Nancy Laffey

Completely Quilted has been a staple of the downtown craft community for more than a decade. Nancy Laffey’s family brings a love of crafting and quilts to not just Ponca City, but also quilters across the state. Nancy has successfully integrated her love of community with her passion for quilting, which has been a great benefit to all.

Nancy attended Oklahoma State University, where she earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Culinary Arts and Food Service. However, for the past 15 years, Nancy has been devoted to her family’s growing business. They started small but would eventually grow into a shop on Grand Avenue that would be active in the Chamber the entire time.

“We began as a craft business in my mother’s home and expanded after purchasing the building at 315 E. Grand Ave.,” she said. “After creating our family partnership, I grew the business through events and marketing.”

It has expanded greatly, with word of the shop spreading beyond the Ponca City community.

“We were featured as a Top 10 quilt shop in

Better Homes & Gardens’ Quilt Sample magazine in 2018, a huge honor and tribute to the success of our small business,” she said.

They have found creative ways to expand, including offering beginner classes to adults and children, as well as live sales and videos, which have kept them profitable every year.

They have also seen increased sales from a form of quilt tourism.

“We participate every year in a statewide quilter’s tourism program that sees hundreds of quilting tourists come through Ponca City, just to get a stamp in the passport in our store,” she said. “Many buses have also been routed through Ponca City on special tours just for shopping in our quilt store, as well.”

They have received recognition for their efforts as a local business, including on a national scale.

“I am a member of the Road to Oklahoma Shop Hop and was part of the group growing from 12 shops to 24 shops,” she said. “Our BERNINA dealership has been named an Excellence Dealer for the past 15 years in a row.”

Completely Quilted doesn’t just receive support from the community, they give it back as well, including making donations to community activities.

“We always keep a stack of quilts and handmade items that are given for these organizations to be able to raise money,” she said. “We contribute the most through our volunteer efforts, and by using our leadership skills to make Ponca City a great place to live and work.”

Laffey herself is actively involved in the community, including being the chairperson of the Ponca City Development Authority since 2015. She was also the youngest member of the Ponca City Board of Commissioners from 2015-18 and vice mayor in 2018.

She served on the Board of Directors for the New Emergency Resource Agency from 2019-21, and her work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) has also been rewarding.

“I enjoyed being a CASA, one of those who advocate for children in the child deprived court system,” she said. “Through my training as a CASA volunteer and the time in leadership serving on the board, I was so blessed to have a greater understanding of the needs of children and families in our community.”

She added that through her work, she was able to adopt two children into her own family.