It's done.

True to my deadline-oriented fashion, the label was being stitched on at 5:00, in anticipation of Laura’s 5:30 arrival. But it was done in time! And she was thrilled.

Despite having seen it in progress, it was still something in the presentation! She ran her hands over the front, stroked the fringe, turned it over to examine the back and read the label out loud - that tactile connection with a piece of fibre art. Isn’t that what it is all about?!

I am very happy that she is appreciative of the work. I think that you must be very careful when you give away a piece that wasn’t specifically commissioned. If the recipient is not as devoted to the rug as you are, it can be quite devastating. This was not the case here. There was true pride in the fact that I would part with something that was so long and loving in the making.

But, so was Laura. It seemed only fitting to give my first-born Oriental to my first-born child. And a quarter century is a pretty big occasion, even if there aren’t cards for that. (I can’t believe that Hallmark has missed an opportunity!)

The birthday celebrations started with her friends’ get-together on Friday nite. Her Dad and I were invited to join them, which is another milestone. When your children choose to include you in their 'friends' list, it is a significant event. We’ve always been close to her crowd. And we are proud to say they’ve all grown into fine people.

So, now on to the next project. I have settled on a vegetable design for my cottage kitchen. It will be a wide cut, so should go quickly.

But there is definitely another Oriental percolating in the back of my brain. And my hands now have a memory for hooking an Oriental, so they will be glad to get back to that rhythm when my brain is ready.