should I be worried?". I responded, "Hmmm... 'Sewing With Patty' does have a nice ring, doesn't it?" We all had a good chuckle!

I jest, but honestly, I can only dream of building something like what Nancy has built here. She has surrounded herself with wonderful and supportive people who believe in her because she treats everyone with utmost respect. This and so much more can be found in Nancy's book, Seams Unlikely. I urge you to run out and get your copy today... you won't be disappointed!

GIVEAWAY!! 

Nancy is giving away twenty copies of Seams Unlikely. Please leave a comment on Nancy's blog HERE to qualify for book giveaways. Twenty random winners will be announced February 18, 2014.


If you'd like to read what the other reviewers had to say, check out the full blog tour here:

February 4 Nancy Zieman http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog
February 5 Eileen Roche http://dzgns.com/blog/
February 5 Pat Sloan http://patsloan.typepad.com/
February 6 Melissa Stramel http://melissaslilaclane.blogspot.com
February 6 The Long Ladies http://www.mariemadelinestudio.typepad.com/
February 6 Tori Thompson http://totallystitchin.net
February 7 Amy Barickman http://www.indygojunction.com/blog/
February 7 Melissa Mora http://mellysews.com
February 8 Shari Butler http://www.doohikeydesignstudio.com/blog/
February 8 Vicki Christensen http://www.sewinspiredblog.com/
February 9 Carolina Moore http://alwaysexpectmoore.com
February 9 Kate Mclvor https://theconfidentstitch.squarespace.com/blog/
February 10 Amy Ellis http://amyscreativeside.com/blog/
February 10 Melissa Mortenson http://www.polkadotchair.com
February 11 Ilene Miller http://happyvalleyprimitives.blogspot.com/
February 12 Liz Hicks http://blogerisms.blogspot.com/
February 11 Julie Herman http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/
February 12 Bill Gardner http://www.quiltersnewsletter.com/blogs/insideqn/
February 12 Elizabeth Evans http://www.simplesimonandco.com
February 13 Amy Webb http://www.amylouwhosews.com/
February 13 Lindsay Wilkes http://thecottagemama.com/blog/
February 14 Gertie Hirsch http://www.blogforbettersewing.com
February 14 Veronica Philips http://cloverusa.wordpress.com/
February 15 Jenny Gabriel http://www.sewvacoutletblog.com
February 15 Laura Wasilowski http://artfabrik.com
February 16 Frieda Anderson http://www.friestyle.com
February 16 Rita Farro http://ritassewfun.blogspot.com
February 17 Cindy Cloward http://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/blog/
February 17 Joan Hawley http://www.lazygirldesigns.com/blog/
February 17 Patty Young http://modkidboutique.blogspot.com
February 18 Nancy Zieman http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/