Episode Details
Back to EpisodesFrom Accidental Pattern Designer to Subscription Box Creator with Monika Henry
Description
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 scissors) to running a pattern design business, teaching an improv quilting workshop, and launching a Canadian quilt subscription box that took off faster than she expected.
Monika shares the behind-the-scenes reality of creating Quilt the North — a quarterly subscription box featuring a Canadian pattern designer, curated fabric, and locally sourced handmade items tied to each designer's region. She talks about the logistics she had to figure out on the fly (like the fact that you have to order print fabric six to eight months in advance), how Canada's political climate unexpectedly did her marketing for her, and why the connections she made at H&H Americas gave her the confidence to actually launch.
Tori and Andi also dig into what Monika calls "accidental" business moves — and reframe them as something more intentional: listening to your audience, following curiosity, and being willing to figure things out as you go. Monika also shares how working with a coach through Tori's DMMC program helped her step back from the middle of her business and see the bigger picture.
Whether you've been thinking about launching a product-based offering, adding a subscription model, or just need a reminder that you don't have to have it all figured out before you start, this conversation delivers.
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Connect with Monika
Website: https://pennyspoolquilts.com
See more about Quilt the North
Instagram: @pennyspoolquilts
Facebook: @pennyspoolquilts
YouTube: @pennyspoolquilts
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and guest introduction
02:00 Monica's first quilt and quilting journey
05:25 Turning hobby into business
09:13 Starting the Canadian quilt subscription box
12:37 Marketing and launching the subscription box
17:09 Listening to the audience and business insights
22:54 Favorite parts of the quilting and business experience
27:57 Where to find Monica online
28:45 Recent quilt project and color choices
29:16 Tools and notions Monica loves
31:04 Inspiring figures outside quilting
31:52 Challenges of running a business
32:57 Number of quilts in Monica’s sewing room
34:44 Exploring the Journey of Quilt the North
36:45 The Fearless Entrepreneurial Spirit
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Co-Hosts:
Tori McElwain @heytori.tech & https://www.heytori.tech/
Andi Stanfield @truebluequilts & https://truebluequilts.com/
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