Quilting on the Side
Co-hosts Tori McElwain of HeyTori and Andi Stanfield of True Blue Quilts share real talk about what it takes to grow a successful quilting business while balancing full-time work, family life, and creative energy.
Whether you're into quilt pattern design, longarm quilting, teaching workshops, or selling handmade products, you'll find practical tips and honest conversations here. We cover everything from digital marketing and course creation to time management and the mindset shifts needed to build a sustainable, fulfilling side hustle.
This show is your go-to guide for running a profitable quilting business on the side - with encouragement, strategy, and plenty of real-life stories from the stitching trenches.
Episodes
115 episodes
Building a Quilting Empire: Meet Carolina Moore
Andi sits down with Carolina Moore — pattern designer, notion inventor, author, and newly minted YouTube Silver Button recipient — for a wide-ranging conversation about what it really takes to build a sustainable quilting business over time. Ca...
Getting Started on YouTube: Quilting on Video
Andi has big news—she's releasing Quilting on Video: Your Guide to Grow and Monetize on YouTube, and Tori puts her in the hot seat to talk all things video content.After seven ye...
Behind the Scenes with Kaitlyn Fritsch
Join the free "Do You Have a Book in You?" Webinar here: https://selfpublishingincubator.com/bookclass Meet Kaitlyn Fritsch, the technical editor behind dozens of published quilt patterns and books. In this episode, she walks...
We're Back for Season7! Big Changes, Fresh Start, and Industry Events
Season 7 Premiere: Big Changes, Fresh Start, and Industry Events You Can't MissTori and Andi kick off Season 7 celebrating seven years of real talk about running a quilting business alongside everything else. But this is no ordina...
Season 6 Recap - Our Longest Season yet!
Six seasons. Over a hundred episodes. Three years of real talk about building a quilting business on the side — and Tori and Andi are not done yet.In this Season 6 finale, the co-hosts take a walk down memory lane through what turned out...
Was it Worth it? What 5 Quilting Professionals Learned at h+h Americas
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.<...
h+h 2026 - Conversations from the Show Floor
h+h Americas is a huge fabric and fiber arts industry trade show. Andi and Tori spent the week in Chicago and met a bunch of amazing people! In this episode, Andi walks the show floor and asks a variety of attendees about their experience. Meet...
Pixel by Pixel - How an Engineer Grew Her Quilting Business with Brooke Stambersky
What if the best marketing strategy for your pattern business had nothing to do with Instagram? Brooke Stambersky of Brooke's Bitchin' Stitches started her entire quilting business the old-fashioned way - walking into quilt shops, showing up in...
Why YouTube Is My #1 Platform for Quilting Business Growth
Andi flies solo this episode to share why YouTube has been her go-to social media platform for the past two years — and why she thinks it should be on every quilting business owner's radar. From the nuts and bolts of monetization requirements t...
Beyond Distributors & Social Media: How One Quilt Pattern Designer Built a Successful Business
What do you do when distributors keep saying no and social media isn't getting your patterns in front of the right people? In this solo episode, Tori shares the story of Joyce - a pattern designer and client who built a growing pattern business...
Mosaic Applique and the Pivot That Travels with You with Cindy Bader
What happens when the business you love physically can't come with you? In this episode, Andi sits down with Cindy Bader of Patterns on the Prairie to talk about building - and rebuilding - a quilting business around the realities of your life....
Media Kits, Elevator Pitches, and Cold Outreach for Quilters
What actually goes into a media kit — and do you even need one? In this episode, Tori and Andi break down the nuts and bolts of building a media kit for your quilting business, from headshots and bios to class sample photos and social media han...
From Accidental Pattern Designer to Subscription Box Creator with Monika Henry
What does it look like to build a quilting business almost by accident? In this episode, Tori and Andi sit down with Monika Henry of Penny Spool Quilts to talk about her journey from a six-year first quilt (cut with cardboard templates and scis...
Pattern Designers + Quilt Shops: How to Build Partnerships That Work for Everyone
In this episode, Tori and Andi dig into a topic they've been hearing about from both sides - the relationship between pattern designers and quilt shops. Are they competitors? Partners? Somewhere in between?They break down the real econom...
From Pillowcases to Publishing with Kathryn LeBlanc
In this episode, Andi sits down with Kathryn LeBlanc of Dragonfly's Quilting Design Studio (and author Kathryn Mykel) to talk about what it really looks like to keep reinventing your creative business when the thing that's working stops working...
Quilt Market Is Gone. Now What?
Quilt Market is gone. After decades as the destination event for quilting industry professionals, the fall show has been canceled indefinitely, and Tori and Andi have thoughts.In this episode, they pull back the curtain on what the end o...
The Truth About AI's Environmental Impact for Quilters with Theresa the AI Quilter
In this episode of Quilting on the Side, Andi and Tori welcome back Theresa Benson - the AI Quilter for a fascinating conversation about how artificial intelligence is showing up in the quilting world.Since her last...
Stickers, Shaking Hands, and Sewing Seeds: Authentic Networking for Quilting Industry Events
Taking your quilt business from a digital screen to a physical trade show booth can feel like a high-stakes challenge. In this episode, Tori and Andi pull back the curtain on the "messy middle" of booth prep and the vulnerability of being seen....
Summit Prep Masterclass with Jamie Bright from Craft a Dream
In this episode of Quilting on the Side, hosts Andi and Tori interview Jamie Bright with Craft a Dream, a successful quilter and entrepreneur. Jamie shares her journey from starting quilting at a young age to building a thriving business in the...
Let us Reintroduce Ourselves: Meet 2026 Andi & Tori
In this episode of Quilting on the Side, Andi and Tori reflect on their journey since the podcast's inception, discussing significant changes in their businesses, personal growth, and the evolution of their creative identities. Tori shares her ...
Digital Marketing Basics for Quilting Businesses
In this conversation, Andi and Tori McElwain delve into the essentials of digital marketing for business owners, focusing on how to effectively show up online. Tori shares her insights on the importance of building an email list, nurturing lead...
Navigating Conflict in a Chaotic World with Dara Tomasson
In this engaging conversation, Andi and our guest Dara Tomasson explore the complexities of navigating conflict, overcoming self-sabotage, and finding joy in business. They discuss the importance of emotional resilience, the impact of imposter ...
Get Found Online: Keywords and easy ways to use them!
In this episode of Quilting on the Side, Andi and Tori McElwain delve into the evolving landscape of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and its implications for quilting businesses. Tori shares her insights gained from extensive research, particu...
Podcaster Meet-up with Brandy Maslowski, The Quilter on Fire
In this engaging conversation, Brandy Maslowski, Tori McElwain, and Andi Stanfield explore their quilting journeys, the evolution of their businesses, and the impact of podcasting in the quilting community. They share personal stories about the...
Balancing Life and Business | Season 6 Kick-off!
In this episode, Tori and Andi kick off Season Six by discussing the challenges of work-life balance for entrepreneurs, particularly those in the quilting community. They explore the unrealistic expectations of balance, the importance of self-c...