Send us Fan Mail

What happens when a tech editor, a marketing coach, and three quilt pattern designers and teachers walk into the h+h americas Trade show? These are five quilting business owners with wildly different game plans — and a lot of honest hindsight.

In this special panel episode, Tori and Andi sit down with three of the friends they spent the week with at h+h Americas in Chicago — Kaitlyn Fritsch of Fritsch in Stitches, Laureen Smith of Tourmaline & Thyme Quilts, and Brooke Stambersky of Brooke's Bitchin' Stitches — to recap what the show was actually like, mistakes and all.

The prep stories alone run the full spectrum: Tori planned a full year out for a $2,500 booth, while Kaitlyn decided to go just two weeks before and scrambled through business-card drama to make it happen. From there, the group digs into what they did on the floor, how they're handling follow-up now that they're home (spoiler: a marketing coach admits she forgot to collect contact info), and the moments that made it all worth it - from Laureen getting stopped by a quilting-world celebrity to Brooke's big fangirl moment.

They don't sugarcoat the hard parts either: the overwhelm, the exhaustion, an unkind vendor, and the honest question every side-hustler eventually has to ask — is this a business investment, or just a really expensive hobby? If you've ever wondered whether a show like h+h is worth your time and money, this conversation will help you decide.

Guests:

Kaitlyn from Fritsch in Stitches 

Laureen from Tourmaline & Thyme Quilts 

Brooke from Brooke's Bitchin' Stitches 

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Panelist Introductions
02:31 Preparation for H & H: Different Approaches
09:16 Experiences at H & H: Strategies and Insights
28:50 The Importance of Follow-Up and Networking
32:40 Navigating Post-Event Overwhelm
41:17 Strategies for Effective Follow-Up
44:39 Lessons Learned from Mistakes
45:40 Highs and Lows of the Experience
01:01:21 Reflections on Value and Future Plans

Want More Quilting Business Content?
🔗 Join us on Patreon for exclusive perks

🔗 Grab Tori’s book, Workshops Unleashed 

📌 Follow us on Instagram

Co-Hosts:

Tori McElwain @heytori.tech & https://www.heytori.tech/

Andi Stanfield @truebluequilts & https://truebluequilts.com/ 

Support the show

If you want more support with your quilting business, make sure to hit follow.