Welcome to the first week of the 2016 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop! I’m thrilled to be kicking the week off with such an amazing group of talented quilters (whose names and blogs are conveniently listed at the end of this post for your clicking pleasure).
Are you as excited as I am?!
A little about me… I’ve been sewing for twelve years and quilting for a little over two. I started Gypsy Moon Quilt Co. on a hotter-than-hot Spring day in Dallas, Texas with not much more than a passion for creating and a delicious stack of vintage floral linens. The moment I pulled my first quilt, fresh and crinkled from the dryer, I knew this gig was gonna last.
As I continued making quilts, I started focusing more on the environmental impact of my newly discovered craft and decided, going forward, I would solely be using vintage and repurposed materials to create my quilts. You can read more about me – and my journey into the world of sustainable quilting.
Here are a few of my favorite vintage and thrift-sourced gals:
Now for some tips, facts and fun stuff!
Favorite blogging tip: Find your blogging voice. I think it’s so important to engage with your readers and let them get to know who you really are. Not just with your words, but with your personality. Let you shine!
Dream vacation spot: Give me all the Ireland!
Favorite books (because I can’t list just one):
– Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
– She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
– The Reader by Bernard Schlink
– Open House by Elizabeth Berg
Favorite movie: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Favorite tv show: The Vampire Diaries (because I’m secretly 12 and those Salvatore brothers are sooo dreamy)
Random fun fact: I like to learn. A lot. I really love school and I changed my major in college a ridiculous amount of times (graphic design, art, interior design, elementary education, psychology – just to name a few) because I just wanted to do all the things! I finally settled on English Communications, but I’m also a licensed Skincare Specialist and Nail Technician. Isn’t this FUN?
Question for readers: What are ways you try to reduce waste, reuse materials or upcycle in your sewing spaces?
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You can read all about my process of using repurposed materials in my recent interview over on The Concerned Craft — a website dedicated to raising awareness and educating fiber crafters about the environmental impact of their craft. Fun fact: The creator of The Concerned Craft is also a member of this very Blog Hop! ☺️
Many thanks to our fearless and all-knowing Hive leaders. They’ve done a remarkable job of turning us newbies into real-life bloggers. Go visit their blogs and give them insane amounts of love!
Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl
Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs
Stephanie @Late Night Quilter
I also hope you’ll pay my fellow first-week Sewcial Network blog-hoppers a visit and tell them how wonderful they are!
Paige @Quilted Blooms
Tish @Tish’s Adventures In Wonderland
Melva @Melva Loves Scraps
And here are the rest of the 2016 New Quilt Bloggers from my Hive – their Blog Hop posts are coming up in the weeks ahead. Go check them out and show them a little encouragement and positivity!
Carole @Carole Lyles Shaw
Anne @Said With Love
Beth @Plaid and Paisley
Jennifer @RV Quilting
Mary @Made By Marney
Sharon @Yellow Cat Quilt Designs
Amanda @This Mom Quilts
Laurel @Quilts By Laurel
Marla @Penny Lane Quilts
Jennifer @Dizzy Quilter
Seven @The Concerned Craft
Amanda @Quiltologie
Also, be sure to check out and enter to win some pretty amazing giveaway prizes from the 2016 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop sponsors!
xo.a
Gypsy Moon Quilts 
Very nice to meet you. 🙂 I love the thought of reducing/reusing. We have a local guild that collects scraps to make beds for doggies in the shelters. You have to be careful not to have too small of scraps, since some like to chew, but it’s a great way to use up those scraps. I’m not a scrappy quilter, and I hate to have things sitting around that I won’t use. I try really hard not to have a lot of stash sitting around. It feels wasteful to me, because someone out there might actually use it.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful quilts!
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It’s great that your local guild collects scraps! I’m sure lots of quilters feel the same way about not wanting to waste scraps, but not exactly wanting to keep them either. Hmm, maybe I’ll take up scrap collecting! 😉
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I love your quilts, and your blog voice is very sweet and welcoming.
