I had an unsettling experience this last weekend. I was going out to finger the papers at my local stationary shops, and invited a friend who recently announced her engagement so she could check out the invitation offerings. We were in a particularly hoity-toity stationary shop (shoppe) that I think specialized in wedding invitations when the whole thing started. My friend, whose last name begins with "Q", was looking over the fonts available and stated that, naturally, the "Q" in the font was very important. Further (here we go), she said she much preferred the modern Q rather than the Q that looks like a "2". Finally, she stated that she had decided to take her husband's last name, a boring "S", over the glorious "Q" name she has, which is very unique and infused with Ellis Island family history.
So what's up with Q? I have to admit I find the modern Q easier to read, even though I learned the 2-Q when I learned cursive writing in elementary school. It seems like the idea of the 2-Q is to start making a large oval, and then abort on the left side to swoosh down to make the foot. It should work, but I think the oval is aborted too early and the large oval is hard to distinguish. Sometimes I see the upper entry loop large enough to make part of the left side of the oval, and that helps (
http://www.zanerian.com/Zaner8.gif).
What are your thoughts on Q? Are there any examples of gorgeous 2-Q's out there that I can use to tempt her away for the "S"?
Ellen
