Finishing a project - need a handhold

[Cattermole]

I'm a 17th century re-enactor and my thing is embroidery.
The handhold bit...I've been working on something for almost six years. It's seen me through two (RL) jobs, three contracts, a house move, my dad's death, my mother-in-law's death, my old lady cat's death, kittens....
It's very special to me. Hundreds of members of the public have stroked it and looked for the bugs and beasties in the pattern and opened the little three-dimensional bits of work: children have drawn on the pattern for me, strangers have worked a few stitches on it for me.
And it's finished. It's done. It's lovely, but it's...complete. It's an artefact now, a thing that you look at, not a piece of ongoing work.
I feel a little bit lost.

Well. We are going to need a picture before we can possibly answer. For context.... and admiration

It's like the end of a relationship I suppose. Like at the end of a relationship I guess you need to decide if you want to be 'single' for a while until you are ready for another project , or jump straight back on the horse with a new project?

It's a cap - it's not been made up, so it's still flat currently.
I think that's it...it is exactly like the end of a relationship. I've got lots of textile FWBs on the go, but this is...it's the one I should have married, I think.

It sounds absolutely wonderful. I wish I had the talent and focus to work on something over such a length of time, I like short term projects but even so, I still get that "coming up for air" feeling when I finish something. That disorientation. Best I can suggest is, be proud of your achievement, take time to breathe before looking for your next project. Maybe a small something that won't take long, but will distract you from that gap. Will you keep the thing you made?

Wow I missed the photo update while I was writing, OP that is beyond beautiful, it's a work of art. Must be very strange to think you've actually finished it after all this time.

That is just beautiful!

It has been part of your life

There will be mourning and reflection; then new starts and imaginings

Hold fast this is what you have been working towards xx

You are an artist

Hi @Cattermole - how are you feeling now?

That is stunning, OP. I know what it's like to finish a major project (although none of mine have lasted as long as yours have), the slight feeling of being at sea without your anchor. With each stitch you made, your memories became woven into your cap. Take your time to fall in love it as a finished article rather than a WIP, and in time you'll know when you're ready to start something new ❤