Reuben

Debonair and looking very dapper,

is Reuben,

in spite of his wayward hair.

The gold embroidered epaulettes on his shoulders and also decorating his jacket sleeve cuffs, have a tale to tell all on their own. 

They had spent 30 years being buried under the remains of the Brisbane 1974 flood.

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to be told about a 'stash' of goodies that had long been forgotten. This stash was underneath an old house that once doubled as a doll hospital or some such thing. The house had completely gone under during the flood. Now in the throws of being renovated, the old house was being cleared of all 'rubbish' which was underneath the house. Though still covered with much mud which had long since dried, most of the 'goodies' were enclosed inside sealed plastic bags. So once I opened the bags, I found quite a treasure trove of undamaged pretty trims and such.

Reuben's epaulettes were one such item. As luck would have it, there were four of these to be found, and I have waited for just the right project to use them. They seemed destined to adorn his beautiful jacket.

above: Joining the rest of the gang.