Pick A Number

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MBD_bloghop

A quick week has passed and I’m back from a mini-vacation to sunny and rock-filled Moab. I apologize for the following view. (Don’t hate me.)

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I’m taking a quick minute to announce the winner in my leg of the Mirror Ball Dot Blog Hop. I enlisted the help of my visiting parents to select the winner.

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I took the average and picked comment #6. And the winner is Marla who said:

Very nice quilt. I agree the orange is that little bit of touch to make it unique. I get a lot of my ideas from books and magazines and now from the blog. Too many idea sometimes and would love to make them all.

Marla, be on the lookout for my email. Thanks to all of you who took the time to visit and comment. Be sure to check Mark’s page to see the details on the hop. Long live the Mirror Ball Dots!

Breaking Amish

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MBD_bloghopWelcome! I assume if you are visiting you are here for the Mirror Ball Dot Blog Hop. If not, well, “Hi Mom.” I’m kidding.

I got really excited when Mark contacted me to participate in this hop since I’d been a fan of his for years and well, I love a good challenge. My mind started racing just thinking about what to make. I formulated a plan, deciding to make something off The List, thinking I would use some of the new issue fabrics plus MBDs from my stash.

I emailed my fabric order to Mark telling him my plan. His response, “Sorry Elisa, I am making this very rigid in that I would like to use only 4 Mirror Ball Dot colors – all of which are current – and the 3 solid colors Michael Miller Fabrics Couture Cotton.” The idea here being we want to show a range of what can be done with a very limited palette.

For those of you who are good at math that is 7 fabrics. Seven. I don’t really count but I would say I typically use at least 20 fabrics in a quilt. Back to the drawing board.

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Calling All MBD Enthusiasts

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MBD_bloghop A few weeks ago I mentioned there was an upcoming blog hop to share the love for the Mirror Ball Dot fabric line designed by Mark Hordyszyski for Michael Miller Fabrics. Well, the time has come. (Actually it started a week ago but I’ve been slightly busy wrapping up a semester of Japanese at my local community college.)

This blog hop is pretty casual, just a group of talented quilters, seamstresses, designers, artists people playing with great fabric. We’re each sharing something fun over the next couple months, one post per blogger per week. Mark started last week but you can easily catch up. Like I said, it’s casual. Here’s the schedule so you can pop in when it’s convenient.

April 21:  Mark Hordyszynski - http://madhatterofmaui.blogspot.com
April 28:  Jamie Mueller / Sunflower Quilts - www.jamiemueller.blogspot.com
May 05:   Linda Solovic - http://lindasolovic.blogspot.com
May 12:   Karen Neary - http://sewkaren-lycreated.blogspot.com
May 19:   Elisa Albury - http://stitchoutsidetheditch.com HEY THAT’S ME!!
May 26:   Dory Smith Graham - http://worthygoodstextile.wordpress.com
June 02:  Nanette Zeller - www.NanetteSewZ.com
June 09:  Mark Hordyszynski – http://madhatterofmaui.blogspot.com
So what’s in it for you??
  • Inspiring designs
  • Meeting new blogs/bloggers
  • Chances to win MBD fabric (it’s all the rage) and MBD color cards (!!) from Michael Miller Fabrics

Won’t you join us? It’ll be fun. Promise.

Mirror Ball Musings

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Several months ago out of the blue I got a comment from Mark Hordyszynski on a blog post I did about a finished quilt (rare, I know thankyouverymuch). I tend to note the quilt size, finish date, materials (like fabric) and their content (i.e., cotton, wool, silk batting, etc.). In this particular quilt I used Michael Miller Mirror Ball Dot fabric designed by Mark. And by that I mean old school MBD.

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You see, some years ago (I want to say the line came out in about 2006-7ish), I bought a tin with the entire collection of Mirror Ball Dot fabrics. It was beautiful. 40 luscious fat quarters, precisely folded and packed in color order. It was so pretty I couldn’t bear to use it. Sure I’d pull it out and look at it and pet it like every good “collector” should do. I’d think of grandiose plans for ways to use every.single.color. in one quilt but then put it away. Then one day, I was making a quilt and I needed orange (or Tangerine Tango, or whatever the kids are calling it these days) which is a color severely lacking in my stash, and well I had my personal commitment to use my stash rather than buy more, so I popped open that tin and USED a piece or two or three of Mirror Ball Dots. And it was magic.

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Anyhoo, Mark emailed me and we started talking about the power of mirror balls and how there are other hoarders quilters out there that have been rationing their MBD stash. As it turns out Michael Miller Fabrics was planning a rerelease in the spring of 2012. Fans felt comfortable using their stash and started making projects with it. Heck a Pinterest page has even been set up (feel free to share your fabulous projects there by the way!). Fast forward a bit and MBD is back and gaining in popularity.

To celebrate the MBD and spread the word about how great they are with the hopes that Michael Miller Fabrics adds more colors and keeps our favorites there is an upcoming blog hop and yours truly is participating. Mark has issued us a challenge. Four FQs of MBD, 3-1/4 yd cuts of Cotton Couture and any design of our choice. Blog hop starts on Mark’s page on April 21. Don’t worry, I’ll remind you.

IMG_0316I’m going with Clementine, Twilight, Starlight, and Celestial for my MBDs and Midnight, Royal, and Peony for my solids. Stay tuned to see what I’ve some up with. It is a bit out of character for me, but I’m excited to have to work within the confines of a challenge.

In the mean time Michael Miller has released a free pattern in case you just can’t wait to get your mirror ball on. You know you want to. 

I.will.cut.you

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Olfa_60mmLately, after a long or even short evening of quilting, I’ve woken up with aching hands. This is not unusual for me if I have been hand-quilting, especially if I haven’t quilted for a while. Who knew that you had to be “in shape” for quilting season? Go figure.

But aching hands after a simple night of cutting, pinning, piecing, and pressing. What gives? So I got to thinking. When was the last time I changed my rotary cutter blade? I didn’t know. This tells me two things—1) I need to change my blade, and 2) I need to keep track of when I changed said blade.

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Catching Up

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It has been too long, way too long, since I visited this space. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to blog. Perhaps it is because I have been super-busy, or at least busy enough, shifting the way I think, and work, and live. Perhaps it was a lack of gumption.

Amongst other things I’ve spent the last several months of 2012 contemplating how I spend my time. I decided as part of the new year to start living more intentionally. I am not a big New Year’s resolution type of person however I do contemplate a “word” of the year and try to apply it in multiple areas of my life. Last year’s word was “embrace” and so I took in stride all that life was throwing at me. Turning 40, learning and accepting physical limitations (while being surprised at myself about the new things I discovered I was able to do–hello running), accepting schedules and the lack thereof, and embracing the creative blocks (there were many) and moments (which were sporadic).

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