Romance is in the air and the snow and lower temperatures we have been having this winter should not be allowed to affect or cool off the love we hold in our hearts for our family and friends. We have a special talent we can share with others throughout the year, our ability to create and sew something special for the ones we love. Gail Glaneman, the vice president of the Smocking Guild in Pittsburgh, lives in Eighty Four, Washington County, and her love of the various arts of stitchery led her to create this delicate Victorian Vest. It is as soft to the eyes as it is soft to the touch creating a radiance of warmth and love. The fabric chosen for the vest was “Sandcastle Quilts” by Dan River Mfg. in a soft ivory shade. The upper left side in front has nine silk ribbon rosettes with silk ribbon leaves placed in sets of three to create bouquets of flowers. Four triangles were cut from 1 1/2-inch squares of coordinating print fabric. They were placed on point and ironed in place using Steam-a-Seam iron-on double stick fusible web. Seven 2-inch squares were folded and arranged to create a 5-inch row of prairie points for the top of the pocket. The top of a 7-inch round crocheted doily was folded down to the center and secured in place with a bow made from a 16-inch piece of 1/8-inch rose colored ribbon. The doily was stitched in place to the vest after the prairie points were sewn in place. The right shoulder has a 3 1/2-inch streamer of embroidered flowers, vines and leaves. They were embroidered with three strands of embroidery floss. Below the embroidery coordinating pieces of fabric were cut to form 10 sections of a fan. The sections were cut 4 3/4 inches long and ironed in place with fusible web. A 2-inch embroidered lace applique was fused in place onto the lower center of the fan and a 2 mm pearl was sewn onto the center. Below the fan a 9-inch piece of 1/8-inch rose-colored ribbon was sewn through the fabric and two 5/8-inch gold heart shaped buttons. Tea dyed lace 9 inches long and 5/8-inch wide was sewn onto the vest on the left side instead of buttonholes. Four 5/8-inch white pearl buttons with four holes were sewn onto the left side with light pink embroidery thread for the rose bud and light green embroidery thread for the leaves. Six-strand embroidery thread was threaded from the bottom hole of the buttons and through the top and side holes to form the rose and leaves. Yo-yos were made from six 3-inch circles of coordinating fabric and five were sewn to the back of the vest around the neckline. An 11-inch eight-point star made from coordinating fabric was fused to the center of the back of the vest. The sixth yo-yo was sewn onto the center of the star. Two 1 1/2-inch cross-stitched embroidered hearts were sewn off center below the star to complete the vest.

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