One of the best perks to co-founding the FVMQG was meeting, or I should getting to know Vera. I met first met Vera at a Bernina club we both attended back in 2008. We did two years together. Whoops!I just made it sound like prison! I didn’t mean to do that, it was actually really fun! Vera was one of our first FVMQG members. It wasn’t until we had a few meetings (back in 2010) under our belt, that we started to get to know each other. At Bernina club she sat wayyyy down on the other end, so we never got to chat much. Vera, often volunteered for FVMQG shows at the same time I did (we both liked doing set up!). It was during one of those instances (May 2013) that I first learned that Vera’s husband was very ill with Parkinson’s. He passed away later that September.

Back in 2010 Vera saw my show of dresses. She very sweetly said she wanted to buy one but couldn’t decide on which one. We chatted about having her her fabric stash drawn instead but it didn’t seem quite right either. After Vera’s husband passed away, she asked me draw her wedding dress. I was more than honoured. Vera assembled everything she wanted for the drawing: her ring case, a bible like the one she carried, their favourite (unofficial) wedding photo that hung in their home, shoes similar to the ones she wore (Vera just had a big clear out and had gotten rid of her original shoes, darn it!), a chair from their home, her veil and of course her dress.

Vera gave me a studio photo of her as a bride to reference the dress. It was beautiful, however it wasn’t the first time I had seen the dress. Shortly after Vera’s husband passed away, I saw a snapshot on Facebook that Vera’s niece had posted of their wedding. The photo was of Vera and her husband leaving the church. Instantly I was in love with the length of dress. It was beautiful, smart, understated and so very Vera.

When the drawing was complete we met up and checked out frames together. Vera loves frames and even though she looked at the selection in the store, she had brought a frame from home that was perfect! She picked out a lovely silk pale teal mat. It was stunning and brought the drawing and the frame together just beautifully!

Vera and George were married in Agassiz at their Catholic Church, September 17, 1960… or as Vera likes to say, “a long time ago.”

Happy Valentine’s Day!