Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Table set with Pierre Deux Linens

Welcome to Tablescape Thursday with our hostess Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch. Today, I'm sharing a setting from one of the planning lunches of QCI Dallas members in preparation of the QCI Annual Meeting to be held in Dallas. Read on to learn more about this 10th Anniversary Meeting and friendships within this club.

Shelf of Various Related Quimper Faience w/ Bird Motifs

Yes, birds of a feather do flock together! In 1999 when the QCI was founded, it was so collectors with a love of Quimper could find like-minded souls who shared an enthusiasm for this charming pottery. Now, ten years since, the QCI has over 200 members from across the globe. Quimper collectors from Europe, to the US, to New Zealand have found this club. It has become an international resource for its members with an annual meeting, a biannual Journal publication, a web site, and most recently this blog. It is definitely a club through which friends gather together both physically and within cyber space.

Dallas Members Meet for a Planning Lunch in Anticipation of QCI 10th Anniversary Meeting

This October, QCI friends will flock to Dallas, TX for the Annual Meeting to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the club. Great things are in store, so if you haven't yet registered, it is time to make the hotel reservations, book a flight, and send in the registration forms. If you are not yet a member see the very special new member offer beneath my slideshow on the sidebar at right.

Table Details with Berthe Savigny Figure, Pair of Petit Quimper Vases, & Plozévet Chair

Looking back with nostalgia, I thought I'd share a personal memory from those early days. When I first read of the club in Millicent Mali's Old Quimper Review, I eagerly read it cover to cover. Curious and desiring to connect with others in my area who shared an interest in French pottery, I contacted Lucy to ask if others near by belonged to this club. Lucy replied with the contact information of two sisters in Dallas. Like they say, the rest is history! Ten years down the road I now have many wonderful friends who share a passion for France and French pottery.

Definitely eager to connect with the Dallas girls, I sent an email to Diane, who immediately replied and included information about a collector from San Antonio. With Austin situated 3 hours south of Dallas and just an hour north of San Antonio, I extended an invitation to the Dallas sisters and the San Antonio gal to drive to Austin so we could all meet. I offered to serve lunch and then take them to the one local antique dealer who sold Quimper. I smile now, 10 years later, about our "internet date". Susan and Diane brought their mother, Bernice, along, Andreé brought her friend Sophie, and I invited my close friend, Judy. One might think we were all a bit nervous with our cyber space blind date.

How ridiculous! It didn't take but minutes before all of us felt totally comfortable and the friendships began to meld. Andreé intrigued us with stories of her childhood in Quimper and brought along some photos of her grandparents.

Photo of Andreé's Grandparents Taken in Quimper Over a Hundred Years Ago

Susan told us of her first piece of Q purchased on her honeymoon, a small creamer, and how after years of admiring Susan's collection, Diane began to collect on her own.

Group of Quimper Friends, Austin 1999

My friend June, then an antique dealer specializing in French antiques and my one local source for faience, agreed to join us for lunch that day, and the gathering ended with a trip to Joan's space at a local antique mall. I recall a delightful afternoon spent with charming ladies, that a piece or two of Q made the return trip to Dallas, and an elated feeling of happiness having found others who shared a passion for French faience. I cherish my friendships that I've made through QCI, and like many of the QCI members, for me it's the friendships that are the most important aspect of this club. I eagerly look forward to the annual meetings where friends across the miles gather for a few days of faience, fun, and friendship.

Hope to see both new and returning members in Dallas! Remember just click here to join the club. Then click here to fly over to Hyacinths for the Soul to enjoy a "Birds of a Feather Luncheon" in honor of all my QCI friends. And more tablescapes await you here at Between Naps on the Porch.