We were lucky to catch up with Nissa Sorenson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Like a necklace, my memory of covid lockdown is strung together. Each day feels small and round. Full, in a way. But with a hole…straight through it’s center. The bead of today sits next to the bead of yesterday. Somewhere, lost in the rows of pebbles, sits a pearl. Serene and hopeful. This was the day I drove across town to retrieve my old sewing machine, covered in dust in my parents basement. I gathered it in a blanket, like a baby lamb. I hadn’t seen my folks for many months. We sat in the living room and I read a poem through a hot mask. My mother pulled out her mountainous fabric collection and spoke four beautiful words…’take what you’d like.’ Although I didn’t know it at the time, this was the day I started my quilting-for-money journey. Mine is a business built on a feeling. The one stuck in my throat when I drove home that day. My car stuffed with garbage bags. Swollen with mustards and muted mauves. Burgundy, indigo and chocolate. Cotton, linen and muslin. Soft stripes and sweet checks. Homespun hues. Hundreds of them. Connected to my past, and pointing toward a future of my own design. A delicious, generous sovereignty.

So many of us have that box. You know…the one in the attic, or basement. The precious one. Maybe it holds grandma’s tablecloths, baby’s first overalls, a wedding dress or Dad’s work pants. These things matter to us, though they’re fate is uncertain. More often than not, family textiles end up in landfills. My work is to lend a listening ear and helpful hand. Sometimes the simple act of bringing items up from the basement is hard enough.

It is my honor to make custom memory quilts with such treasures. Even if the fabrics don’t seem to match, or you have just one scrap…it doesn’t matter. Imagine reading a book on a cozy winter night. Over your lap lies a quilt. You look down and notice one tiny patch for the first time and your beloved Auntie or Sister is right there. Connecting you to your past, and gently pointing toward a future of your own design. What would that feel like?

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

With very little money to start, I got incredibly scrappy. Thrifting, hunting for vintage finds, taking donations and ‘shopping’ my own closet. A carefully cut silk shirt can yield well over a yard of fabric. An old pair of jeans become the perfectly worn backdrop for embriodery or applique. Sustainability need not dumb down design. On the contrary! The array of fabrics, colors and textures available secondhand far outdoes any commercial fabric store.

Saving money on fabric and supplies afforded me the opportunity to invest in a truly great photographer/brand consultant. I got very lucky and struck gold with the woman I hired (ahem…Suzanne Rothmeyer!) We collaborated beautifully. It was expensive for me at the time, but the value of this investment is far reaching. Professional photos helped me feel confident and built a visual ‘stage’ for my quilts. Branding, storytelling and styling are such juicy parts of my process. When I’m making a quilt I can’t help but create a story around it. I don’t just make to make. I make to perform.

Overall, as the owner of a creative business, I find my own resourcefulness to be the most reliable funding. Sometimes I have the resources, sometimes not. But if I don’t take the time to get quiet and really think of my next move, I’ve lost the magic that attracts folks in the first place. More often than not, I have everything I need.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I’m driven by people and their stories. Filling homes with things that matter. Living with heirlooms and building collections overtime. When we look back we wonder. And ‘wonder,’ in all of its slow magic, invites a presence of self and quiet knowing. This can be a profound place to begin again. To create the life that feels right.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @nissabdesign

Image Credits

Suzanne Rothmeyer – for all photos!