Ready for Hunting Season!

This is a project that I've had in the pipeline for about a year now. The main gist is that I wanted to have something for cold weather that could function both as a quarter sheet and as a big orange flag to hunters that we were not a deer. As rifle season starts in two days, I finished this just in time!

Kaylee made this herself! It's a purse made with my scrap pieces and is held together with rare earth magnets. It's pretty ingenious engineering, and modular to boot!

So materials list are:

2 yards of your fav fleece material. Every so often JoAnns (if you're US) has a sale on fleece. Go then.

3-4 packages of double fold bias tape quilt binding (A total of 9-12 yards)  NOTE:  9 yards was about 8 inches shy of what I needed. You may get more out of your binding if you don't make as big a hole.

1 foot of 3 inch wide velcro

sewing machine

thread

Here's my diagram. It's minimal cutting. Woo!

I folded my fabric in half such that it appeared when draped over a horse's backside it would be of a decent length to either side. Then I cut in along the fold but not all the way through. I made crescent cuts until I had opened up the middle of it so it would go around my body, while leaving the flat entrance.

Then, I put the quilt binding bias tape along the edge, pinned it in place and sewed it on. I didn't take many pictures of the sewing step. Sorry.

Sewing on the bias tape.

Once all the bias tape was sewn on, I separated my velcro pieces and pinned them in place on each of the fleece such that the flat sides where I cut could overlap and the velcro would attach to itself.  That's represented by the black and gray strip. Imagine the gray being on the underhalf of the fleece.

Ta-da! You're done! Unless you want to add a tail rope, which I might do at some point.

Looks pretty good if I do say so myself.

The attachment with the velcro

See? Velcro!

Draped over Gwyn's butt, nice and orange! No mistaking us for deer!

I still need to test it during a ride but I'm pretty sure it will fit me better than the one I bought. The goal is for it to go over my legs to keep me warm too. It could also fit under a saddle flap if I wanted.

I'm pretty proud of this! I winged it hardcore and there was some anxiety as I cut into the fleece. No going back!

All for less than $30!


My next project is a riding skirt that can also function as a quarter sheet. And once I perfect that I'm going to splurge on some nice waterproof outwear fabric and make it from that for rainy rides.

Movie Post and Picture Spam

This morning, after a couple of episodes of Octonauts, Kaylee and I headed out in the cool fall air to pull weeds in the arena. I brought Kaylee's sand toys with us along with her dump truck and she happily dug in the sand while I slowly pulled my garden cart around pulling out wannabe trees from the sand. 

I got over half the arena done! Plus took some cool videos (at least I think they're cool). It's really neat to see how Gwyn and Kaylee interact. Kaylee has learned to stand her ground and Gwyn is very careful around her but also very curious!

Going over the jumps

Investigating and playing with Kaylee's toys, plus a scolding.

Gwyn itches. We stop immediately if she tries to use anything other than nose....

The sand arena is a toddler's dream sandbox

Saffron isn't sure about the toddler digging in the dirt

Gwyn test out the knock-down-ability of the new standards

Saffron looking good!

*YAWN*

Selfie!

You can see Gwyn's snakebite scar really well.

Gwyn hung out with me while I pulled weeds. We had a nice mutual grooming session. She's shedding her summer coat and she'll be getting furry soon.

Pic Spam

Gwyn likes to nuzzle the farrier when she gets her toes trimmed

Saffron was a really good, Arwen was a bit more of a firecracker

I had the door open for airflow. Gwyn decided this meant the buffet was open for business

I'm making my own standards!! I had to cut each foot twice because my saw didn't go all the way through the board. 

But I made sure to wear proper PPE

Propped feet.

I will have two pairs when I'm done!

Not completely finished, but it gives you an idea of what it will look like. I still need to assemble, drill holes and paint.

I discovered 2 garter snakes living under the front left pasture water trough. I lifted it to dump and scrub and they scattered. One went over my foot. However, I am not afraid. I just watched. They were pretty! I also saw a skin shed in the grass as well. I bet the eating is good if they like frogs.

Sunset last night. It had just downpoured and the sky was gorgeous.

A baby mourning dove in the back pasture.

I got three hammocks through a kickstarter and I tried t his out to see if it would fit in my horse trailer for endurance rides and camping. Sure enough... ! Sitting in it is like  being in a recliner. Pretty comfy.

I'd probably hook it up on the non horse side when I do put it to use.

Craft Projects

One thing I suppose I should mention is the crafts that I've been doing that have a distinctively horse flavored theme. On a whim I decided to start making my own saddle pads. I love saddle pads, I'd have a ton of them if I could in all of the colors imaginable, but that's -expensive- to do a lot!  I have some very basic sewing skills and thought to myself, it can't be -that- hard to make them. 

Turns out, there are a few guides online, and I found one that wasn't re-purposing an old pad, but making one entirely from new material. I modified it for myself since I didn't have scrap fabric lying around the same way that the person writing the instructions did. 

This is the first pad that I made. The upper fabric is an upholstery style fabric in a pretty purple-gray. I added plum and silver trim and it looks NICE. It's got wool backing and cotton batting for extra cushion and should hold up nicely. Time will tell on that one, since I haven't washed it...

This is the second pad I made. It was a gift for my friend Cortney who has been looking for hot-pink accessories for her bay Arabian mare, Amira. Everything she had found was pony size or had zebra stripes. I found some nice flannel and fleece and made her a pad with black trim and pink and black ribbon. She LOVED it, which made me feel great! I had many less mistakes on this one than on the first!

I've got a third pad started that I tried a different quilting pattern on. I love the fabric on it! I'm worried, though, that fabric won't hold up to use, but again, we'll see. This fabric was a definite impulse purchase, but it's lovely! This one is incomplete. I've just done the quilting and attached the two sides together. I'm holding off on finishing this one until after we move but I have everything for it.

I'm also making a stall nameplate for Gwyn! I'm planning on putting a picture of her below her name and adding a few hooks for ribbons. I used acrylic paint and a stencil brush with stencils for the letters. Also unfinished.

Since Gwyn is half Friesian, she belongs to this registry and they were selling fabric patches. I got four! I'm hoping to find some really nice fabric and make a good dressage pad to put them on so Gwyn can show off! They were really cheap and I was so impressed by the turnaround time for ordering!!  But again, this will have to wait until we get unpacked in Michigan before I can work on it. I hope I find a fabric store that's as good as my Pacific Coast Fabrics out here in WA.

If I get really good at the saddle pad creation  I might try and turn that into a business. I need to improve my quality control first!