Sticking to vintage and repurposed fabrics must take a lot of discipline. I love working with denim, but I don’t think I could give up my fabric habit. I do my best to never waste my fabrics. I keep scraps until they get ridiculously tiny, and then they get used as stuffing for doggie toys or go into a grapevine ball for the local birds to make nests with.
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Thanks so much, Jennifer! I’m a minimalist at heart, so I don’t really need too much discipline. I pretty much only shop when my stash is ridiculously low… it’s actually been almost 8 months since my last fabric shopping trip and I’m still going! 😂
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Really fantastic, as always. Sorry for the delay, I’ve been on holiday (which sounds more lovely than it was – the Atlantic coast of France had rain in store for the whole week but forgot to tell us…). I have really enjoyed getting to know you, and your positive “into it!” attitude is inspiring and contagious. Congrats on your gorgeous new site!!
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Still more fabulous than a rainy week in Vancouver! 😋 Thank you so much for the encouraging words, Seven. It’s been wonderful getting to know you as well. Really hoping we can collaborate again sometime in the future!
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Great post! I enjoyed learning more about your quilting journey. For recycling, I take all of my batting scraps and use them as stuffing for my doggie’s pillow.
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Thanks, Cheryl! I’m really loving the idea of making pet beds. Think I’ll start saving my scraps for one as well! 😊
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Nice to know more about you, Amanda! I love scrap quilts, so that’s the biggest thing I do to reduce waste–put it in another quilt! I haven’t done much with repurposing textiles into quilts, but I have with the few (and I mean few) clothing projects I’ve done started with old clothes or thift store finds. I’ve turned a dress that didn’t fit on top into a skirt, and turned jeans into a denim skirt. Especially useful when you love your jeans but the inner seams start to wear!
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Hi Emily! Scrap quilts are the best! Definitely my favorite method of reuse. I’d love to get into refashioning, but clothing takes a whole different skill set (and amount of patience) that I don’t possess. 😋
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Lovely blog! I just came across your space via Tami’s Five Favorites post. What a sweet idea for a link up. Regarding your favorite books, I loved Open House. Actually I think I have read all of Elizabeth Berg’s books except for her most recent. She is one of my favorites.
For recycling and upcycling, I seen wit a few things in my Etsy shop that are made from upcycled coffee bean sacks and upcycled denim. I also have a growing collection of vintage sheets. I just cut the squares for my first quilt, though I have also made a few pillows. I also have cut fat quarters from some of them to list in my shop. Love finding vintage sheets. 😊
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Thank you so much for the blog love! Isn’t Elizabeth Berg just amazing? Open House was actually the first book of hers I ever read. She has the most beautiful way of connecting her characters and readers. Glad to have met a fellow Berg lover!
I love the coffee bean sack idea! I’ve considered listing cuts of vintage linens if I ever open a shop, but I’d have to be willing to part with them first. 😄 I’m going to pop over to your blog and Etsy shop right now! ❤️
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Would you be interested in swapping some FQ’s so we each have more variety? I would love that. Let me know. 😊
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Absolutely! I’ve completely depleted my current stash (other than small scraps) but I’d definitely be interested in doing an FQ swap in the future! I’ll let you know when I restock! 😀
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Ok- I have tons and am always looking to add to them. They can be hard to find- it seems like I come across them mostly when I am not actively looking. Let me know if you find some to swap.
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Will do! I haven’t sourced fabric of any kind in about seven months, so I’m due for some major thrifting! Wish me luck! 😊
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Hi Amanda! “Do All the Things!” sounds like it could be your credo. I love the quilts you showed us here and love the fact that you make them with vintage materials. They are beautiful! We recycle in other areas of our lives, but I have to say the furthest I have gone so far in my sewing room is in using old sheets, blankets, and sometimes clothes that we already have here in the house.
