In this inspiring episode of the Craft to Career podcast, Elizabeth Chappell chats with Kimberly Jolly, founder and CEO of Fat Quarter Shop, one of the most recognized quilting retailers in the world.

Kimberly shares her journey from running a small eBay fabric store out of her home to leading a thriving business that serves quilters across the globe. She opens up about how the company began, what fueled its rapid growth, and the strategies that helped it stay strong in a changing industry.

Whether you're a fabric lover, pattern designer, or entrepreneur in the creative space, this conversation is packed with wisdom, encouragement, and practical advice.

• The Origin Story: How Fat Quarter Shop started as a small home-based business and grew into one of the world's leading online quilting retailers.

• The Evolving Quilting Industry: Kimberly's perspective on how the quilting landscape is changing—and what trends are shaping its future.

• What Fat Quarter Shop Looks For: As one of the top buyers in the quilting world, Kimberly shares what makes a product truly stand out.

• What's Missing in the Industry: Insight into the gaps Kimberly sees in today's market and opportunities for creative entrepreneurs to fill them.

• Words of Wisdom for Entrepreneurs: The key lessons Kimberly wishes she had known when she first started—and how you can apply them to your own business journey.

Kimberly Jolly is the founder of Fat Quarter Shop, a leading online quilt and fabric retailer known for its vast selection, YouTube tutorials, and beloved community of quilters. With her deep love for quilting and dedication to exceptional service, Kimberly has built a brand synonymous with creativity, quality, and innovation in the quilting world.

SHOW LINKS

• FloDesk – Save 50% on your first year of using my favorite email marketing provider. Code: QUILTERSCANDY
• Kajabi – Teaching a course or starting a membership? Kajabi is THE platform I use and love! Try it for free with my affiliate link.

Meet Jessica and Aiden, the creative duo and owners of Thimtec, a company that's redefining how quilters protect their fingers! Thimtec's signature fabric thimble has quickly gained attention in the quilting world for its comfort, innovation, and thoughtful design.

Jessica and Aiden share how their year-old company came to life — from the spark of an idea to a thriving small business. You'll hear about the challenges and wins of developing a physical product, their strategies for growing an audience and boosting sales, and what they wish they'd known before starting out.

Whether you're an inventor, a creative entrepreneur, or a curious quilter, you'll love this inspiring story of perseverance, innovation, and community connection.

• How the idea for the Thimtec fabric thimble was born

• What it takes to bring a physical product to market

• The marketing and social media strategies that helped Thimtec grow fast

• How they handle production, fulfillment, and customer feedback

• The biggest lessons learned during their first year in business

• Jessica and Aiden's best advice and biggest warning for makers who want to sell physical products

• Website: Visit here

• Instagram: @thimtec

Shop the Thimtec Fabric Thimble: Click Here

• FloDesk - Save 50% on your first year of using my favorite email marketing provider. Code: QUILTERSCANDY
• Kajabi - Teaching a course or starting a membership? Kajabi is THE platform I use and love! Try it for free with my affiliate link.

Discover how to mentor new quilt pattern designers, run a Halloween-themed sew-along, and navigate going viral on Instagram. Featuring Maggie Reno of Snug and Stitch on the Craft to Career podcast.

In this episode of the Craft to Career podcast, Elizabeth Chappell of Quilters Candy interviews Maggie Reno of Snug and Stitch, an experienced quilt pattern designer and mentor. Maggie, along with Michelle Corless of Compass and Wildflower, has led a group of alumni from the Quilt Pattern Writing Course in creating the Nocturnal Soul Stitchery Sew Along — a collaborative, Halloween-themed event for quilters.

Maggie shares valuable insights on:

• Mentoring new quilt pattern designers and helping them confidently bring their first patterns to market

• Choosing collaborators for creative projects (and why it's never an easy decision!)

