The Rev Craft Biz Podcast

088

Caroline Moore joins us again to talk customer service tactics, especially when people are no having a great day. Customer service is a he aspect of a business owner’s working day, so having some strategies ready to go can save you time.

We also discuss the mechanics of credit card chargebacks, and why, as a customer, the best thing you can do is contact us directly for a solution!

Show Notes

Website - https://alwaysexpectmoore.com/

Intagram - https://www.instagram.com/craftmoore

YouTube - https://ww...

087

In this episode, Jacquette Timmons joins us to talk about the human side of money, and all the different systems within your business that need a solid foundation. She talks about money being more than just numbers, and the soul work that is needed to run a business that will support you well.

Owning your own business is not just about working for money - but making money work for YOU.

Show Notes

Website - https://www.jacquettetimmons.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jacquettemtimmons/

086

In this episode, Karen Cooper of the MQG joins us. We talk about the evolution of the MQG, and how technology and social media have affected change.

We discussed how the MQG handles activist quilts, and the mail that comes with showing them. Pssst… you’re allowed to walk on by things you don’t care for!

We also dug into some ideas for changing process around better protecting the quilts while in transit, in the form of creating courier hubs, and getting better appraisals for insurance purposes should things go wrong. I hope y...

085

In this episode, Diana Fitzgerald of Banjo Flannel talks to us about figuring out how to do things her own way, and not really paying attention to what other people are up to. We also talk about her brand new book featuring patchwork and sashiko.

We talked about how having a scientific brain works well with pattern writing, and how it’s necessary to be interested in something to have a chance at being good at it.

Show Notes

Website - https://www.banjoflannel.com/

Instagram - https://www.in...

084

In this episode, Mel Beach is back with us! Mel and I took on a convo about activism quilts, and how they appear out in the world – both throughout history, and in the current landscape of both artistic activism and politics. We talk all the facets of making this work, curating it, displaying it, and experiencing it as a viewer. And what to do when you come across work that isn’t your cup of tea.

Mel has also been making up a storm of fun stuff on her IG feed, using watercolor instead of fabr...

Episode 083

In this episode I’m chatting with Rachel Allen about copywriting and marketing. She talks about finding a way to be human in your marketing communications without being performative, and about understanding what your customer is looking for first before you attempt to sell them anything!

Show Notes

Website - https://www.boltfromthebluecopywriting.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/boltfromthebluecopywriting

Ellie Trier - https://zuzushausofcats.com/

Bon Bon Viviant - https://www.instagram.com/bonbonvivant/?hl=en

Mary Williams - https://www.instagram.co...

Episode 082

In this episode I’m chatting with Jo Avery. We talk about her entrepreneurial journey from her early twenties, and how she has refined her businesses along the way to suit the stages of her life, including moving from in person teaching to online, and partnering with people who have other skill sets and compliment hers.

Jo is also a maker of temperature quilts - a style of quilting that has fascinated me. She talks about developing them using improv techniques (her favorite way to work) and using these, and 100 Days projects, as playgrounds fo...

Episode 081

In Part 2 of my convo with book artist and fabric designer e bond, we delved into where you look for inspiration. e brought a lot of her book making and painting skills to her first fabric designs, and subsequent lines relate back to this in an on-going story.

We also talk about what can be inspiration, and it’s not necessarily other art. e is a huge reader, and many of the books she reads turn into art ideas. I loved the great sense of art being threaded through all aspects of her life, an...

Episode 080

Book artist and fabric designer e bond joined the pod and we had a really vibrant conversation about how to discover and work in one’s own creative process. We also talk about how to capture ideas and where they live until they can be brought to life.

I find creative process conversations so thrilling. We all do it differently, and yet, we’re all essentially reaching for the same thing: the place where we get to manifest an idea into something of substance.

Our conversation went long, and it was...

Episode 079

Kristin Barrus was just recently awarded her doctorate, and the focus of her studies were entrepreneurial quilt makers. I was honored to be one of her interview subjects a couple of years ago, and it was wonderful to talk to her about what came from all her research.

I can’t begin to summarize it, other than to say it’s fascinating. It’s both surprising and not surprising to hear that many entrepreneurs, while connected to the cloth and smart about making businesses in the industry, are equally interested in altruistically creating legacies that s...

