That Last Little Bit

So, what did I do with that last, teeny tiny scrap of fabric that was left over from the two yards of University of Iowa fabric?

First, I measured it and trimmed it up so that it was 3/4 inches wide. Then I got some fusible interfacing from my sewing stash and fused the two pieces together to give it some stability.

And then I turned it into the tiniest haversack I have ever made. 

Closed and finished, it was about 3/4 inches square.

Way too small for Breyer's Mini Whinney 1:64 scale models.

 

But just right for an HO 1:82 scale horse.

The friend receiving this set of haversacks is a vintage Breyer lover like me

So I chose a model that was reminiscent of a vintage Breyer mold - the Grazing Mare!

All that was left of the two yards of fabric were the trimmings off that last little strip. I considered making a bookmark, but in the end I swept those pieces off my sewing table and into the trash.

Sometimes you just have to call it good!!

Circus Time: N Scale Liberty Horse

In April, I wrote about Prieser, a German company that makes figures for the model railroad hobby, and that they had made a set of HO circus horses. 

Named Liberty Performing Horses, they came in a set of six, and while I have given a couple away, I still have three, including Mighty Mouse who is displayed on a shelf in my office.

 

Imagine my excitement when I did a search for N scale horses a few weeks ago and discovered the set had been done in the 1:160 scale, too! (I've found some really good pieces by doing those random searches.)

And I thought that Mighty Mouse was small - just look at that itty bitty horse! Despite the tiny size, their detail is really good, too.

Interesting to see that the head plume colors are the reverse of Mighty Mouse's plumes. I'm not sure if  they are all like that or if it is just this set. (According to the box they came in, the horses are sent to Mauritius where they are hand painted.)

These N scale circus horses are so small that I am keeping them in their box, although the box is out for display on the shelf next to Mighty Mouse.

They are absolutely the smallest circus horses not only in my collection, but that I have ever seen. Prepare to be amazed? Was I ever when I got these!

Next, we will take a peek at another very recent acquisition.

Prepare to be amazed! (Again, haha!)

Circus Time: HO Scale Liberty Horse

One day while searching online for circus horses, I discovered that Preiser, a German company that makes items for the model railroad hobby, had a set of liberty horses.

Naturally I bought myself a set.

They're HO scale (1:87) and come in a pack of six horses.

I absolutely love them, and keep one, named Mighty Mouse after the old cartoon character, out on display at all times.

As you might imagine, Mighty Mouse is Circus Girl's favorite model horse in her collection.

A quick check of eBay turned up five or six sets currently available. Even better, I found (and bought) the set in N scale. (1:160 scale.) To get an idea of just how tiny that will be, take a look at this photo of my smallest models.

The top row are Breyer Minnie Whinnies (1:64)  the next size smaller horses are HO scale (1:87), and the teeny tiny horses on the bottom are 1:160.

We will be staying in Germany for the next blog post.

Prepare to be amazed!

HO Scale Haversacks

I am working on a scene set up of Little Lynn and Circus Girl sewing haversacks for their models as they prepare for a live show. I have a sewing machine, bolts of fabric, and other props, but I needed to have some finished items that they had sewn to add to the scene.

Because these are teeny tiny horses, the scale on the fabric needs to be small. Solid colored fabric would work, too.

Since I chose cotton fabrics and cotton will fray, I backed all my mini haversacks with some iron on interfacing. That will curb most of the fraying.

Then I laid one of the horses on the fabric and eyeballed the measurements, deliberately cutting it a bit large so that I had room to play with.

I ironed the top (the flap for closing) and the bottom (the top of the bag that the flap will fold over.)

Then I folded the fabric up until it met with the top plan fold and drew a chalk line down the center stopping at the fold line.

I stitched both sides of that chalk line, stopping at the fold. I had also stitched the side seams shut.

Laying my quilting ruler just to the left of the chalk line,

I used my rotary cutter to cut the two haversacks apart. I also used it very carefully to clean up the outer seams as well.

I repeated this process until I had made several HO scale haversacks.

Checking for fit - height was no problem, but the lying and galloping HO scale horses needed a bit more length.

They were fun to make, but I don't plan to make any more - I just needed a few props.

Plus, I like using fleece better - it doesn't fray so it doesn't need the interfacing and its seams look better as a result. I already make fleece mini haversacks for Mercantile customers as a thank you. I tuck one into each order with a charm, sticker, or something else inside as a surprise.

New to Windsong!

I am ringing in the new year with several new additions to my collection. 

My glossy BreyerFest WH Top Gun arrived just before Christmas. He's my first piece on the Newsworthy mold, and after seeing him, I'm glad I bought him. (In July when Breyer made the offer to BreyerFest participants, I debated - none of the models Breyer was offering to gloss and send out were molds I collect, but I decide to take a chance on this one.)

Then, last week a friend texted me and said she'd left something on my front porch for me.

What a friend! Inside a gift bag was this pretty jade stone horse.

A family member had died, and in going through the estate, she'd come across this little jade horse and thought I'd like to have it. She was right.

I don't buy a whole lot from eBay, but that's where I got these HO 1/87 scale horses. 

I plan to use them as props and model horses for Little Lynn and Circus Girl. (I see some knock offs of some Breyers among this lot!)

There is one more new addition to my collection, and it's from eBay, too. It's something I've never had before and I want to do a little more research on it before I write about it.

Stay 'tooned!