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Zero Waste Quilting: A Book Review

HollyAnne Knight

Though Patty and I live just a short drive apart, our paths only recently crossed when I heard about her newest book Zero Waste Quilting. As a long time critic of stash culture, I couldn’t wait to read Patty’s insights about reducing our environmental impact as quilters. The patterns, ideas, and concepts of Zero Waste Quilting exceeded my expectations, and I can’t wait for your creativity to be inspired, too.

Zero Waste Quilting: 33 Projects to Use Every Scrap with Style by Patty Murphy is a thoughtful, inspiring guide to making more, using less, and expanding our creativity rather than our fabric stash. As I read Patty’s wisdom about the environmental impact of quilting, her tips for stash organization and use, and finally her creative patterns and projects, I found myself thinking, “Wow, I wish I had this book as a lil’ baby quilter.”

The best reader of this book is a new quilter so they can build a low-waste quilting habit. The second best reader is you and me– more experienced quilters who can make a difference in our environmental impact and spending habits by adjusting our mindset about our projects and our scraps.

An Overview of the Book

It stood out to me that Patty took the time to make Zero Waste Quilting a comprehensive quilting guide. If you’re not familiar, Patty has also written Piecing Makeover and the Perfect Piecing Pocket Guide, so it would have been easy to omit many piecing directions and direct readers to one of her other books for reference. Instead, Patty included directions for several basic blocks that appear throughout the book, as well as a summary of basic quilting tools needed and tips for reorganizing your fabric stash to be more useful.

I appreciated Patty’s assumption that the average reader will have a fabric stash and not necessarily want to give up fabric shopping entirely. Patty’s tone focuses on shifting away from overconsumption and toward more mindful use without any shame or judgement that could cause the reader to become frozen with discomfort or embarrassment. Zero Waste Quilting is about creating more projects and more JOY UNITS with your stash, not about feeling some type of way because you fell in love with the gorgeous fabrics.

I was also impressed with the variety of quilts and projects Patty included in the book. To be honest, I get lazy about using my scraps because sometimes making a whole extra quilt out of the same fabric doesn’t feel that exciting.

First, the quilts in the book are stunning, and knowing they were designed to use up scraps and stash pieces makes me excited to dig around and see what fun bits I can find to use. Patty does a great job addressing “creative cutting” and talking about how to cut projects out of bits rather than yardage.

Next, her non-quilt projects are adorable! A table runner AND placemats AND napkins AND a bunting? I’m going to crush so many scraps, and my kitchen is going to be party-ready! A tote and cord organizer and zippy pouch? That’s a teacher gift in an afternoon! I really appreciate scrap-busting projects that can double as truly darling and thoughtful gifts and decor.

For New Quilters

If you are a brand new quilter who are fortunate enough to find or be gifted this book, WOW. When I first started quilting, we were broke as a joke. A book like this that helped me make the most projects and get the most joy units out of each precious fabric purchase would have been so valuable. I think collecting a little fabric stash is practically inevitable and very fun– it’s nice to feel the energy of possibility on your shelves. But understanding how far your fabric can stretch into many projects will help reduce any sense of scarcity that could lead to an overwhelming stash or a creative block. Plus, making the variety of projects in this book is a wonderful way to grow lots of different skills!

For More Experienced Rockstars

I love the idea of “shopping your stash.” I also know there is something social and encouraging about visiting your local shop (long before I was a shop owner, my then-local shop, Red Hen, was a beacon of sanity for me during the hard years of postpartum depression). Use Zero Waste Quilting as a guide to make more– to make more with your stash (what if even 30-50% of each quilt came from your stash?), to make more projects, and to get delightfully creative with the scraps rather than popping them in a box to languish. Celebrate Patty’s call to creativity and out-of-the-box cutting and quilting to generate more joy units from each purchase, each piece of fabric, and each project and flex those amazing Quilting Rockstar skills!

Final Thoughts

Zero Waste Quilting is an important and timely addition to every quilting library. Inside, Patty Murphy draws readers’ attention to the environmental impact of textile manufacturing and waste then inspires us to tackle these challenges, not by withdrawing from the craft we love, but instead by making more– using our fabric more effectively and making a variety of useful items for our homes and to share as gifts. Readers, myself included, will finish perusing these pages eager to head to the sewing room to reorganize their stash, work on current projects (or start a few new ones), and plan creative ways to use their scraps.

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