• The unique challenges and joys of running a themed sew-along from concept to completion

• Going viral on Instagram — the unexpected benefits, hidden challenges, and strategies for sustainable growth

Whether you're a quilt pattern writer, a quilting enthusiast, or someone interested in growing your creative business online, this episode offers practical tips and inspiration from someone who's been there.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Nocturnal Soul Stitchery Sew Along

• Free 3-Day Event: Learn How to Become a Quilt Pattern Writer — happening early September 2025

• Kajabi — Create courses and memberships like a pro

• FloDesk — My favorite email marketing platform — save 50% off your first year

✨ Episode Summary: I'm diving into a topic that's close to my heart and essential for long-term success: how to make business friends.

We often hear about marketing strategies and growth plans—but what about the relationships behind the scenes? Business friends can offer support, accountability, and even joy in a journey that can sometimes feel isolating. But making those connections isn't always easy.

🎧 What You'll Learn:

• The surprising benefits of having friends in business (spoiler: it's not just about networking)

• Why it can feel hard to make business friends—and why you're not alone in that feeling

• Simple, proactive steps you can take to build genuine connections

• What to do when a business friendship doesn't work out

• Real-life stories of how I've met some of my closest friends through business—and how you can, too

💛 Whether you're just starting out or feeling a little lonely on your entrepreneurial journey, this episode will give you hope, ideas, and encouragement to find your people.

🔗 Helpful Links from This Episode:

• Kajabi – My favorite platform for building online courses and memberships. It's what I use to run my business, and I can't recommend it enough!

• FloDesk – Beautiful, easy-to-use email marketing. Get 50% off your first year with the code QUILTERSCANDY.

💡 Pro tip: These are the exact tools I use and love—only sharing what I truly stand behind!

Ever wonder how to get thousands of people excited about your event—without burning out in the process? In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on my most recent Quilt Along that brought in over 5,000 sign-ups. Whether you're hosting a virtual event, workshop, or course, you'll learn practical strategies for planning, promoting, and delivering a high-impact experience that grows your audience and your income.

• What inspired me to host this quilt along and how the idea evolved

• How I planned and structured the event for maximum engagement and ease

• The behind-the-scenes details that most people never see—but matter so much

• What worked incredibly well (and what I'll definitely do again)

• What I'd do differently next time to make it even smoother

• Why doing less, but doing it with focus and intention, leads to more impact—and more income

  💡 Whether you're a creative entrepreneur, course creator, or just curious about running your own event—this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you do it with confidence and clarity. 📌 Links & Resources:

  • Try FloDesk - my email marketing of choice.

  • My 'Email Marketing Made Easy' course. Learn how to create an opt-in page, collect email addresses, and automate emails.

  • Use my free Canva calendar template to stay organized and on track!

    You can use it as-is for your own event, or simply as a guide to create a custom version that fits your needs.

What happens when you walk away from a dream career in fashion to pursue a life of freedom, creativity, and true joy?

In this episode, I chat with Christine Lindebak, a talented garment sewist, pattern designer, and upcycling advocate who left the high-end retail world of Rodeo Drive to build a more meaningful creative business—on her own terms.

Christine shares her inspiring journey of transitioning from luxury fashion to sewing and teaching full-time. Now living in Spain, she works where and when she wants, creating one-of-a-kind pieces and encouraging others to sew boldly and sustainably.

We talk about:

• Why she walked away from a picture-perfect career

• The unexpected things that helped her find success

• How upcycling fuels her creativity and purpose

• What it really takes to build a creative business you love

• Encouragement for anyone considering a big leap into their passion

If you've ever dreamed of starting a creative career—or wondered if it's worth the risk—this episode is a must-listen. Christine is proof that the hard work is real, but the reward is so worth it.

🎧 Tune in now and get ready to be inspired!

🎧 Resources & Links:

• Christine's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sewingandthecity/

• Fit Clinic: https://www.sewingandthecity.co/fit-clinic47934425

• 📧 FloDesk – My favorite email platform! It's beautiful, beginner-friendly, and one of the most affordable options for creatives. Try it for 50% off your first year. 👉 Click here to check it out
• 🎓 Kajabi – The all-in-one platform I use to host my courses and memberships. It's powerful, intuitive, and perfect for creators who want to build and scale with ease. 👉 Click here to start your free trial

Do you love quilting and dream of teaching others—but feel unsure about where to start or whether you're even qualified? You're not alone, and today's guest is here to guide you through it all!