In this episode my Cheryl Brickey of MeadowMist Designs joins the podcast. When not designing quilts, and running a really fun and successful Curated Pattern Bundles project, Cheryl works writing patents for an industrial fabric design company.

We talk about the building blocks of pattern writing, design inspiration, and what, if anything, pattern designers can do to protect their intellectual property.

We talked a little about what got us into quilting, and Cheryl said something that really resonated with me: she wanted to make something that couldn’t be unmade. What a great way to lo...

In this episode Marianne Fons joins to talk about teaching quilting on public TV with her Quilty partner Liz Porter, long before the internet and youtube! It was great to be able to ask her about what the business landscape looked like when direct mail was how you reached your customers.

Surprisingly, some aspects of business haven’t changed at all, and we talked about the importance of the right person doing the right job within a growing business, and that she and Liz were great opposites and compliments to each other.

Recently, she has sh...

In this episode Kathie Beltz joins us to talk about all things to do with judging quilts for quilt shows. She covers the things to pay attention to if you hope to be considered for a prize, and I got to ask about criteria for bindings, which is something I’ve had notes on when I’ve entered competitions!

One of the things she points out is that, while design definitely matters, many of the criteria included in quilt judging have to do with making a quilt that will last. The critiques you might get about your stit...

In this episode my friend Lauren Goche joins the pod. She’s not in the craft industry, she’s a realtor – but as an entrepreneur who has built her own business, she has faced similar challenges around burnout, hustle culture, and hiring help. She’s a fierce advocate for women and a community builder in my neighborhood, so I’m happy to bring some of her wisdom here to share.

We talk about the growing pains in business - working too much, learning to hire help, and learning how to delegate once you’ve hired it! Lauren has also rea...

Christa Watson join the pod in this episode, and we talk about the long journey to “overnight success.” She spent a lot of years thinking she had to get older to be “allowed” to do more with her business, and eventually became a hard working advocate for HERSELF, while being a kind resource for others.

We talk about how she has used that power to negotiate better contracts for herself in both book writing and pattern design. We also discuss how she has gone about learning what she wants to know (she’s tenacious about finding the right clas...

#073 - Timna joins the podcast again to talk about some of the things she’s done to help ease the burnout she was feeling a couple of years ago. She re-evaluated how she does her teaching, and modified the WHERE to give her schedule some much needed space.

We also talk about the value of playing with artistic media that is not fabric-related to shake out new ideas, and to just have some fun. It can’t just be all work, all the time!

Show Notes

https://www.timnatarr.com/

Instagram: @timn...

Kristy Lea visits the pod again, and this time we dig into what it takes to run and participate in collaborative design projects.

We discuss the differences in doing free block projects for strategic email list growth, and patterns for sale projects - and Kristy and I have collaborated on both kinds in the past couple of years.

There’s a lot of organization to get them up and running, and Kristy reminds us that the customer service lift can be pretty heavy at the outset. But we both agree that enthusiastic customers - especially th...

# 071 - Daisy Aschehoug returns the the podcast to talk about working for the big quilt shows, and the wide variations in compensation they offer.

As you well know, my biggest concern is always to challenge any model that relies on the underpaid labor of women for its success.

There are so many levers to pull in terms of paying people well (or at least fairly), and we talk about the pros and cons of some of the decisions both we and a venue can make. They can also be profitable in terms of exposure...

#070 - Maddie Kertay returns to the podcast for a discussion about trade shows. Hot on the heels of Quilts Inc shutting down the long-running Houston Quilt Market, H&H, which has been running a spring trade show for a couple of years, announced that they will add a Fall event in Houston to their line up.

What does this mean for industry professionals? Strategy! Maddie and I discuss how to spend your money wisely to get the best out of going to one of these events.

Show Notes

Bad Ass Quilter...

#069 - Holly Marsh

My friend and fellow biz owner and artist Holly Marsh returns to the podcast for a great discussion about using AI.

There is no doubt that AI is here to stay, but how much of it is actually useful or time-saving in YOUR business. And given the planetary resource costs of keeping data centers running, not to mention the time to train AI to understand what you want, is it worth it for you.

We both agree that there are a few things that might be worth it - for...

#068 - Carolina Moore comes back to the podcast to discuss all things having to do with email strategy. We cover email providers, lead magnets, how to interpret analytics, and what goes on under the hood of the internet with respect to deliverability, unsubscribes, and junk mail.

