New Ponies!

I've had some new additions to my collection that I haven't yet written about, and since I am home and worn out from the show, I needed something easy peasy to write about. It doesn't get much easier than showing pictures of new models. 

Flagship store Romeo is on a mold that I love, but there are no flagship stores near me.

Luckily, Liz offered to pick one up for me at a flagship store near her home in the Chicago area.

I have about 100 Hartlands in my collection and while I don't actively seek them out, when I find one, especially one that is a woodcut, I stop and take a look.

This 7" cherry woodcut Saddlebred was found in a vintage toy store tucked in among the Star Wars toys.

During the Collectors Appreciation Sale I bought the Icelandic Stallion

and Checkers. They will most likely be used either as Christmas gifts for a pony pal or two or as donations to live shows.

Believe it or not, I have wanted the Backcountry Camping Set for a long time. Now I have it. Maybe Circus Girl and Little Lynn will head out into the hinterlands of my back yard for an overnight or two.

Finally, I got the Misty and Stormy personal pouch and am taking it to FAMulous in my suitcase. But the pouch has completely disappeared from Breyer's website. I tried to find it by clicking on my order, but not even an out of stock sign pops up. I get a 404 Not Found notice instead. It is gone. That's odd.

Anyway, I'll post about FAMulous this coming week so stay 'tooned!

Restocking Mini Haversacks

Thursday I was wrapping up two haversack orders that I needed to deliver at FAMulous and as I finished, I realized that I needed to make more mini haversacks. I tuck one in with every order as a little thank you gift from me.

I used to make them out of fleece, but lately I have been using cotton. The hard part is finding a print small enough for them - finished size is about two inches square.

I found some fabric that would work well and got them stitched up. Then I pulled out my bags of charms and a spool of narrow ribbon and began stringing the charms.

I have a supply of fourteen different charms and try to rotate through them so that repeat customers don't keep getting the same one.

Because the mini haversack is so small, I always leave the ribbon hanging out to help it get noticed, and then I pack the mini haversack underneath the flap of one of the completed haversacks in the order.

My box of mini haversacks is restocked. 

For now. Haha!

Piece o' Cake!

Yesterday I brought everything for the show downstairs. The more I carried down, the more I worried. Would all this stuff fit in Ol' Blue along with three other people's show things?

I snapped this pic and sent it to Liz, telling her that there were still two small tubs, my suitcase, and a bag of snacks that were not in the photo and asked if maybe I should drive myself.

Liz's response? "Piece of cake! We have it." Alrighty, then! It's now all in my foyer (sans suitcase, snacks, and maybe my foldable wagon) and ready for Liz to arrive later today.

I did end up bringing haversacks to sell although when I packed the sales items,  I was surprised. 

I thought I had more traditional sized ones to bring - I sew five to six days a week, why did I only have 31 traditionals to bring? And just three extra longs??

A quick look at my sales books showed the answer. Most of my sales are custom orders. When I post a new fabric on the Horsiemama Facebook page, I usually get one or two orders for it before I have even begun to sew any of it for taking to live shows to sell.

That's not a bad thing at all, but it does mean that, when I have a live show coming up, I need to check my inventory earlier and sew enough to take with me to the show.

But I will think about that later. Off to pack that suitcase!

FAMulous: Breathe, Lynn, Breathe

Up and at 'em at 4:00 AM today. My mind was churning with thoughts about the show and details that I know are covered but my mind was still saying, "But what if...?" 

I keep reminding myself that things are in order, we have done all we can to make sure things will run smoothly, and that there is really nothing more to do to get ready.

A  haversack order to bring to the show is finished

and I am happy with how the haversacks turned out.

It's new fabric that has just arrived

although I have had it in my "to be purchased" queue for quite some time. I have one more special order with batting inside to stitch up, but I will get that done today.

Another donation, this one from Eryn Schnell - she will deliver this lovely wreath to us at the show.

Allison and Stan went over to the church to check out the show hall yesterday.

Naturally, Stan had to try out the ramp where we will be racing our FASs.