In this episode, I'm joined by my friend and fellow quilterpreneur, Shannon Brinkley. Shannon has built a thriving career around teaching quilting, and she's passionate about helping others do the same.

Whether you want to teach in-person workshops, partner with quilt shops or guilds, or offer your own online courses, Shannon shares how you can turn your love for quilting into a meaningful (and profitable!) teaching business.

You'll hear:

• How Shannon got started as a quilting teacher

• What opportunities are out there for quilting instructors today

• Common myths and doubts about teaching—and how to overcome them

• Details about her free 3-day event that shows you exactly how to teach what you love and start earning from it

If you've ever thought about teaching quilting or sharing your skills in a bigger way, this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Resources & Links:

• Sign up for Shannon's FREE 3-Day Event: [CLICK HERE]

• 📧 FloDesk – My favorite email platform! It's beautiful, beginner-friendly, and one of the most affordable options for creatives. 👉 Click here to check it out

  🎓 Kajabi – The all-in-one platform I use to host my courses and memberships. It's powerful, intuitive, and perfect for creators who want to build and scale with ease. 👉 Click here to start your free trial

What started as a college assignment turned into a viral business success. In this episode, I sit down with Monique Rapier of MMR Beauty, the powerhouse behind a hair oil brand that keeps selling out—again and again.

After years of struggling with hair that wouldn't grow, bald spots, and breakage, Monique dove into research and trial-and-error to create a formula that completely transformed her hair. Once she cracked the code, she began hand-making her product in small batches and shipping them herself. Fast forward to today—Monique now partners with fulfillment centers to keep up with demand, and her business has taken on a life of its own.

Once she cracked the code and after constant questions from her followers asking, "what product are you using?" Monique finally started her own company. She began selling the product, doing it all on her own in a small apartment. Fast forward to today - she now has a warehouse and fulfillment team to keep up with demand. Her business has taken a life of its own.

In this inspiring and practical conversation, Monique shares what it really takes to grow a product-based business from scratch. From her formulation process to her fulfillment journey, she's an open book. She also dives into the characteristics she's had to embrace—like vulnerability, consistency, and building trust—to grow an audience that keeps coming back.

• How Monique formulated her own hair oil from scratch

• The steps she took to move from kitchen batches to fulfillment centers

• What it really takes to have a product that sells

• How she grew (and keeps growing) on TikTok and social media

• The key traits that helped her build trust and loyalty with her audience

If you're dreaming of launching your own product or want a behind-the-scenes look at building a brand that connects and converts, this episode is a must-listen. Links: MMR Beauty - Monique's hair oil mask that helps you grow long, healthy hair. Kajabi - Build online courses and membership with the BEST platform out there! FloDesk - Use code QUILTERSCANDY and save 50% off your first year.

In this heartfelt episode, I join Will Rogers, the editor of The Quilters — a Netflix short film that tells the moving story of incarcerated men in a Missouri prison who sew quilts for children in need.

Will shares how he landed this unique editing role, the behind-the-scenes challenges and beauty of shaping such a powerful narrative, and what he discovered about the human spirit along the way — both from the quilters and the prisoners.

This episode is a beautiful reminder of the transformation that comes from creating with purpose and the unexpected places where hope and art intersect.

Whether you're a quilter, filmmaker, or creative entrepreneur, this episode will leave you inspired to look at your craft — and your purpose — with new eyes.

• Kajabi - My go-to for online education, courses, and memberships.

• FloDesk - Start your email marketing with the best provider!

In today's episode, I'm joined by Tori McElwain, quilter, educator, and author of Workshops Unleashed. We dive into Tori's journey into quilting and teaching, how she transitioned into leading workshops, and why sharing your skills with others can open amazing doors for your business.

Links Mentioned:

• Workshops Unleashed Book by Tori McElwain

• Tori's Website: The Quilt Patch by Tori

• Kajabi - My go-to for online education, courses, and memberships.

• FloDesk - Start your email marketing with the best provider!