The One That Got Away

Whether referring to the perfect life partner or the biggest fish of all time, the phrase "the one that got away" is a wistful expression of memory and loss. I like the idea of taking a well-known expression and illustrating it in a way that turns the meaning into something entirely different. That was the spark of inspiration for this quilt.

Lucky is having a blast zooming through the sky. His ears are flapping, his tongue is flying, and his fur is blowing...every dog's dream come true. Little does he know...his owner just dropped the leash!

Nothing about this idea is safe or well-thought-out; these two people have strapped a device with exposed propellers to their dog in order to turn him into a flying drone. Fun idea? Absolutely. Intelligent idea? Absolutely NOT. When brainstorming this idea, I kept thinking about what sort of person would get themselves into this situation with their dog. I decided that two "meatheads" as my dad says — meaning two young guys with more muscles than brains — would be perfect. And thus, "Dude 1" and "Dude 2" were born.

Despite the nerve-wracking situation, this story does have a happy ending. Lucky makes it safely to the ground and his owners realize that maaaaybe turning him into a drone was not the Best Idea Ever after all.

Lucky the Bernese Mountain Dog is entirely fictional, as are the Dudes and the park setting. However, the little pup stuck on the ground is my very own Luke. And he very much would love to be up flying around in the sky!