Meet Nicole Lester | Creative, Self-healing Quilter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Lester and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success in running my business is the passion and heart that I put into every piece that I create. When clients choose me to create their customized, heirloom T-shirt/memory quilt, I feel honored and proud. For most, their shirts, or clothing from loved ones’ whom have passed, have great meaning behind them. Knowing this, I take great pride in creating meaningful pieces that can be enjoyed by my clients for years and generations to come. I pride myself on not being a cookie-cutter quilter. I take each client’s unique personality and tastes into account with every quilt that I create, so that they get a product that truly speaks to them or the person they are having the quilt made in memory of. Each day that I head up to my workspace, each moment I start working on a quilt, every cut, and every stitch, is intentional. I know that this awareness and dedication in creating something meaningful and special, speaks through my work, and has been the major contributor in the success of my brand. My clients, and those that they refer, know that when they pass their items onto me, they are in great, creative hands.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What started off as a hobby, slowly turned into a career. My first T-shirt quilt was commissioned by a family friend. From there, it’s history. Through word-of-mouth and a great deal of Facebook posts and shares, I realized that I was able to turn my passion into a business. The journey has not been easy, and I have had to learn a lot about the ins-and-outs of owning a small business, with still plenty to learn, but I am loving every moment!

I specialize in custom, heirloom T-shirt/memory quilts, along with regular quilts, tree skirts, portrait collages (taking a picture and turning it into a piece of art made completely out of fabric), and many other items. In addition to the above, I am a Longarm quilter. I have the privilege to take other quilter’s pieced tops, and complete them on my Innova Longarm machine. I take great pride in the responsibility of completing others’ masterpieces. I treat their quilt tops as if they were my own! I have to say a special thank you to Robin Mehl for not only being a friend, but a wonderful mentor, who encouraged me to get into Longarm quilting. Had I not met her, I am not sure that I would have ever taken the leap of faith to purchase my own Longarm machine, and add Longarm quilting to my lists of goods and services.

While the process of starting a business has not always been easy, I am very thankful that I have pushed through the challenges. As a stay-at-home-mom of three kiddos, I find it extremely important for them to see their mom pursue her dreams, overcome challenges, and be a boss mom, all while having the flexibility of staying home, raising them, and being very present in their lives. It has been a true blessing.

I want everyone to know that I work tirelessly to continue to put out top-notch, quality work. Even throughout the years of my business growing, I never compromise quality. I use high-quality fabric and materials to ensure that the items I make for my clients are of the highest quality and made to last for generations to come. And, I also have learned the balance of work creativity versus self creativity. When I start to feel in a slump, I take a moment to pause and create something for myself, just for fun, because that allows my creative juices to flow more openly, and further allowing me to produce unique products for my clients.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
While I grew up in Spring, Texas, I am a recent transplant to Houston from the Midwest. It has been fun re-learning the area and finding the new hot spots. Our family loves to spend weekends eating out. Some of our favorite restaurants are Whiskey Cake, El Tiempo, Pinkerton’s BBQ, and Pier 6. We LOVE to take our family and friends to these spots when they come visit. NASA is another family favorite, along with walking around Galveston to see the local shops. Houston has so much to offer and I am looking forward to continuing to explore this city for years to come! We often time like to choose restaurants in San Leon, simply because we love being by the water.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that have been instrumental to my success. For starters, I want to thank Andria Niles, Owner of The Sparkly Elephant Sewing Lounge, for nominating me to be a part of the Shoutout series. Andria has been a major support system since the moment I met her a little over a year ago. The next person I would love to thank is my Grandma, Mimi. Mimi was the woman who instilled the love of sewing and quilting in me from a young age. I remember the first time we ever sat at the sewing machine together. She loved watching me be enthusiastic about sewing, all while improving my skills throughout the years. Every stitch I make, I think of Mimi, and I thank her for giving me a skill that is not only a way for me to heal and grow, but a way for me to provide for my family, and myself. There are many other people who have created support and mentorship opportunities from my days at working at local quilt shops in three separate states. While I would love to list everyone individually, it would take a novel! So instead, I would like to thank Lone Start Quiltworks in Bryan, Texas, Quilt Beginnings in Powell, Ohio, Top Shelf Quilts in Mokena, Illinois, Thimbles in Lockport, Illinois, The Sparkly Elephant Sewing Lounge in Friendswood, Texas, Clothyard Fabrics in Friendswood, Texas, and Painted Pony ‘n Quilts in La Porte, Texas. Each shop offered different opportunities for growth, whether that was as an employee, an instructor, or simply a place to talk with like-minded peers and learn skills and techniques that helped me grow as a quilter. I have made life-long friends from working and teaching at these quilt shops, and for that I will be forever grateful. Lastly, I want to thank my immediate and extended family, along with my friends, and past and present clients who continue to encourage me to take my business to the next level with their love, support, and referrals. I am beyond thankful for everyone that has impacted my journey!

Website: nicoleparra.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/nicoleparra.np

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nicoleparra.np

Image Credits
Professional Headshot taken by Hillary Nyert Photography of Spring, Texas