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Ha! Think I may have to adopt that as my official slogan! The first few quilts I ever made were backed with sheets we already had… which may or may not have led to my present upcycling obsession. 😉
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Ty for sharing your story your quilts are beautiful…I make alot of scrap quilts ….So not manyleft overs here… happyness04431@yahoo.com
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Thanks, Anna! Scrap quilts are the best kind. 😄
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Hi Amanda! I love your commitment to sustainable quilting. Vintage floral linens are so beautiful but I never seem to find any at my local thrift store. I try to reduce waste by only buying what I need for a project. I also save all my trimmings, even the littlest bits, to be used as stuffing for pincushions, or other bits of 3D sewing that needs filling. Also, just wanted to let you know that the social media buttons for your Instagram and Bloglovin aren’t working for me.
Anyway, great post; I really enjoyed learning a bit more about you. I’ll have to give The Vampire Diaries a try. I keep hearing good things about that show.
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Hi Sarah! You can always ask your store what days they put new items out. The linens usually don’t last long. I’ve learned my lesson too many times about passing them up and expecting them to stick around. 🙄 3D sewing projects are the best way to use up those teeny tiny scraps! And if you sell or gift them, people really enjoy the thought of knowing it was created with zero waste involved.
Thanks for letting me know about my buttons – I’ll see what’s going on. And as for TVD, it’s a guilty pleasure, but I love it! 😋
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I like your blog and I’m glad to have your voice added to the quilting community. I think a lot about the effect my quilting choices have on the environment but have yet to do much about it besides buy organic fabric sometimes and donate lots of fabric to my favourite charity. I hope I find inspiration in your blog.
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Thanks so much for the kind words, Lisa. Using organic fabric is such a fantastic way to conserve. It’s healthier, better for the environment and you can’t beat the quality! And what’s better than donating to charity? Sounds like you’re making some great choices! 😀
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Hi Amanda! I loved reading about you and love how you repurpose! I’ve learned to work almost all of my scraps into projects- anything over an inch. It’s at least a start in using everything I can. Your quilts are gorgeous!
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Thank you so much, Amanda! It’s wonderful that you’ve found ways to work in your scraps. I love reading about all the creative reuse going on! ❤️
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Hi, Amanda! Very nice blog and nice spin on the quilting-upcycling. You’d appreciate an upcoming post of mine about the quilts I’ve been working on with my mother out of her old double knit scraps, leftover yardage and clothes she sewed. They are turning out beautiful and will wear like “iron”. In my own sewing room, I save any scrap that is an inch or more.
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Thank you, Karen! Oh, I can’t wait to read your post and see your quilts! It’s really wonderful that you share quilt making with your mother. Makes the projects that much more special. ☺️
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Hi Amanda. Loved your post. You had me worried for a moment that I wasn’t recycling or re-using and then I read a few of the other comments. Yes! I do recycle. All the furniture in my sewing room is either second-hand or repurposed and I’ll save any button I can, even all the daggy clear plastic pyjama buttons. I’m interested in all the uses for even the tiniest of scraps. Pillow forms sounds like a good idea. I may have to start one.
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Hi, Sue! It makes you feel good knowing you contribute – even if it’s in small or unexpected ways! Pillow forms really is a great idea. I stuff too-tiny scraps and thread bits into all kinds of things! I keep an old spaghetti jar on my sewing table as a catch all and find so much joy in watching the colors change as it fills. It’s the little things, right? 😉
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Wonderful job Amanda! I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you a bit better through this blogging stuff. I will have to check out those tv shows.
I am really torn about hoarding a fabric stash. I often like to make things on the fly and would like to have a stash available for those moments, on the other hand I don’t want to accumulate fabric and later decide I no longer like those fabrics. There is a bit of a ‘am I a real quilter if I don’t have a stash’ mental thing going on as well. I generally buy fabric for specific projects and don’t over buy yardage. That’s pretty much the extent of my reducing at the moment.
