Recently I had the privilege of chatting with Sam Hunter for an episode of her RevCraftBiz podcast. If you aren’t familiar with Sam, she’s a quilter, a mama, a fine artist (sculpture! among other things), a mentor, and a fantastic friend, and the RevCraftBiz is all about how to build a revolutionary craft business for yourself! Hint: always get paid for your work.
Sam has not one, not two, but THREE successful businesses (you can check them out here) and, honestly, I don’t know how she does it all! But she does.
Earlier this year, Sam launched her RevCraftBiz podcast. I’ve listened to most of the episodes – working to catch up! – and they are all fantastic. She’s had an extraordinary lineup of talented humans – Holly Marsh, Yvonne Fuchs, Deborah Boschert, Ange Wilson, Timna Tarr, just to name a few – sharing their quilting, art, and entrepreneurial endeavors. The podcasts are both educational and inspiring. I encourage you to subscribe to her Substack and/or listen to the podcasts. You won’t be disappointed.
Today, Sam shares the podcast she and I recorded. We talk about women supporting other women, sustainability, one of my favorite songs with lots of four letter words, and so much more. Bonus: if you hang around until the end of the Pod, Sam asks some fun, rapid fire questions like “What’s your favorite bad for you snack?”. Any guesses??
A clip from the Pod
In this clip I talk about Reduce, Reuse, Recycle but did you know there are actually FIVE R’s with regard to sustainability? I know, Right?! Refuse and Re-design are important, as well. Those two R’s are actually the basis of my next book, Zero Waste Quilting. We chat a little about my book, too!
The 5 R’s of Sustainability
Depending on who you ask, or what site you reference, there could be R’s on a list that don’t appear here including: REPAIR, ROT, RENEW, etc. Ultimately, the idea is that we buy less and toss less. Overconsumption is a huge problem and we (globally) are using resources faster than they can be replenished.
We all know the first three R’s so let’s, briefly, chat about refuse and redesign and how you can incorporate them into your practice.
Refuse
REFUSE simply means that, as quilters, we can refuse to buy in excess. This doesn’t mean you can’t have a stash or buy pieces you need (or maybe even want) but it does mean that you can:
• be mindful of what you buy – this issue can be ameliorated to some extent if your stash is well organized because you buy less when you can inventory what you own
•be mindful of how much you buy – it’s okay to buy fabric but maybe a 1/2 yard will suffice. Do you really need 12 yards of a particular fabric? Backings excluded 🙂
•recognize that there will be another great fabric you just have to have that will come along so it’s okay to buy a small piece or not buy a piece at all. Crazy, I know, but it’s true.
Redesign
REDESIGN simply means how can we redesign what we make and use to be more sustainable? For me, that meant redesigning how I create a pattern. Traditionally when patterns are written, we accept the scraps as the cost. Often they pile up in corners or bins, going into a de-stash, headed to Goodwill and, sometimes (gasp!) going into the trash.
We don’t have to accept that scraps are the default and we can redesign how they are used. A Double Wedding Ring Quilt can only be designed so many ways but what we do with the scraps and how we choose to put them into subsequent projects: THAT is the redesign.
I take the guesswork out of the scraps by creating a curated collection of goods using the material beginning to end. Full use of goods unlocked.
You will laugh
Sam and I had a great time recording this episode. Lots of laughs and good discussion about the quilting industry. I hope you give it a listen. I hope it inspires you to change your practice and I hope you let me know what you think.
The big takeaway
What I found for myself, working in this capacity, limiting what I buy and how I use new goods to extend their life, is that it challenged me creatively. I had to analyze how to use what I had to make something I loved. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working in this capacity and look forward to continuing this. It’s a better use of our resources, both financially and for the planet.