Book Review, Seams Unlikely

When I was contacted about joining in on Nancy Zieman’s Seams Unlikely Book Tour I was excited and oh so flattered.  I have always been a huge fan of Nancy’s, and have had so much respect for what she has done for the sewing industry.

I received the book in January, and was very excited to read how Nancy started her career and has built it into what it is today. I was definitely most excited to read about Nancy’s career and hopefully gain some inspiration for my own career in the sewing world.  I’m not sure where it will take me but I admit to wanting to be a relevant voice in the current conversation about sewing today.

I was surprised as I read through the book however, how inspiring it was on a personal level. On topics that had nothing to do with sewing or business, but on topics that are relevant to all of us.

In the book Nancy talked about her experiences in dealing with Bell’s Palsy, both as a young child and later in her television career. I was surprised to learn that she was only 14 months old when she developed Bell’s Palsy and dealt with the implications of it all though her childhood.

It seems we have been talking in our house a lot lately about disabilities and challenges.  My husband and son both have learning disabilities that have required extra effort and diligence to overcome.  My husband will tell you that even today he struggles daily with the impact of  his learning disabilities. It is one of those things that has changed the person he has become.

Recently however, we have been talking about how we not only overcome our challenges but how those challenges (or disabilities, or trials, depending on what you’d like to call them) turn us into better people. How things that we perceive as weaknesses end up becoming strengths to us.

I see this daily in my husband, in his efforts to cope with his learning disability, he has developed an increased work ethic and the ability to view solutions to problems in ways that others can not see. In a way the ultimate “out side the box” thinker.  I find him now frequently referring to his learning disability as his “advantage” and am proud that he has been able to view it that way. It also makes me grateful that he can set that example for our son as he grows and begins to learn ways to cope with his learning disability.

It touched my heart so to read Seams Unlikely and to hear Nancy thinking of her Bell’s Palsy in the same way.  It’s amazing what a positive attitude can do. She talks about feeling others “looks” on her and how it was dealt with while she was growing up.

One of the lines in the book that really tugged at my heart strings was a quote from her aunt, she said,  “I remember people saying things like, ‘Isn’t that sad,’ and ‘Isn’t that a shame,’ about Nancy, right in front of me.  But, if Nancy had remained a beautiful baby and had grown into a woman with a perfect smile, would she have pursued or tried as hard as she did? We’ll never know….”

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Nancy’s book, it contained the great business tips I was hoping for but it also was a wonderful story about courage and persistence. I found it to be incredibly inspiring.

Nancy says, “Each of us faces challenges in life. Some are bigger than others. But what happens to us, does not define who we are, unless we let it.”

To hear more about what others thought of Seams Unlikely you can visit the other stops in the book tour.