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Than you, Amanda! I totally feel you on the ‘real quilter’ comment. All those Pinterest dream studios just look so convincing! Buying as needed is a great strategy though. Since my materials are all thrift sourced, I have to go the buy-as-I-find route, but I usually only shop when my stash is getting low… with that said, I haven’t purchased materials in SEVEN MONTHS and it’s about time! 😋
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Your website is looking great! 🙂 I must say both you and Seven have been tweaking my conscious a little bit… I am going to follow both your journey’s so that I may be better on the world than I currently am.
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Thank you so much for the encouraging words, Anne! Looking forward to reducing the impact of our crafts together! 😉
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Hey there hive-mate! Love your blog and your gorgeous quilts! 🙂
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Thank you so much, Laurel! Looking forward to your intro! 😊
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Hot crinkly quilts fresh out of the dryer are one of the best things in the world!! Vampire Diaries used to be one of my favorite as well LOL, Damon – so hunky. Those are also the types of books I read which my husband thinks is a bit immature but I enjoy them, its an escape from reality and they’re entertaining, lol.
When it comes to reduce / reuse / upcycle in the sewing area one thing I try use even the tiniest scraps, like trimmings off HST’s or other quilt blocks by sewing them onto card stock tags and using as gift tags for mailing packages! I have a mini tutorial on my blog for it (www.hilltopcustomdesigns.com) , including printable tag templates.
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Kindred YA spirits! You should tell your husband you’re just trying to feed your creative side. Haha. 😉
I love your tags! Such a great idea for using scraps and they look fantastic. Thank you so much for the blog love, Amista! Would love to hear some book recommendations. ☺️
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I have a hug pile of jeans that I want to upcycle. I keep accumulating them and not using them. Maybe this summer!
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I’ve seen some gorgeous quilts and pillows that have been made from repurposed denim (right in our quilt bloggers group)! Can’t wait to see what you create! Good luck! 💕
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Hi Amanda! What a great approach you have to quilting. I’ve never thought about the impact my quilting has on the environment. I tend to keep most of my scraps and have used smaller ones as stuffing for pet beds but I’m sure that there is more that I can do. You really have me thinking now. Thanks!
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Thank you so much, Diana! There are so many great ways to use up scraps. I’m really enjoying reading all the creative ideas! 😄
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I’ve been blogging for nine years, so it’s good to see some fresh new bloggers. I use-up by collecting every thread, fiber, and batting piece, and then pass it along to a group who makes pet beds for animal shelters. Such a good use of every little scrap.
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What a wonderful project. I would love to find (or start) something like that in my area! 😊
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Hello Amanda. I hope the blogging goes well. I’m from Nevada and getting older every year. I’ve looked at the stash and wonder if I can ever use it all up. I am perpetually saving all the scraps because I now how much fabric costs and I look for patterns where I can use those small pieces, hence mini quilts, postcards, etc. We compost and feed scraps to the chickens so the garbage is light. It’s a toss up as to whether to grow our own veggies or shop at the Farmers Market since water is so scarce here. Good luck in the blogging world. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
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Thank you for the kind words, Rochelle! Looking for specific patterns for your scraps is a fantastic idea! Scrappy quilts are my favorite!
I’ve always composted food scraps for curb-side pick up, but I just recently started collecting them to use as natural compost for gardening. And I would LOVE to have chickens one day. Trying to think of a way I could sneak a few past my husband. 😉
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Hi Amanda, LUVED your post. As I read about you, I feel as if we are next to each other talking. You have a very welcoming blog. I also love Ireland and have been there just once, but for a whole month of driving every winding, rock walled side road we could find to take us to yet another fabulous view of the sea. You must go. My clothes are mainly recycled. I like to take finds from the thrift store and recreate them into new, interesting fashions.
