Mirror Ball Dot: Summer Release

Aloha All!

I thought as today is a holiday, that I would break away from my normal routine and sit and write a very, very, VERY long overdue and much promised post: 

The release of the second installment of 

Mirror Ball Dot

I held off writing for a while because installment #2 wasn't going to ship until last month, and I didn't and to seem like I was being a tease by showing all these beautiful new colors and wonderful inspirations, and the fabric wasn't available in the stores. Now I am certain that retail establishments are stocking their shelves with the collection that was shown at Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City in May, and might even be available at your local fabric or quilt shop. (There is a store locator link on the Michael Miller Fabrics website that lists establishments that carry Michael Miller Fabrics, but not necessarily Mirror Ball Dot - so be sure to check with your favorite store first.)

I guess I never considered myself someone that would actually attract fans, and all because of fabric. But the unmistakable fact is that Mirror Ball Dot has done just that for me. Part of what I do to stay on top of what is going on with my fabrics is to scour the web looking for images of product using the MBD pattern. 

One of my first connections was with Jamie Mueller, and this is one incredible story of someone who has grit and determination:

"Okay ya'll,
I spoke with the President of Michael Miller Fabrics and BEGGED him to reprint the Mirror Ball Dots because they are AMAZING! I asked if a petition would help and he said yes! So please if you have photos of this fabric upload it and SIGN the petition! I started this POST (discussion). Just leave a comment saying you will sign and I will create a list and email him!! We can do it, he seemed VERY willing to reprint if I got a lot of people involved! :)
Thank you so much!! We can do it!!" October 2010

Thanks Jamie! 

And thanks to Dory! She's started a Mirror Ball Dot Pinterest board!!! 

http://pinterest.com/worthygoods/mirror-ball-dot/

I'm sure she'd love to include your Mirror Ball Dot projects too!

Here is  photo of "My Stash" by Dory Smith Graham of Worthygoods Textiles; Mirror Ball Dot colors from the original release and are only to be found, if at all possible, in very limited quantities and in very specialized venues on the web.

As I have been told, now that the design has been re-released, fans of MBD that have been coveting their stashes are beginning to feel less possessive about keeping their fabrics and have started releasing them from their confinements and using them in current projects.

2 pictures of  "Charlie's  Wobot" at Stitch Outside the Ditch by Elisa Albury.

This is a smart and festive little dress made by Kuky Ideas. You can visit her original post here: Butterick 4919

Unconventional Gift Wrap
Wonderfully creative gift toppers which invoke in me the intricate detail of origami by Wisenheimer Crafts

These are very inspiring as I have always thought of Mirror Ball Dot as being very sophisticated and high tech: round hard-edged circles and a reflective ink but these samples, made by Linda Solovic of Chit Chat from Linda Land show how the delicate hand embroidery reminiscent of red work can temper the look of the fabric and move it into an entirely different realm of sophistication.

This is called A Seasonal Fruit Smoothie by Sew Karen-ly Created. I don't quite know what to say about this except, perhaps. "WOW!"

This is one of those concepts that makes me want to hit myself on the head and go, "DOH!" I think this is brilliant and very classic! You can find the original post here by Rose Hip.

Tammy's Trees by Hadley Street Quilts on her blogpost Mirror Ball Dot Redux. The 7"x10" piece is made all from scraps - see even Mirror Ball is good to the last dot!

 

Stephanie K of Sew With Sass and I have made a real connection regarding MBD. Talk about a devotee... a few years ago Stephanie contacted me to see if there was any more fabric available, and unfortunately for her there was not. But did that stop Stephanie? NO! She went ahead and contacted Michael Miller Fabrics in hopes they might have some fabric, stashed somewhere but alas, there was none. 

But this story has a happy ending - to date there are 20 colors available with the promise of perhaps a dozen or more before the end of the year, or soon to follow. 

And for those of you that wonder about the process of developing a fabric design, here are the photos of the new colors, released last month, as they were received by me from the Michael Miller Fabrics New York office. They are being merchandised with Fairy Frost (also one of my designs) and the Cotton Couture solid fabric collection.

I suppose now you can imagine how excited I was when I received these photos in an email. This stuff is just jaw-drop-on-the-ground gorgeous!!

Please visit the Michael Miller Fabrics website to view thumbnails of the collection by either clicking on the link, or by accessing the collection with the link on the sidebar to the right.