Common Threads
By: Katelyn Ebbert
Nancy Asmus, fiber artist and small business owner of Nancy Under the Steps, values community like family, exhibited through her artwork and her kindness.
When Nancy’s two daughters were growing up, they used to cram themselves into a small room under the stairs in their childhood home. Her daughters, and their friends stacked themselves inside and would pop out one by one, giggling. When Nancy chose her original spot as a vendor on Park Ave., she requested to run her business under the steps, preserving this nostalgic and playful atmosphere. Under those steps, she grew her business as an artist, and her name as the woman who spreads joy through her art and “free mom hugs”. Now, Nancy continues to grow her business out of the Meadville Market House and her gallery. Each meticulous stitch, and hand dyed fabric tells a story: memorializing and connecting. Nancy values the common threads in Crawford County. She recently opened her own gallery at 14058 Conneaut Lake Rd., where over forty cherished artists and supporters came together to celebrate her
artwork, acting as a beacon of community. Nancy wrote and designed fabric illustrations for her 2015 work, Allegheny College Stitches in
Rhyme. In 2017, she collaborated with Cindy Reedy, and crafted Conneaut Lake Park: a keepsake in my heart. Reedy wrote the story, and Nancy intricately created fabric appliques. Together, they captured the nostalgia of fun-filled days at Conneaut Lake Park. Through these books, and her applique commissions, Nancy creates designs of historic buildings, personal homes, endangered
structures, and more. She highlights places with shared memories across Meadville, Conneaut Lake, and surrounding landmarks. Despite the passage of time and wear of buildings, Nancy’s art preserves the stories held in each location. Nancy displays her community engagement through each piece of fabric, each hand dyed detail, and every thread, as she strings members of the community together. College students and fellow Meadville residents alike travel to this sacred spot under the steps, for her craftsmanship of fabric work and positivity. Nancy has printed over 10,000 “Free Mom Hug” cards and has distributed them to members of the community, offering an open door to her new gallery, and open arms to all.
Nancy Asmus
Within the collection of short stories, The Color Master, author Aimee Bender details an inspiring tale of the impact of art. She stresses that emotions are laced in artwork and the creation process of art. In the short story, titled the same as the collection, Bender writes of an artist, the Color Master. The Color Master channels her emotions into her artwork, inspiring change and growth of the characters and herself. Additionally, she accomplishes many color assignments in her job as a fabric dyer, reaching her goals at the end. The major theme in this short story consists of empathy and care acting as a moving force in the lives of many. This vibrant, moving story corresponds with the artwork and values of Nancy Asmus and her fabric applique business, Nancy Under the Steps. Asmus projects her kindness, empathy, and passion into her work and through her “free mom hugs”. Like the Color Master, Asmus has reached significant milestones within her career, the most recent being the grand opening of her gallery in March 2026.