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Thank you so much, Mary! Your trip sounds amazing! I so hope to make it there one day. I’ve always wanted to be able to refashion clothing, but try as I might, that’s just not my forte. Would love to see some of your re-creations! 😄
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Hello Amanda! I’ve been having fun hopping to each new quilter’s blog. I love the idea that old quilts and fabrics will find a new home with you! They should never be allowed to just languish alone and forgotten.
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Thank you, Jennifer! I completely agree. If I could rescue all the discarded quilts and fabrics, I would! 😊
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Hi Amanda!!! First, when you said “Give me all the Ireland” you made me think of one of my favorite singer/ songwriters, Nanci Griffith. She has a very sweet song called “I Will Bring You Ireland”. Your blog is looking great. This year I donated a couple bins of fabric that was never going to be used by me to a charity group who makes quilts for kids in the hospital. I LOVE your rustic star quilt.
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Well, of course I had to go find and listen to that song right away – it’s beautiful! Thank you for sharing and for the kind words! 😊 It’s wonderful that you donate your scraps to such an amazing cause. I love hearing all the ways people are contributing to charity projects! 💕
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Amanda, your bloggie voice is a so uplifting and a joy. I love how you are repurposing fabric into your beautiful quilts. I’ve been using up quilt leftovers in Quilts of Valor for our veterans. My to smalls scraps and batting go to our local guild and are used for dog beds and give to our local shelter.
Happy stitching!
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Thank you so much for the kind words. Quilts of Valor is such a wonderful project and an excellent use of leftovers! I love that your local guild collects scraps for dog beds! That’s so sweet. Thank you for sharing! ☺️
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Hmmm, how to reduce waste, reuse materials or upcycle in my sewing space? Well, I tend to really only “throw away” thread and small trimming scraps and save up scraps for scrap quilts. I know those tiny bits could be used for something (stuffing pillows or making pin cushions), but I don’t tend to make those kind of items. I am also a huge fan of gifting forward fabric that I bought for projects and had a bit of yardage left over. For instance, I think that Stash Builder Box has a great mission and I just sent them ~20lb of fabric to use for donation quilts. I love keeping batting scraps to use for mini mini quilts, and even really tiny fabric scraps can go to use in one of those tiny creations!
I am so excited that the hop has officially started, and thanks for helping us get started on wonderful footing. 🙂
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Thank you, Yvonne! I’ve seen your magical mini minis and they’re fantastic! I think my next quilt-venture will be making some to be used as scrappy mug rugs! I love the idea behind Stash Builder Box and I think it’s really awesome that you contribute to such an amazing project!
Thank YOU for helping set up the group and for guiding us through the new blogger process! I’ve learned a ton and, as you probably read, that’s pretty much my most favorite thing! 😄
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Hi Amanda, lovely blog. I like your ethos of recycle and re use. I try to recycle what I can, especially things like clothing, which I tend to keep a LONG time, and I use charity bags to recycle too. My TV is old by todays standards but hey, why change it when it still works?
Smiles
Kate
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Thank you, Kate for the kind words. I’m like you with my clothing, I like to give the things I wear a very long life!
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Amanda, your blog looks great, I especially like the look of your sidebar. My favorite is your cross quilt! I love recycling tins, like cookie and mint tins, to store pins and other sewing items.
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Thank you so much, Paige! That’s an excellent use of recycling! That reminds me of a picture someone posted online of a cookie tin with a comment about how they used to get excited imagining all the cookies inside, but when they opened it up, it was always sewing supplies and spare machine parts. If you attend any sew-ins, you might want to leave the tins at home! 😂❤️
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Love how you use vintage fabric in your work. Your blog looks great! Looking forward to future posts.
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Thank you for the blog love, Briary! ❤️
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It’s great to see how the blog hop works and such a fun post. I keep every tiny scrap of batting and fabric. My bag of batting scraps became overflowing recently so I made pillow forms out of them and I’ve started collecting new ones.