We also talk about the bane of small businesses everywhere, the dreaded credit card charge-back, and why it’s ALWAYS kind to reach out to a small business to resolve an issue before you call the credit card co.

Show Notes

Website - https://alwaysexpectmoore.com/

...

#067: Lindsie Bergevin joins us to talk about the Quilter’s Planner, and how it’s changed over the years based on both customer feedback and the ever-changing manufacturing landscape.

We discuss how important good design is, and that it’s not always obvious because good design just really works.

We also talk about the difficulties of being charge of all the aspects of your business, and how self care - especially good sleep is critical to keeping up with all the tasks

Show Notes

QuiltCon - https://www.quiltcon.com/home

W...

Episode 066

It was great having Andi Barney on the pod to talk about turning her passion for vintage machines into one of the most unique businesses in our industry, that of teaching people sewing machine maintenance. Not only does she teach people how to take care of their own, but she now runs a program to train people as machine techs - something we’ll always need as long as we’re sewing!

Our conversation also got into the changing needs of the sewing public. While there are many of us taught to sew either in s...

Episode 065

Heather Givans runs Crimson Tate, a quilt store, but it’s really a supportive community that lives inside a building. Heather brings her former high school art teacher and camp counsellor chops to the community she serves at the store.

Heather is a life-long learner and I love her endless curiosity about things (listen to the pod to hear about how studying languages led her to teaching art in a roundabout way). When she talks about all the things she’s gotten herself into (and out of!) there is such an undercurrent of joy in h...

Episode 064

Libs and I fired up this conversation a few weeks before we hung out in person at the European Patchwork Meeting in September. She was just finishing up the work that she exhibited (what a WOW show) and we talked a lot about managing the balance between the art we make for the soul, and art we make for the biz.

I can tell you that after hanging out in person for a week, I’ve added Libs to my list of fave peeps in the biz. She is thoughtful and generous, and really ca...

Episode 063

It was SO great to sit down with Chawne Kimber and talk about her quilts. I was a huge fan of her work before I met her, and through the years of our friendship, my appreciation for both her and the work she makes has only deepened.

Much of her work has a deep intentionality in the materials and their origin, and Chawne integrates that with the meaning of the pieces. She’s also got the best sense of humor and play too, and I love it when she lets that loose.

Ou...

I first met Latifah as she helmed the Los Angeles Modern Quilt Guild about 15 years ago, and it’s been an honor to remain connected over the years, and to see her business and statute in the industry develop.

We talk about how being a traveling educator gave her an inside look at so many quilts shops, and how that information formed her pattern + ruler/template strategy. Latifah used her background in engineering to create the Clammy™ and HuRTy™ rulers and the patterns that use them.

We talk about choosing when and where to grow a busi...

Stephanie Rohr first crossed my radar a few years ago, when a NY Times article detailed that her first book, Feminist Cross Stitch, got pulled from Michaels for having profanity in its pages. I immediately bought the book (solidarity!) and thought what a cool woman, I hope to meet her some day!

Well friends, that day happened and it was such a great convo. We talk about both the support and reactions to her books (the second one has lovely messages of self care - and a relatively equal ratio of cuss words, all supported by her...

I recently attended the Carrefour European Patchwork Meeting (EPM) in Alsace, France. I shared lodging with Daisy Aschehoug and Libs Elliott, both veteran attendees and exhibitors.

Libs was on the jury for the show, and was also exhibiting an all new solo show, a series of quilts made with generative code. I got to help hang that show and it was magnificent.

One evening, I put the microphone in the middle of our table, and we poured some wine, turned on the mic, and just had a chat. We covered artistic process, new and old...

#060: Tara Faughnan takes us on her quilting journey, through fabric design and a passion for traditional quilting blocks. She was recently the keynote speaker at QuiltCon 2025, and the attendees got to see her exploration of her maximalist traditional quilts in a lovely solo exhibition.

Tara talks about finding the rhythm in her color palettes, which I find to be very distinctive! We talked about collaborative processes, and Tara says that while she collaborated a lot when she was designing textiles, she doesn’t look for collaboration when designing her quilts.

We talk about how she re...

#059 - Samantha Hoyt was a joy to talk to - two Sams collide to talk about all the things, and let me tell you, we discovered we have a lot in common. Sam is past the point of being anything other than authentically who she is (which is passionate about sewing, taking care of the planet, and a lot of other big hearted things), and as it turns out, that’s what brings people back to her sewing retreats year after year.

