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Let's  give 'em something  to talk about


Traditionally (at least for the last 3 years), I've begun my big quilt and quilt/lapse productions on the first day of Spring. I was all ready to go. The last of the 30 yards of fabric had been hunted down, 18 unique pieces in all, locations had been scouted and permissions for their use were granted, people were getting excited about the quilt/lapse project I was proposing and getting ready to start. There was a buzz in the air about all the possibilities. The weather was even cooperating, it was the epitome of spring. "JUST WATCH", the quilt and production was just about to begin. I even had been playing around with some of the fabric earlier just to see how some techniques would work out.


But an unwelcome visitor was coming to stay for a while, and that changed everyone's plans. Including mine.


Heavy sigh.


I've always been a start til you finish, one-quilt-at-a-time, type o' guy. But late last summer, a light bulb went on and enlightened me to the benefits of multiple projects going at once. I finally wised up and joined the ranks of millions of other quilters . . . . and decided to take on more than one project at a time. Namely, to relive boredom, but especially for circumstances like this . . . a coronal viral outbreak. A world wide pandemic. So, while we're all sequestered to our homes for the next few weeks (months?), I've been prepared enough to have at least 4 other quilts in various states of production . . . along with various states of video production to go along with them. Some of these may end up just being little 'mini productions' (unlike the monster that sleeps, pictured above).


I'm breathing life into an old quilt I made for my Father some 30+ years ago, for Father's Day.

I never quilted it, rather opting to tie it down with small strings of red yarn. After last year's (positive) experience with glittery, holographic thread, I thought I'd glitz up this old friend with the same, along with some fancy, experimental quilting ideas and designs.


I've also quietly been working on a quilt this winter for my sister-in-law, Sherry. I say quietly because it was supposed to be a simple little throw she could curl up with on the couch at night. A quick, easy project I could work on while I waited for the weather to warm up and I could get outside to start this year's production.. I wasn't going to make a big deal about it. I wasn't even going to make a quilt/lapse production out of it. But naturally, because I took it on . . . it became much larger and more complicated.

A LOT of fun!!!! But more work than I was anticipating. I'm super excited with how it turned out! (another quilt I'll be sad to part with) The quilt top is done and I'm currently quilting it here at home in the studio. Gilda approves.




Hmmmmm . . .

Maybe I'll sew just one block of "JUST WATCH" . . . . .

You know, just to see what it looks like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


738 views1 comment

Here we go again . . .


This year's quilt is a slight variation of last year's "MOON PRISM POWER MAKE UP".

This quilt was so much fun to make and I was beyond happy with how it all turned out. It was entirely designed around my friend Heather, her color pallet and her love for Sailor Moon. I LOVE this technique and pattern. I LOVE this quilt . . . . . but I knew it wasn't mine to keep.


So, this year I'm doing it all again!


This time around, I'm basing the whole color pallet and fabric prints around a wild piece of fabric I received for my birthday last year;


I'll even be including some leather from an old bomber jacket I used to wear in the 80's!


The block will be slightly different than last year, so the overall design will be fresh enough to still keep my interest while making it. It's also going to be larger. My first king sized quilt for 'QitFL'.


Each block will still have 36 pieces


4 blocks make a dramatic 'main block'


And 16 of the main blocks make up the body of the quilt

I'll be constructing the border using the One Block Wonder technique from the main fabric.


The name for this year's quilt is an obvious one (for me). The whole philosophy behind 'Quilting in the Fast Lane" is to sit back, relax and . . . . "JUST WATCH!" And this year's quilt/lapse video production will be shot ALL OVER every square inch of my little town of Port Townsend, WA.


Production, like last year, begins on the first day of Spring. If you see me and my 'production' out and about on the streets, in the shops, on the docks, in the parks, at the games, festivals and parades . . . . . please stop by and say "Hello". And if you want to be in the production, I may have just the spot for you!


So stick around for the next several months. It's going to be a whole new spin on an old familiar favorite.


Don't believe me?


JUST WATCH!


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I had such a wonderful time shooting individual scenes for this year's quilt/lapse production! I would spend an hour or two (or three) with each of these quilters I respect and admire, then at the end of the day, I'd edit the footage into 1-2 minute, bite-sized mini epics and send them back to each of the quilters to let them see what kind of magic we captured that day. I'd also ask each of them to let me know what kind of music they'd like to hear in their lil' movies. I loved the variety that each of them would suggest. In the end, I did include the footage in the final production, but the scenes tend to rush by much too fast to truly absorb all the details of each sequence. All of them are little gems all unto themselves, and they were just too good not to share, so I thought I'd devote this page to all these gems. Have fun!


Mary L


Lily


Bess


Dana


Pam (and her 12 DOGS!)


Loretta


Jeanine


Mary K


Nora


JoEllen


Judy


Linda


Caryl


Sherie


Creative Union Fabrics


Fibers & Stitches


Quilted Strait


Karen's Quilt Shop


The Quilt Shoppe


Poulsbo, WA . . . My Kraziest Shoot



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