BreyerFest Prep: Recent Haversacks

July is a busy month for us - we just had one round of family visits with two more to come, have five birthdays to celebrate, and BreyerFest is just around the corner. 

When I can grab some time, I am sewing like crazy. Here's a look at some recently stitched haversacks. (They are all traditional sized and are $12 plus shipping. Email me at horsiemama8@gmail.com if you want one!)

Pasture Ornament Ponies

Corgi Racers

Cowgirls on Navy

Dachshunds! (Both of these are sold and I cannot get any more of this fabric. Sorry!)

Rainbow Star Wars

Reigning Horses (the actual manufacturer's name for this fabric)

Orange Fighting Stallions (Doesn't this look like Breyer's Fighting Stallion?)

A hobbyist who loves Fighting Stallions asked me to make a tablecloth for her out of that fabric to use at live shows. I love how it turned out!

Despite the hectic pace of this month, I just agreed to a new sewing project. I've made some challenging items before (prom dresses, bridesmaid's dresses, wedding gown alterations)  but this will be the most difficult I have ever done. And, I'm making TWO of them. 

I'll reveal it in tomorrow's blog post.

Stay 'tooned!

Just a Day at the Barn

I was out at the barn checking on Abby when I noticed the neighbor girl was out in the hayfield at the farm next door. Even though it was starting to rain (the white spots on the photo), she was out sitting on one of the round bales and enjoying a little summer freedom.

That took me right back to my own young-girl days when I, too, was happy to just hang out with the horses or around the barn. And who minds a little summer sprinkle when it's hot outside and the rain cools you off?

I continue to watch the odd bump on Abby's neck. I spoke with a vet about it and showed him some photos.

He says it could indeed be a sarcoid. His advice was to continue watching it, but that if it began growing or changing, then I should consider having it removed. 

Other than that, she's in great shape, and despite it being July, the pastures continue to be lush and flourishing.

More 4th of July

Some wrap up photos from our busy Fourth of July weekend. (This is a non horsey post.)

A visit to Wolf Park in nearby Battle Ground. (Clockwise from left: Todd, Trinity, Lukie, Lisa, Craig, me, Curt, Ian, Mila, Vanessa, and Sarah.)

What started out as Curt hugging Vanessa turned into an unusual group hug.

Curt, Vanessa, Lisa, Trinity, Sarah.

Pepper cuddling up to Lisa and using her shoulder for a pillow.

Trinity and Lisa keeping the hungry hordes back while Blue and Rhett are served their dinner. (Full disclosure: Pepper, Nash, and Molly had already had theirs but thought they needed more.)

 

Cousins.

Lukie was delighted when his parachute flyer came back to the ground. (I don't think he thought it really would.)

Mila climbing a tree. She just lost both her front teeth - corn on the cob season will be tough for this little gal!

Neighborhood fireworks. 

My family goes home later today and so I will have a little more time to write about horses, live and model, after that.

Stay 'tooned!

Happy 4th of July!

 Happy 4th of July, everyone!

We headed to Indy yesterday for our 9th annual family bocce tournament.

It's always held on the 4th of July weekend at my sister Jenny's home. 

Cowpoke Ian defeated me in the first round and then went on to place third out of 16 competitors. Not bad for a seven year old rookie!

In addition to playing bocce, we had a pitch-in picnic. The weather was gorgeous and perfect for being outdoors.

Family, food, and fun - a great way to celebrate a summer holiday.

"A Surprise in Every Box!"

 "A surprise in every box!" When I was a kid, that was one of the advertising jingles for Crackerjacks.

We didn't get Crackerjacks very often, but when we did, we rooted around for that prize before eating the carmel corn. (Same with cereal boxes; whoever opened a new box got the rights to inserting their arm up to their elbow and snagging the prize inside.)

Putting surprises or add-ins into a box when you've sold a model, doll, haversack, or other hobby item is very popular now. And I am all in. Not only do I make big haversacks, but I make little ones as well.

I jazz them up with  a "jewel" and have a supply of various charms, stickers, and other items that I tuck inside each little bag. Then, when I get an order, I pop one inside the package before mailing it as a thank you for the customer's business.