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That’s a fantastic way to use your scraps! You can sneak them into all kinds of things. I pieced together all my extra batting scraps to make my quilt design wall. Looks a bit on the Frankenstein side, but it works just fine! 😂
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Hahahaha now why didn’t I think of that! Thanks a lot 😊
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What a great intro post, Amanda. It is nice to get to know you a little bit better. I agree 100% with your blogging advice. Finding your voice and not being afraid to let yourself shine is very important. Your quilts are beautiful and the vintage fabrics look so soft. I look forward to reading your blog. I think that I will learn quite a bit from you.
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Thanks so much for the kind words, Tish! Looking forward to hopping over to your blog and reading your intro too! 😊💕
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Amanda, What a great way to get to know each blogger. Love seeing your quilts and hearing about you process. Your quilts are beautiful. TFS.
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Thank you, Heidi! 💕
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Love your post Amanda and the feel of your blog! I too started with vintage and recycled but have been pulled over to the dark side … actually just in the last 12 months. I need to think more about this again ….. One thing that I do still do is use up every last little scrap and I do mean little – they drive me nuts sometimes but it’s all about reducing waste. When they get really too ridiculous to work with I have found that they along with other trimmings can now be recycled by our council which is great. I have made 2 quilts from old jeans which I just love. Like you I love reading so will be checking out your books – really enjoying taking book recommendations from blogs this year to really widen my reading. Looking forward to staying in touch. 🙂
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Thank you, Abigail! The dark side can be very convincing, haha. There are so many gorgeous fabrics out there and just think, every scrap you use saves that beautiful fabric from a life of waste (so don’t beat yourself up too much). By the way, I absolutely love your involvement with Project Linus. Such an amazing project! Looking forward to seeing your book favorites too! Are you on Goodreads by chance? https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1894207-amanda-ward
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Yes I am on Goodreads aswell!! I only found it recently and it’s briliant. I put the four books you mentioned on mt to read list … sadly my local library does not have any of them so I will have to travel further afield!
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Awesome! I’ll have to look you up on there.
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Good morning! I’m so glad you wrote this post. I do feel like I know you better now. And as for my way to reuse or recycle in my sewing room…I haven’t spent as much time thinking about that as I should probably, but I recently started saving my selvedges and will be making pillows and mug rugs etc for friends and family…every little bit counts right. Enjoy your day.
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Good morning, Velda. Thank you! Selvage projects are some of my favorites – they have so much character! I can’t wait to see what you come up with and yes, every bit counts! 😊
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I so enjoyed my first visit to your blog and just wanted to say WELCOME to a wonderful community of quilty bloggers!
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Thank you, Valerie! ❤️
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Hello from Australia it’s nice to “meet” you. I admire your choice to reuse and repurpose in your quilting journey. I’ve never thought of myself as someone that does that (I used to throw out my scraps -eep) … but then when I think about it … my sewing table is an old door, I just ripped two zips out of a pair of old cushions because I couldn’t see them go to waste and I just bought a scrap pack of fabric to support someone starting their own business … so I guess I’m turning a new leaf in life!
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Hi, Serena! The door-to-table redo is fantastic! I’m also a fellow zipper ripper and button popper… I’ll save whatever I can (even if it drives my husband crazy). It’s wonderful that you’re supporting others and upcycling materials at the same time! Keep it up!
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First of all, I just want to let you know how great your blog looks! I see lots of little “behind the scenes” changes have been taking place. I have recently been using fabric from discarded jeans and shirts to upcycle into some pillows. I like to use vintage treadle and hand crank machines sometimes, so that reduces the carbon footprint a little, right? 😉 Thanks for the blogging advice and I’m looking forward to following your adventures on Gypsy Moon Quilt Co.
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Thank you for the lovely comment, Marla! I absolutely love your upcycled pillows, especially the ones made from the shirts – they’re beautiful! The hand crank machine is something I’ve never tried… I might have to change that! 😉
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