Sewing With Nancy – Stitching up 30 Years on Public Television

Editor’s note: This post was originally written in 2012, celebrating 30 years of Sewing with Nancy. The article is now refreshed with updated links to watch the show online

For 30 years, home sewing enthusiasts have been improving their skills by taking lessons from Nancy Zieman, one of America’s most renowned sewing experts. The cost for these lessons varies, depending upon the student’s individual ability and commitment.

The most critical benefit is that nearly all of Nancy’s students can participate in these weekly classes without ever leaving the comfort of their homes. I found her one Saturday morning back in the mid-1980s on my local PBS television station, and have been a loyal viewer and supporter ever since.

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, based on Nancy Zieman did not start as a television star or even a local celebrity. She was simply a woman with a passion for sewing who wanted to share her love for creating incredible clothes, gifts, and accessories at home with as many people as possible.

Her dream was realized when Wisconsin Public Television took a chance and put her on the air. Before long, Sewing With Nancy was picked up by public television stations across the nation.

The program is now the longest-running sewing instruction show on television. After all these years, Sewing With Nancy remains fresh and continues to be a favorite among home sewers and quilters with projects like Jackets for Real People, with guest Patty Palmer a tailoring expert from Palmer Pletsch.

Those of us who have been watching for decades are still amazed at the time saving tips and creative ideas that Nancy offers viewers. People who are new to sewing are not left out, however, because of Nancy’s easy-going down to earth teaching style.

Each project Nancy brings to her televised sewing room is described in clear, concise detail as she demonstrates each step in creating the perfect garment, accessory or gift item.

Nancy does most of the segments alone, but she also brings in guests like quilt expert Terri Kirchner or sewing education expert Carla Peery who have established reputations as sewing experts on their own merit.

Viewers seldom notice the slight droop on one side of Nancy’s face and the fact that she doesn’t open her mouth fully when she speaks. Some speculate that she had a stroke.

The truth of the matter, however, is that Nancy has Bell’s Palsy, a nerve condition that affects the movement of facial muscles. This disorder hasn’t slowed Nancy one single bit. Sewing With Nancy is such an interesting program, you quickly overlook the abnormality if you notice it at all.

In addition to the television series, Sewing With Nancy has expanded to include Nancy’s Notions, a thriving catalog and internet sales business specializing in sewing supplies, sewing room necessities, sewing machine accessories, fabric and notions; and a sewing instructional book and video publishing enterprise.

Over the years, Nancy’s Notions and Nancy’s instructional videos and books have gained almost as much popularity and recognition as the trendsetting television program. Over the years, I have purchased notions, fabric, patterns and books from Nancy’s Notions.

At first, I shopped via catalog. Over time, however, that method proved to be a bit slow. As things became more readily available via the internet, I opted to cancel our subscription to the catalog and began shopping directly from the website.

I am particularly fond of just scanning the site to learn about new products and purchasing them to try them out four ourselves.

My experience has been that shopping online through the Nancy’s Notions site is safe, secure and speedy. The prices are competitive; the quality consistently meets or exceeds my expectations and the speed in fulfilling orders is excellent.

Shipments are normally received within five to seven business days. If you are really in a hurry for a shipment, expedited delivery is available for an additional fee. Although I have not used that service, I have no doubt that it is well worth the investment.

Books and videos by Nancy Zieman that we have added to our personal library include 10-20-30 Minutes to Sew, a common sense way of completing complicated sewing tasks a little bit at a time when a busy schedule doesn’t allow us to spend more than a few minutes in the sewing room at a time; Timesaving Tips, one of the best sources for pointers to save time in the sewing room I have come across; Fitting Finesse, a comprehensive guide to sewing perfect fitting garments each and every time; and Sewing With Nancy’s Favorite Hints, a collection of some of the very best sewing tips shared on her television show.

The Sewing With Nancy franchise has also spawned a long time relationship with Baby Lock sewing machines. Baby Lock sewing machines and sergers are featured prominently on Sewing With Nancy. For years, Baby Lock has been the only sewing machine brand Nancy used while demonstrating sewing, quilting and serging techniques.

In addition to Baby Lock’s very obvious presence on every episode of Sewing With Nancy, Nancy’s image and name are publicly linked to Baby Lock machines in print ads, on the Baby Lock website as well as Nancy’s Notions and on in store displays every place where Baby Lock sewing machines and sergers are sold.

This year marks the 30th anniversary for Sewing With Nancy. Not only is this the longest running sewing program on television. Sewing With Nancy had the distinct honor of being one of the longest running shows on television of any genre.

Reaching such a milestone puts Nancy Zieman and Sewing With Nancy up there with PBS mainstays like Sesame Street, Austin City Limits, The Electric Company and Masterpiece Theater. When you look at it that way, Sewing With Nancy has earned all the accolades accorded any other public television program with such longevity.

I encourage anyone who has never watched an episode of Sewing With Nancy to check their local public television listings or watch the last few seasons here.