Brokenfull Heart quilt

How do you know when to stop?  When to stop trying?  When to stop pushing?  When to resist adding another line of quilting?  We hope to arrive at a sense of completeness, and often we do.  But, the wherefore and why is elusive, mysterious.

Over the past two months I have been hand quilting this petite quilt, my Brokenfull Heart.  I relished it, not wanting to sense the end.  If I could quilt and quilt and quilt so long, my heart might mend in the process.  I had a sense, a very quiet sense, that this quilt was for Eleni, in some way, but that I would not keep it.  I would let it go.  I would make it almost as pretty as she was and send it off to (hopefully) belong to some other little girl.  And that would be good, truly good to my soul.

From time to time I'd ask a friend's opinion.  Is this done yet?  More quilting still?  Ok, good.

But last night was different.  I finished the last row and didn't ask, I declared.  It is done.  That mysterious sense of completion.  Here.  Now.  Ripe and ready and right.

As with my Eleni, I gave my very best to this quilt - my best fabrics, my creative heart and much time.  When we give our best we can keep living no matter what happens.  We can love ourselves and accept peace, because our best is all we can ever be meant to give.

Brokenfull Heart is now listed in my Etsy shop.  Quilt top fabrics mainly by Anna Maria Horner, set in Freespirit solids and backed with Mustang Rose Border from Cotton & Steel.