Fun with Blankets and Collars

I quite enjoy sewing, even if I'm not especially good at it. So, when I found some of my old slippers that had worn through the soles and weren't wearable anymore, instead of throwing them away I saw an opportunity to turn the fabric into blankets for some of my model horses.

 When I say 'blankets', I really mean simple slips of fabric that can be slid over the model's head and rest unsecured on their backs. I'm not going for realism here: the main objective was really just to make something that would help to protect the models from rubbing against each other on my shelves. I don't have the skill or materials to make anything like a real horse blanket.

 The fleecy material was surprisingly forgiving, so the end results don't look too bad, in my opinion. I added the black bow on the adult rug for decoration. 

 With leftover material I then fashioned into a couple of foal rugs for Tobi and Tawny. Again, they just slip on over their heads to protect the babies from knocks and bumps.

 I'll have to get some more fabric if I want to make any more blankets in future, but these simple, easy rugs were fun to craft.

 Not to be left out, Kep and Dylan then asked for some accessories too.

 Kep got a bandanna, or half a bandanna at least. I started off trying to make a proper bandanna with a square of cloth, and then folding it diagonally to make the triangle and two tying ends.

But it was way too much material, so I cut it in half and sewed up the loose hem. Even then it needed reducing down so that the two ends would tie properly around his neck.

 

It's not the best, and if I ever try again I'll see if I can make the stitches less visible. But for now I like it, and it seems to suit him. At least Kep is happy with it.

 Dylan wanted a collar, so I fished out an old hairband, measured it around his neck and then cut it to size with some extra for fastening. I was quite pleased with the appearance of the hairband fabric for a dog collar. I then tried to add a little metal buckle, but since I still haven't got any fabric glue I had to try and attach it with a needle and thread.

After much fruitless effort, and a lot of frustration, I eventually gave up. The hairband fabric just wouldn't pass cleanly through the miniature buckle. So instead, Dylan got his collar sewn together and the excess trimmed off. It's too small to be removed now, but if I ever wanted it off  I'd just need a pair of scissors. It looks passable, at least, but again, I may try once more in the future.