She is very much a maker, and makes a lot of her own clothes. She is...

#058 - Karlee Porter is a life-long artist, always going in her own direction. So it makes sense that when she turned to quilting, especially long-arm quilting, she took to doing it her way - and teaches other to follow their own inspiration too.

We talked about important industry things - like pricing according to the complexity of the pattern, and how to navigate (and not participate in) the gatekeeping that plagues most craft industries.

She also talked about creating her company Honest Fabric with very deliberate environmental considerations at the forefront, and a structure for...

#057 - I was so excited to talk with HollyAnne Knight because I see her as such a powerhouse of positivity and inclusivity within the industry. She calls all her people Rock Stars, and upholds them as such in the community she creates, in her shop in Duluth, Georgia, and her online education platforms.

I feel like she’s a natural born teacher, and part of her teaching approach is to make everything easier (and more accessible!) for her students too.

She tells the story of building her store while trying to collaborate with the other st...

#056: Jo Wollschlaeger talks challenges on the pod! She takes on a lot of the challenges in the modern quilting world, like the Pantone Color of the Year Challenge, or any of the various challenges for the MQG’s yearly QuiltCon show. And she’s good at them too, most recently winning a ribbon at QC 2025 for a quilt that started as a Pantone Challenge for the color Peach Fuzz. She really challenged ME with her statement that there are no bad colors - just ones you might find challenging! She thinks we should rise to those color challenges, but I’m...

#055 - My convo with Amy Lollis was so fun. She’s full of thoughts and ideas that move a mile a minute so we covered a lot of ground. I love that she talked about coming out of a pattern designing course more interested in fonts than patterns, and that the course (and life) have made her realize that it stresses her out to write instructions. Sometimes choosing what to do for a business is as much about choosing what NOT to do! She also talks candidly about the challenges of juggling being a mom of littles and an en...

054 - Melissa De Leon Mason joins the pod and we had such a great convo! We talked about how teaching has become her favorite part of the industry, and how she decided to teach foundation paper-piecing design - something many designers find very instinctual and not easy to teach. As a therapist, she blended self care and stitching into a very well received QuiltCon class this year. She’s a huge advocate for self care being necessary, not an indulgence - a stance I can very much support! I hope you enjoy this high energy and lovely conversation - an...

#053: Betsy Greer joins us to talk about the activism inherent in making art and craft. I’ve followed Betsy for several years and have always admired her consistent voice around how art can be used for activism (I happen to LOVE activist art) and it was an honor to talk about this with her. Check out her IG feed too - it’s a wonderful reminder that all creative acts - large or small - have the potential to create or foster change; a great message in today’s turbulent world.

Show Notes

Websit...

#052 - Gael Boyd is the owner of Blue Bar Quilts in Middleton Wisconsin. We talk about quilt shops as important spaces, not just for learning quilting and supplying quilters, but also for creating community. I love this shop! It’s one of my all time favorites to teach in!

Show Notes:

Website - https://www.bluebarquilts.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bluebarquilts/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bluebarquilts/

Madison Contemporary Fiber Artists - https://www.madisonfiberartists.com/

Great Wi...

051 - Sue Pelland talks about her journey from teenage teacher to business owner.

Show Notes

Website - https://suepellanddesigns.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/suepellanddesigns/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SuePellandDesigns

Houston Quilt Festival - https://www.quilts.com/quilt-festival/quilt-festival-houston/

Sue’s online courses - https://suepellanddesigns.com/product-category/online-courses/

Ahead of the Curve Membership - https://suepellanddesigns.com/product/ahead-of-the-curve-memberships/

Eat, Pray, Love - https://amzn.to/3YoAacV

Elna sewing machine - https://usa.el...

#050 - Jess Ziegler talks about successfully pivoting her business to help others run theirs better.

Show Notes

Website - https://www.longarmleague.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/longarmleague

Nancy Stovall, Just Quilting - https://www.justquiltingpdx.com/

Art and Stitch - https://artandstitch.com/

Kajabi - https://kajabi.com/

Circle - https://circle.so/

Longarm University - https://www.longarmuniversity.com/

Everyday Dose - https://www.everydaydose.com/

Mud Wtr - https://mudwtr...