A Lakota style vest.

I started my fully beaded vest in December of 1987 during a really bad blizzard in Fairbanks, Alaska. I estimated a project of approximately one year's duration. Little did I know that almost eleven years later, I would just be putting the finishing touches on my creation!

I had recently moved from my hometown of Austin, Texas to Fairbanks, Alaska several months earlier. My vest had been in the planning stages for months. I researched Lakota vests from around the turn of the century in numerous books from the University of Texas library system, periodicals and museums. I found several designs I appreciated in The American Indian: The American Flag. I blended elements from numerous sources and created a few of my own while keeping within the general style. My intent was to create a design, which would be appropriate for either an old-style or Northern traditional set of dance clothes. I made several patterns from grocery sacks in preparation. Numerous sketches and full sized patterns of my designs littered my project box (I still have these sketches in a notebook).

Finally, around Christmas 1986, when it was about 30[degrees] below zero outside and too cold to go skiing, I cut out my vest and started beading. Placing the major design elements first, I proceeded rapidly. After several months, I became bored with the project. It presented no instant gratification. The gratification and sense of accomplishment of a completed project were elusive. The gratification of something you could add to your dance clothes for the next powwow was missing. Frustrated, I decided to start several smaller projects, which matched the vest.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The first matching article was a set of beaded armbands. I completed these in several weeks and then went back to the vest. Again, I became bored. I designed and beaded a set of matching cuffs. Due to the greater area to be covered, they took a couple of months to produce.

My unfinished vest hung on a coat rack for the better part of fiv3e years during medical school and internship. When feeling guilty about the slow progress of the project, I worked on the vest during short breaks and vacations. During this time, school, marriage, several moves (back to Texas) and the birth of our daughter slowed the progress on the vest. At each powwow, I heard, jokingly, "Hey Sam, how is the vest coming along?" Finally with the project nearing it's tenth year, I began beading in earnest.

The project was finally completed. However, it took me another five years to finish writing this article!

See you in the circle.

I have learned several things about making a large beaded project such as a vest:

1. Work patiently. If you become frustrated or bored with the project, take a break. Otherwise, the quality of the beading will suffer.

2. Work on smaller projects, as breaks, during the tedium of a large project (arm bands, bags, gifts for friends, etc.)

3. Keep the project out in the open where you can see it. Don't hide it in a closet. "Out of sight, out of mind." I like to place unfinished projects next to the television, reminding me to do the project instead of watching the TV.

4. Take pictures or slides of the project at each stage as you go along. You will value this later when trying to show and teach people how you did the project. I have found that digital cameras are great for this purpose.

5. Make sure you use the right materials and do your research. If you spend this much effort on a large article, you do not want to regret mistakes in later years.

6. Try and set aside 30 minutes to an hour everyday to bead. You will be amazed at how fast your project will become covered with beads.

7. Share you knowledge with others, especially those new to beading crafts.

8. Don't accidentally mix part of your dark blue transparent beads into your dark green transparent storage container when putting up your project for the evening!

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

9. Never, ever bead when really tired! (see number 8)

By Samuel A. West III, DO

About the Author

Sam West has been beading and dancing since 1980 after earning his Indian Lore merit badge and induction into the Order of the Arrow. He dances old-style, traditional and straight dance. In everyday life, he is a full-time Family Medicine physician with the Texas Army National Guard. He recently returned from a one-year tour in Iraq as a flight surgeon with the 4th Infantry Division where once again, he had a delay in completing his beading projects and in writing this article!