Wednesday, March 9, 2011

New Showmanship Jacket???

I've been musing about a new showmanship jacket. I still like my jacket from last year but I think it cuts me off at the hips a bit more than would be considered flattering. If I can find the time, I'd like to have a new showmanship jacket AND a new shirt for Horsemanship/Pleasure, too. I am happy to see THE PURPLE gone, but I did like having the black all the way up the torso. I have a pretty short torso and I thought elongating in from the top down and having the jacket contrast at the hips rather than the high waistline would help. I think instead it made me look even squatter. I'm toying with some hand-painting ideas I keep finding. Easier than applique, that's for sure! However, you can rip out a stitch... but you can't erase paint!

I'd like to stick with the colors we had last year because I think they are well matched with Junior's coloring and are in the "adult" category. Not that a judge is going to mistake a bay roan with white stockings for another horse, but I think it helps to have the same colors for Showmanship and riding, just to create some consistency. I have both a solid black and the Spanish Lace blanket from last year to choose from, but I think the Spanish Lace is nicer looking because a black blanket can be found everywhere. Because it's not as easy to find a blanket in every color combination, having a patterned blanket that matches the outfit tends to look more professional and "put-together" to me.

So here's one idea for the Showmanship:


The front and back will be a mirror image. The asymmetrical design means I don't have to match left and right (harder than you'd think) and the diagonal lines are flattering to every figure. And I'd like to do more of an open stand up collar instead of the lay down peaked collars that still seem the norm. The curved styling lines will be out of a copper metallic fabric Then I've selected some Swarovski colors (the look less similar from above) to scatter heavily along the lines and then gradually thinning as they move away. Sort of a play with positive and negative space. In a very subtle over-all scatter (like one every 6-10") I'd like to put either the Black Diamond or the Jet crystals. The Jet will have a more subtle sparkle and blend in more invisibly with the black jacket. The Black Diamond will be slightly more visible in contrast to the black and will probably have a little more sparkle. The crystals seem to be cheaper now than they ever were before so I will be ordering a good amount of them.


I'm also trying to get a jacket done out of some scrap fabric so I can sell it at an upcoming tack swap. I'll post pictures if it's not a FAIL. :)

In other news, I was asked to become a Feeder at the barn. My BM also works at the Columbus Zoo and she's going back to work this spring with a different schedule so she needed to add another person to the Feeder schedule as well as having an additional person on-call in case of emergencies or when someone else is on vacation. So last Sunday I got to help her feed so I could get my first training. I get to do it again this Sunday, then a few days while I'm on Spring Break and one of the other feeders is on vacation. Not only does this give me a nice little board discount, but it is practice for that small boarding barn I want to have someday!

And it's good for my endurance! When I started doing 5 stalls each Sunday in the fall I could barely get through them all before I was stiff and sore. This past Sunday I fed horses, cleaned 5 stalls and trotted Junior (posting or 2-point) for 25 minutes. And I didn't feel a thing! Yay! This will also help create a more "slimming effect" for the shows!

7 comments:

  1. That is very pretty. It also makes me glad I don't show western - I can't afford the wardrobe :-)

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  2. You should see the "rainbow" jacket Wifey got yesterday. I think she's putting that one in the resale pile. Win some, lose some.

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  3. I really like that outfit concept. Personally, I just got a black.white, and tan western button up shirt I am going to pair with black chaps, but a cream hat. I think the only thing I would like to see contributed to your outdit is a lighter accent to your face, JMO.

    Thats cool about the feeding schedule. Ive been trying to get on our barn's feeder list, but everyone wants those positions. So I have cleaning pastures instead. But the board reduction certainly makes things worth it!

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  4. @Barbara - There are items at every price point, just like in English. You can get away pretty cheap if you shop used. If I wasn't making these myself I wouldn't be able to afford custom.

    @Cedar View - PICTURES! Was it a customFAIL or did it just look better on the internets?

    @Milo - I totally agree about the light up by the face. I think I'd have to add more light on the jacket top to get it to look okay with a lighter hat. I am afraid to put a tan hat with this exact design and have it look like I forgot my hat and had to borrow one. For the showmanship when we're up close I think it's okay, but for Horsemanship I do want to try to get lighter on top. I'll play around with it. :)

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  5. I like the look of all one color for showmanship too... having pants that match the shirt really gives it a nice, clean look. A bit more length helps as well to slim it all down.

    I think Junior would look amazing with a royal blue colored outfit, (is that too close to the dreaded purple?) but I understand what you're saying about sticking with the same colors.

    The outfit you're designing is nice and I think the gold fabric with crystals will be really pretty. Are you set on black? Even the reverse of what you've designed would be nice... tan base with a metallic black fabric across the front would look pretty too.

    I think if you stick with your jacket from last year for riding, you could easily get away with a tan hat, even with your black chaps. Your blanket and shirt have quite a bit of tan in them, so the whole thing would look really nice and lighten up your face too.

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  6. @I2P - Oh I see, just because you blame me for YOU buying a whole new outfit you want ME to have to buy a whole new outfit, too. New pants, new boots, new hat. Uh huh. And where am I going to find all that in BLUE?!?! I see how you operate. :) LOL.

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  7. Dang! You're on to me! LOL

    I do think Junior would look really pretty in royal blue! 1849 Ranchwear has some pretty royal blue tunic tops, but if you're going to make the outfit, you just need to get royal blue material so you can make pants and a shirt in blue. :)

    You wear your black hat and your black boots (or get a tan hat) and you have spiffy royal blue for showmanship. Tada!!

    (See how easy?) :)

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