Career
On the air since September, 1982, it is the longest running sewing program on North American television Initially, the programs were videotaped in Nancy’s living room with a camera crew of one person. In the early years, Nancy Zieman ran a one-woman show, developing the scripts, making the samples, and taping the programs.
Nancy has been the host and executive producer since its inauguration.
Raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Zieman graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Stout with double majors in Home Economics and Journalism. In Chicago she worked for a national sewing chain store.
She worked as a freelance sewing instructor in Minnesota. In 1979, she founded Nancy"s Notions, a direct mail company specializing in sewing notions, supplies and accessories.
Nancy"s Notions was purchased by the Tacony Corporation of Saint Louis, Missouri in 2003.
She is an author and a designer for The McCall Pattern Company and Clover Needlecraft. Zieman has written several sewing books including The Art of Landscape Quilting, Serge with Confidence, Machine Embroidery with Confidence, Sew with Confidence, Landscape Quilts with Natalie Sewell, Let’s Sew, 10-20-30 Minutes to Sew, The Best of Sewing with Nancy, Sew Clever Bags, and 501 Sewing Hints. She has also designed patterns for the McCall"s Pattern Company.
Zieman has Bell"s Palsy and is open about her condition, having written about it, been interviewed by journalists, and hosting a segment on the television show with medical professionals.
She jokingly refers to herself as the "Poster Child for Bell"s Palsy."
Zieman lives in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin where her original "Nancy Notions" shop still operates.