We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kaityn Howell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kaityn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The more we talk about good leadership the more we think good leadership practices will spread and so we’d love for you to tell us a story about the best boss you’ve had and what they were like or what they did that was so great?

I worked at a local quilt shop for several years before and after serving an 18-month mission for my church. Before I left, I had the chance to learn from and admire one of our regular customers—a prolific pattern designer and quilter named Annie. She was always eager to teach and generously share her knowledge.

When I returned from my mission, Annie recruited me to work for her, and I spent the next three and a half years learning from her up close. Annie exemplified what it means to be an honest, hardworking, and creative business owner. She faced personal challenges and growing pains in her rapidly expanding business with grace, resilience, and compassion. No matter what obstacles came her way, she found a solution and brought others along with her.

When the time came for me to move on to the next chapter of my journey, Annie sent me off with incredible support and encouragement. She even gifted me a bag of 100 plastic 6×9 sleeves, telling me they were for the sewing patterns she believed I would someday write—along with many other helpful tools, contacts, and advice that have played a part in where I am today. Since then, I’ve gone on to order tens of thousands of those same bags for the patterns I’ve added to my own design library.

I’ll never forget Annie’s generosity, vision, and the impact she had on me—not just as a mentor, but as a truly great leader.

Kaityn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started sewing when I was just 11 years old, thanks to a mom who had a love for sewing and quilting—and was gracious enough to take me along for the ride. When I was 13, we started taking block-of-the-month classes together, and I’ll never forget how the women at the quilt shop welcomed me with such warmth and encouragement. Their kindness made a lasting impression.

As I continued through middle and high school, I honed my skills in sewing classes and eventually began working at a local quilt shop, where I was trained to run a longarm quilting machine. That experience led to an incredible opportunity: I was recruited to work for Annie, a well-known pattern designer and quilter who had once been a customer at the shop. Working for Annie is where I truly developed a passion for quilted bag making. She taught me best practices that continue to influence my work to this day.

In 2016, I launched my own longarm quilting business and pattern company. Since then, I’ve published 26 sewing patterns—with a few digital-only designs as well—and I’ve longarm quilted thousands of quilts for clients. Over the years, I’ve also had the privilege of working with six incredible employees out of my home. They’ve been more than team members—they’ve been friends, supporters, and a big part of my journey.

What sets my work apart is my commitment to clean, simple design and construction techniques that make quilted bags both fun and approachable to sew. I’m most proud of the community that’s grown around my brand—people who share my love of creativity, quality, and kindness.

More than anything, I want potential clients and followers to know that I care deeply about what I create and who I create it for. Whether I’m helping someone finish a beloved quilt or walking them through their first handmade bag, I want them to feel empowered and excited by what they’ve accomplished.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

In September of 2020, I had been longarm quilting for clients for four years. I felt confident in my process and proud of the business I had built. My first full-time employee was doing great and stepping up in amazing ways. I was also pregnant with my first child, due in just a few months, and navigating the uncertainty of the first year of the pandemic.

Around that time, I came across a membership community called the Longarm League—a beautiful space for longarm quilting business owners. I admired the founder and loved the pantograph designs included in the membership, but honestly, I didn’t think I needed it. I felt like I already had a good handle on things. But something nudged me to give it a try.

Joining turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for my business. Almost immediately, I was invited to join my first ever business mastermind group. We had monthly meetings to discuss our goals, share wins and setbacks, and hold each other accountable. For the first time, I didn’t feel like I was running my business alone. I found a safe, supportive space where I could ask questions, exchange ideas, and grow—alongside other women who truly understood what I was experiencing.

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn was thinking I had to figure everything out on my own. That independence had served me well up to a point, but embracing collaboration and community transformed both my business and my mindset. I’m so grateful I took a chance on something I didn’t think I “needed.” It changed the trajectory of my business in the best way.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Instagram has been my best source of new clients. It’s such a great platform for sharing videos and photos of my work, and it’s always been my favorite place to connect with a creative community. Some of my closest friendships have even started through that app. I’ll always be grateful for the people there who took a chance on me and trusted me to quilt their quilts—it’s made such a meaningful impact on my journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.knotandthread.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knotandthread/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knotandthread
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@knotandthread

Image Credits

Photos of bags were taken by Kristen Perreault of @kperreaultcreates