The show hall Wednesday evening - Allison and Stan are going over early Friday morning to set it up for the show. 

I still have a couple of errands to run (bank, grocery, post office) and I changed my mind about not bringing the Mercantile to FAMulous. Now I need to sort out and pack those items up.

Another big midwestern storm rolled in yesterday afternoon and the rain is still coming down this morning.

We need that rain, but I had planned to spruce up the stepping stone garden out front and do a little yard work before I left. That will have to wait, though.

Breathe, Lynn, breathe.

FAMulous: From Tongue in Cheek to Reality

 Yesterday I sent an email out to all the entrants to FAMulous  and made this tongue in cheek comment:

Even though the show is just four days away, Allison and I are as cool as cucumbers and think we may go get mani-pedis today since everything is done... Haha, we are in good shape, but not THAT good of shape!

In reality, I really was planning on getting a pedicure that day. (I can't do my own toes due to joint issues.)

What I did not know was that Allison had had the same idea in mind. I sent her a photo of my freshly painted nails and said, "So I did go get a pedicure. Love that FAMulous blue!"

Allison responded with this photo and said,

"We match! I have the lighter shade of FAMulous blue on!" 

She may not have gotten her toes done that very day like me, but clearly we both intended a nod to our show.

From tongue in cheek to reality!

FAMulous: Rosettes! Gifts! Prizes!

The rosettes for the show are all ironed and ready to pack. They are hanging from the armoire in our bedroom right next to the tubs and boxes that I'm taking to FAMulous - I don't want to forget them, so I hung them where I could not miss them. (Fingers crossed... LOL)

Ironing rosettes and flats is easy. Set your iron to no steam and a silk or perma-press heat (or a smidge higher.) Place the ribbon face down so the lettering is against the ironing board and the blank side is up. Cover with a press cloth. (I used a remnant of white cotton.) Run the iron back and forth over the wrinkled area several times and then lift the press cloth and check progress. Repeat until the ribbon is smooth again.

Hodges Badge Company packs really well, but the box was damaged during shipping and some of the rosettes ended up being scrunched as a result. Luckily, I was able to get the streamers smooth again.

Yesterday I assembled the judges' gift bags. It's a surprise so I can't say what's in them, but Allison and I think the judges will be happy when they open them.

I also went through my things and pulled out a couple of items to give as prizes to the racing FASs. 

Allison has some other prizes but I don't have photos of them yet. I'll do my best to get some on Saturday and then post them here after the show.

Yesterday morning Teacher Daughter Lisa invited me to go to Hobby Lobby with her - they were having a 75% off sale. I planned to just wander around with her and enjoy her company, but I spied this and snagged it for the raffle. 

I also found some trenchers and other wooden items that will be perfect for my vendor's tent at The Feast of the Hunter's Moon. Those items were  75% off, too!

I haven't said much about that event yet but I am also preparing for that and yesterday I was working on the blackened beeswax ornaments I will be selling.

There is a learning curve in making them, but I am finally getting the hang of it and am really happy with how these are starting to turn out.

I may pop one or two of these into the FAMulous show tub as a donation.

Today will be spent sewing - I got two custom orders to deliver to FAMulous, and I need to run out and do a candy cane run to my girl. But for the most part, I am ready on my end for FAMulous and can relax a bit.

Breathe, Lynn, breathe!

FAMulous: The Golden Girls!

It wouldn't be FAMulous without FAMs as some sort of award and this weekend Allison made that happen.

She lined the ladies up on boxes out in her yard and began by painting the bodies first.

You can still tell their original colors at this point - charcoal and palomino for these two FAMs.

This one is a grey Appaloosa. 

After spraying the bodies, she came back and did the heads.

There are five of them, one to go to the champion of each of the divisions.

Doesn't she look pretty in gold? Allison said that Breyer needed to release her in gold charm and I agree. 

I was working on awards this weekend, too. The box of ribbons arrived and I got all the flats sorted, bundled, and packed. The sectional and division champ ribbons and rosettes are beautiful. I'll share those tomorrow.

Stay 'tooned!