Amazing CQ story

Years ago (I believe in 1999) I traveled to Australia and spoke at a International Heritage Rose Conference in Australia and made a CQ jacket to wear on the trip.  Recently Mary Corbett mentioned my buttons in her newsletter.. A lady in Australia read Mary's newsletter and remembered my name AND the CQ jacket I wore and  she took the time to write to me yesterday... I can't begin to tell her how it lifted my spirits and warmed my heart. I wore the jacket  at all garden shows at which I spoke or had a booth.  Over the years it has been hand washed several times and a little worse for wear and the images have faded...

I made this in about 3 weeks and I had just gotten a new sewing machine which did lettering.. So the jacket is covered with witty garden sayings...including "I consider everything hardy until I kill it myself."  






































And I had to include a picture of the famous gardening maven, Penelope Hobhouse and myself when we were on the same speaking agenda in Texas. Because of the time element there was very little handwork and is entirely vintage linens.


The conference was over several days and I spoke several times.  There were dinners, luncheons and speakers from all over the world. They were the most gracious audience and, much to my relief, laughed at all my corny  jokes.  In fact I made the jacket so in case my talks bombed, the jacket would distract them.  We had a grand time...  Afterwards we celebrated our anniversary at a restaurant in Melbourne recommended by someone at the conference. The waiter brought us a lovely bottle of wine to our table as a gift from friends at the conference.  My husband order kangaroo steak.  We talk about this trip often.   Many wonderful memories.

Some years ago I gathered together tips and techniques for assembling vintage linens into a CQ project and I listed it again on my Etsy site.  This is a vest I made for my husband to wear when working in the booth.  The sayings are all "guy-related"  including "I am a fungi"


As a foot note:  I knew I was going to be speaking in NZ two years hence and I asked an Aussie if she thought they would laugh at my jokes  (my presentations depended heavily on laughter at the appropriate moments)  and after some thought, she had some reservations as she thought the New Zealanders were a sober lot.  But she was wrong....they were wonderful.