She didn’t use a stencil. I’m not sure if she ever does. The tattoo was drawn on by hand with a sterile marker prior to starting. Katie hardly had any swelling even after a full 9 hours of tattooing. Once finished, Horiren proclaimed, “WE FINISHED!! VERY VERY STRONG GIRL” and, as Katie says, continued to praise her strength in Japanese. Katie was given a ceremonial robe to wear and many photos were taken. Katie says she began crying because she was so overwhelmed by the experience, which she calls life changing.
