THE LAST MINUTE

I am going to try something I have never done on a blog.  I am going to show you how I work. Some background first.
 My Aunt Mary is 89 years old.  She has a very comfortable income and can buy anything she really wants.  She is partially blind (limited vision), but that is her only health problem.  She used to be easy to buy Christmas presents for because she would try any craft and usually master it. She loved to read, collected cookbooks, loved to cook, entertain and travel. Now because of her limited vision she mostly watches (or listens to Fox News tv) and talks on the phone.  Her only trips are to get her hair done once a week, and her nails once every two weeks (nail polish really does stay on her nails that good, I can't keep it on 24 hours without chipping). All of this has really made it hard to figure out what she would like and use when getting her Christmas presents.  We have already gone thru getting the talking clocks, oversize tv remotes, talking watches, talking phones that tells you who or what number is calling, cuddle blankets, lap quilts, bed quilts,  everything Alabama football and Braves baseball, a cd player with favorite books on cd etc. She loves vests. I have made her vests for every holiday, Alabama vests, Braves vest (paid a fortune bidding on 1 yard of braves material on EBAY). I have beaded some of her vests. She really likes that. I have never made her a ribbon embroidery decorated vests.  I don't know how I missed that one. Every year I have racked my brain for something for birthdays and Christmas, I just missed that one completely.  This is the year.  Of course I didn't think of it til the last minute and for some reason I have been so lethargic (that is the only word I can think of that covers the way I have felt about Christmas) this year. So this is going to be a last minute thing.  I spent almost a week just plotting this vest out in my head and FINDING the fabric I wanted to use.  It seems there is ALWAYS the big hunt for the fabric especially since I have hundreds of yards of fabric.  So just for the next couple of days (I have to have this ready by Christmas Eve), I am photographing everything I do to make this vest. Wish me luck because I KNOW there will be things I want to use that I will not be able to find.

So here are the first pictures.  I finally found my pattern that fits her. And finally found the black brocaded rayon fabric I wanted and the black batiste to back it for the embroidery.  I have it basted together so it won't move around too much.  I used a beading needle to baste with (really slides thru the fabrics easy) and pink thread so I can find it to rip it out.
My next entry will show the layout of the design.  Til then say a prayer for me that I can keep it together and stay on the project.
Mary