Off The Hamster Wheel

Amy Lollis

The anti-self-help podcast you didn't know you needed. www.amylollis.com www.instagram.com/amylolliscreative

Episodes

  1. 12/09/2025

    Coffee Chats: Interview With Melanie Stofka (@thevintagecalico)

    Join me and my quilt bestie Melanie (@thevintagecalico) for a wildly entertaining episode of Off The Hamster Wheel. Melanie walks me through her offbeat business model of turning estate-sale finds into fabric bundles for her Etsy shop. You’ll hear about the strangest treasures she’s uncovered, including a 1930s quilt stuffed with pantyhose and an 1800s quilt full of human hair. We dive into parenting philosophies, the realities of online retail, and how Melanie is AI-proofing her business. She also shares how she went from taking a quilt-pattern-writing course to becoming a successful reseller with zero formal business plan. Expect entrepreneurial insight, heartfelt moments, and a lot of laughs. Links: Melanie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevintagecalico/ Melanie’s Vintage Fabric Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagecalicofabric/?etsrc=sdt Bella’s Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabellastofka_author/?hl=en Join Scrap Academy: https://www.amylollis.com/scrap-academy   Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 00:20 Melanie’s Unique Business Model 01:01 Unusual Finds and Stories 06:54 Parenting Philosophies and Challenges 12:02 Quilt Pattern Writing and Business Insights 21:10 Social Media and Content Creation 24:43 Going Viral for Touching Dirty Water 26:58 Posting Cadence and Instagram Strategy 27:43 The Unplanned Business Model 28:50 Authenticity Over Perfection 32:13 The Decline of Chat Bots and Gatekeeping 34:33 Sustainable Sales and Packaging 43:19 The Joy of Fabric Bundles 47:41 Preserving History and Reselling Ethics 50:06 Concluding Thoughts and Links

    Coffee Chats: Interview With Melanie Stofka (@thevintagecalico)

About

The anti-self-help podcast you didn't know you needed. www.amylollis.com www.instagram.com/amylolliscreative