Five-Year Quilt Update

It was Halloween night and I was around a campfire with friends, tatting my lace. A friend leans toward me and whispers, "Were you homeschooled?" 

I giggled, holding up my tatting. "Is it obvious?" 

He laughs, "Yes." 

How many stitches are in this quilt? Probably as many miles I've traveled. And yes, this quilt is marked with the memory of many places seen. 

I've reached that five-year deadline, and it's not quite done yet. I'd just finished getting the quilt mostly together last year. I worked on a lot of other projects throughout spring and summer but began working on tatting some lace mid-June. 

End of August I decided to go on a five-month road trip. My quilt was still not finished, and I didn't want to bring all of it with me. I labored every spare quiet moment and finished quilting it by end of September using a large embroidery hoop, thimble, and thread. I often had to wear bandages on other fingers . . . my callouses were too fresh to keep the needle from digging into my fingers. Also, I bought spools of quilting thread but didn't finish any of them off, surprisingly. 

When the quilt was done and I had my few pictures to prove it, I stuffed it in a black trash bag and left home for a while, taking only my tatting with me. 

I found the lace pattern on Etsy for $2. I knew the basics of tatting from my grandmother but had to learn a few new techniques by watching YouTube videos. It took about six months to tatt twenty-five feet of lace. I starched the lace with a cornstarch/ water solution in January, let it air dry on a sheet, then hand-picked all the picots to be round and flat. 

This lace has been everywhere, and on at least three extended road trips. Many hands have touched it, many eager fingers have learned a little bit about tatting, and many curious people have been proud to have me sitting at their side. 

If this quilt has been about anything, it's about rediscovering joy, which is the same as sharing happiness with others. And for that I don't mind that it will take me another couple months before it is completely finished. 

(All that's left is attaching the lace edging!!)