By the way, I am aware that Crackerjack isn't plural, but where I live in Indiana, an S is often added to a product or place. For example, I go to Kroger's to get my groceries (pronounced gro-shr'ees) and I buy some of my fabrics from JoAnn's. And of course, we all drink coke (lower case c because it's not a proper noun in that Hoosier context) and ask each other, "What kind of coke do you want?" when we are getting a soft drink. 

There is also how folks here in Lafayette pronounce "Lafayette," the name of our town and that of the stunning black Saddlebred released earlier this year by Breyer. But I've already talked about that, so I'll end the lesson on regional Hoosier dialects!

(Sometimes it's hard to turn the teacher mode off, even in retirement.)

The Happy Trails IV Signature Horse

In addition to the sewing, BreyerFest prep, and getting ready for a July packed with family visits (starting today - gotta go do some cleaning), I have also been working on prep for Happy Trails, the live show/pony party I hold in my home every year.

One of my favorite things at Happy Trails is the signature horse - I find an old, much loved vintage Breyer and give it new life by spray painting it gold and then having everyone sign it.

And I do mean everyone! 

The 2018 signature model was the Running Stallion and the Family Arabian Mare was used for 2019.

I'd selected the Stretch Morgan for 2020's show well before the pandemic closed everything down and Happy Trails became a photo show for that year.

His chipped ear kind of symbolizes the pandemic - how many of us have said that we felt broken as the pandemic played out?

I am leaning toward spray painting him in silver and writing 2020. I may add the names of those who participated in the photo show on there, too, and possibly even something about the pandemic. 

If I end up doing that, then it will be back to searching for a vintage, body quality Breyer for the 2021 signature horse. July is just too busy for that task, but Happy Trails IV isn't until October so I have plenty of time. 

And, I already have a mold in mind. Stay 'tooned! 

BreyerFest Prep: Lesson Learned!

With just three weeks to go, many collectors are scrambling to prepare for BreyerFest. Whatever facet of the hobby you are involved in, there is prep to do - making lists of models to track down, finishing dolls or custom pieces, inventorying sales items, making plans for Zoom meet ups, and more.

I set up a room on the Road to BreyerFest Sales and Trade site to test selling in a place other than my Facebook page. Sales started coming in so quickly that I could not keep up with them. I fulfilled the orders that I got, declined taking any more, and then decided I would stick to selling from my Facebook page for now.

Sales are also booming there, plus I am going to a live show in August and will be selling haversacks at the show, too. With all the selling that I have done recently, it was time to take inventory and see what I had and what I still needed to make.

Yesterday I pulled out all the tubs of completed haversacks and got started.

I've long wanted to have a list of models that will fit each size of haversack that I could give to buyers. While most hobbyists can visualize if a haversack will fit more common models, I wanted to be sure that those seeking one for a lesser known mold could find what they wanted, too.

Haversacks were strewn about the sewing room as I measured and sorted them into size piles and then made up a list of models that would fit.

Just because the model is part of a line or scale (traditional, classic/freedom, etc.) doesn't mean that all models in that scale will fit the haversack.

For example, the new Maggie Bennett Mustang is a classic scale piece, but it is long with reaching forelegs, has a wide tail base, and its head is turned a bit to the side. That affects how it fits into a haversack.

So, in addition to having patterns for Breyer's scales, I also make what I call "odd size" patterns for haversacks. Tucked inside each of those is a card with a list of models that it will fit. (I put a card in each inventoried tub so I knew what was in it.

I inventoried towels, too, but I didn't tackle the ornaments. I did those a while back and had not made any recently so their numbers hadn't changed.

Pony pads in a variety of sizes - people like these for more fragile models like chinas and use them to lay the models down at shows so they don't get knocked over and break. I make both foldable as well as non foldable pony pads.

With six tubs full of haversacks, pony pads, and towels, all sorted and prepped, I am in pretty good shape for BreyerFest and the August live show.

Still on my prep list? Making some wider haversacks for long, stretched out models like Dundee, the Shagya Arabian, and Bristol.

I've learned an important lesson - have a very large stock of haversacks before going to high traffic selling sites, and limit custom orders to a pace that allows a one-seamstress operation to handle the demand and still enjoy what she is doing.