Hi.
I’m Stacey.
I’ll be your host here at nisseworks (it’s nisseh-werks, in case you were wondering).
I like to create. And make. And stitch. A lot.
I started my business after my daughter Madeline was born in 2009 – I didn’t want to go back to my job as an editor/graphic designer at a local newspaper so I had to figure out what I could do, from home, that wasn’t going to disrupt our lives.
Sewing! My mom passed on her trusty 30+ year old Singer 247 to me years ago and I decided that I was going to make little pouches and bags to sell… and that worked okay for about a year and then I got bored.
See, if I get bored with something, I lose interest. I need to be challenged and pushed – at least, that’s what I say when people ask me how long i was in university for (8 years) and why I didn’t graduate (lost interest. Seriously.). But I did come out of school with some awesome skills and abilities thanks to 6+ years at the student newspaper as an editor, writer and graphic designer.
But – back to the story. I got bored sewing pouches and bags. I had started adding little bits of embroidery to my work and really enjoyed doing that, coming up with designs and colour combinations… and I decide to make embroidery the focal point of my work.
And since then, I’ve made lots of pillow covers and framed wall art… and I haven’t been bored once :)
(I also make little eco felt goodies – ornaments and decorations. Check ‘em out.)
So, why do I do it? Because I think people deserve to have pieces in their homes, their offices, their lives that not only looks good, but will withstand the test of time, evoke memories and represent themselves. And I happen to think my embroidered pieces fit all three of those points.
I love working with my hands – I cook, bake, build, sew, paint, draw, type, write – and it thrills me to no end that what I can create with my hands brings happiness to others. It’s quite a satisfying feeling to be able to do that and finding other people who can do that, too, is just wonderful. I can’t think of any other way to say it, it’s just wonderful.
Nature – flora and fauna – is my muse. The beauty, colours and fragility of it is far too beautiful to ignore. If I can help spread it’s beauty to people, to have them realize the peacefulness and tranquility of it all, then I’ve done my job.
Five quick things you may not know about me:
- I’ve written two complete novels. And no you can’t read them. I wrote them – and a few very unfinished novels – during NaNoWriMo. I really do think everyone should take part in NaNo, at least to find out what an insane deadline is like to work with. And to learn that failure is an option.
- I’m an incredible introvert. Like painfully shy and nervous around people, even people I know. It kinda sucks.
- Keith – my partner/spouse/common-law – first met in 1997 at a student newspaper conference. We didn’t re-meet for 10 years at a friend’s birthday party and hit it right off.
- So not only did I not graduate after 8 years of university, I was kicked out for 5 years at one point. Thankfully, I had a few sympathetic ears on the committee that decided that and was reinstated with no problem.
- I love chocolate. That’s not a surprise, but I really can’t stand flavoured chocolate. Mint, orange, berry… no, thank you. If your’e going to add something to my chocolate, add almonds.
Where you can find me: Twitter Facebook Email Pinterest Instagram
Sign up for the nisseworks mailing list, too – I promise not to flood your inbox or sell your email address. But you’ll get occasional emails about special offers and previews of upcoming products, which is pretty nifty, if you ask me.
