Zibbet is pleased to present Nancy German who owns two shops on Zibbet: Millions of Stitches which is filled with quality hand sewn bags, pouches and totes for you, for kids and bags to assist handicapped individuals. In her Stitches Stuff shop you will find books, buttons, fabric, magazines, notions and patterns.
Nancy is a much-appreciated member of our Zibbet Community as she participates in discussions with kind words and helps her fellow Zibbeters.
We are very happy to have Nancy as a member of Zibbet. If you love this interview please use the “Share” feature so that others may enjoy it, too.
Hello everyone, I’m Nancy German. I’m the type of person who is more comfortable being in the background rather than the spotlight so while I’m extremely flattered to be interviewed I’m a bit uncomfortable!
I’ve always enjoyed crafts, especially sewing. When our daughter was young and I was a stay at home mom I took in sewing jobs ranging from mending to creating wedding dresses in order to supplement our income. I worked outside the home while my husband was getting his degree. Then, on the day he got his teaching job, I gave notice and was able to stay home several more years. During that time I did sewing for local people before returning to the workforce. My husband retired from teaching in 2009. I retired from a confidential administrative assistant position in January 2010 and started my business that April. My husband and I will be married for 40 years in July. We have one daughter, an extremely spoiled cat, a granddog and a grandcat. We live in the northern part of the Catskill Mountains in rural upstate New York. I’m pretty much a homebody. It’s so beautiful and peaceful here that I don’t usually have a desire to be anywhere else.
I like to be physically active walking, cycling, snowshoeing or gardening. I enjoy yoga but am not disciplined enough to do a daily practice. I’m also a Detroit Red Wings hockey fan. I enjoy cooking and go through phases where I try a bunch of new recipes and then revert to cooking our old favorites. I like to read but am not an avid reader like my husband and daughter. I also do several Sudoku puzzles a day. I breeze through the easy ones and usually resort to cheating in order to finish the hard ones!
I’m inspired by the challenge of creating with fabric and the satisfaction that I get from it. Nearly everything I make is one of a kind, so I’m always putting together new combinations of fabrics and patterns. Turning a piece of fabric into something useful, unique and well made is so much fun, I find it very fulfilling. I often plan my next project as I’m working on the present one. And, more often than not, I’m thinking about how to do something differently or what supplies I need or what pattern to try with which fabric when I’m not actually working hands-on. I love it when I wake up with an idea and have the materials I need to put the item together, or at least get started, that day. I’m also inspired by the work of other artists. There are so many talented people in the world! I recently created an original pattern and prototype of a new item and have gotten feedback from several people. I hope to perfect it and offer it in my shop in the next several weeks. Dog lovers should watch for it!
I believe that nearly everyone is dealing with something whether it’s a health issue, financial troubles or personal problems. I look up to people who remain kind, generous and optimistic despite what they’re going through. I also look up to people who do the right thing when no one is watching. My husband and daughter model that every day.
I’m a pretty low key person. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I know that being in nature is good for my soul and helps me find balance. I’m interested in homeopathy, acupuncture and the wisdom of other forms of natural healing. I get excited about finding unwanted fabrics and notions in thrift stores and consignment shops. I think of using them as another form of recycling.
The ease of creating, stocking and customizing a premium shop and being able to list 50 items in a basic shop. I have a shop in each category. My premium shop has been more successful which I attribute to promoting it more than I promote my basic shop. I really enjoy being part of the Zibbet Community. I’ve learned so much from the other members. I’m also very impressed with the level of professionalism of the administrators and personal attention I’ve received from them.
I’d like to see a comprehensive indexed user’s guide geared especially to people who are new to the site. Otherwise, I’m happy with Zibbet the way it is. I’m looking forward to seeing what improvements the pending upgrade brings. I think adding an additional Customer Service Rep and a Community Moderator were great ideas. I love that the management is forward thinking and adding positions as membership grows.
Promotion is an area where I really need to improve. I find it hard because I’m not a spotlight kind of person. I’m starting to feel more comfortable promoting my business on Facebook. I also use items that I make and, of course, always carry business cards. I add new items to my handmade shop quite frequently to keep it looking fresh. I’m hoping to do home shows and a few local craft shows this year. Word of mouth is still my best advertising.
I‘ve given people who live outside my area business cards to post and distribute where they can. A local woman who makes wonderful soaps, lotions and other products and I promote each others’ shops. I’ve donated totes made with fabric specific to the organizations for fundraisers. For example, one with school buses to an educational organization and one featuring dog words to our local humane society. I participate in the Zibbet group on Facebook and am active in the Zibbet online community.
Get a premium account with all its great benefits and join the community.
… just about where I am now – healthy, happy and enjoying life. An increase in sales would also make me happy. I’m so grateful to be at this place in life where I have the time to create nearly every day. I hope to continue creating with fabric well into the future.
Tags: Featured Zibbeters, Millions of Stitches
