Thank you all for your votes and shares on my recent design competition jacket! I received a solid 2nd Place. Unlike last year when I think I was beat out of 1st and 2nd place because teenage girls have too many facebook friends and not because of design merit, THIS year I feel very good about my placing. The winner was clearly a high quality design.
SO my prize is $150 in Hobby Horse store credit. Last year's prize money bought me the black pants and fabric for this year's SMS suit. This year I'm going to wait and see what the 2014 line has for new colors. I'm pretty sure there's going to be grey as a base color, but odds are I'm going to stick to my black base for my own wardrobe for SO many reasons... I'll run into the same roadblocks I did when I was considering the Teal. grey would require yet ANOTHER pair of boots, and I can't imagine wearing either my black or my bone hat with grey so I'd need to buy white (too hard to keep clean) or grey (can't find one I can afford) and either way that would require me to ALSO buy a double hat can. I could spend the money for pants/boots/hat/carrier, OR I could take more lessons and stick with black. I'm pretty sure you know what the better decision is. KISS, right?
I'm playing around with iron-on transfers for my Etsy store. I have to do more R&D, but what do you think? What would you be most likely to buy? A t-shirt? Tank? Hoodie? Tote-bag?
It's time for the 2013 Hobby Horse Elements Designer Contest on facebook!!!
Last year I received 3rd place. You can see those entries HERE. Mine's the pink/brown one. :)
Overwhelmingly here and on facebook, you all chose the blue one and I found out today that it made it into the finals!
I would sure appreciate your vote! To vote, click the link below, then make sure to "like" the photo. I'm Finalist #5. Be careful not to just "Like" the whole album. Only the votes on the actual photo will count.
I believe you need to "like" Hobby Horse to vote, but remember, when you Like a page you still have the option of whether or not you want to get updates from that page in your newsfeed, so don't be afraid of excess spam. :)
Thanks for all your feedback and compliments on both of the jackets! I sure hope you picked a winner!!!
Remember last year when I got 3rd place in the Hobby Horse Designer Contest? I'm going to enter again, but I can't decide which one of my eligible jackets should be entered! I can only enter one and I have to decide and submit by October 1st!!!
Both are made with Hobby Horse fabric.
Which one would you pick? I think you can bigify the photos if you click on them.
As requested by the lovely in2paints, here are some details of my new jacket.
The base fabric is Hobby Horse's new Hobbyflex fabric. I used my winnings from the Elements Design contest to purchase new show pants and enough matching fabric for a jacket.
The fabric makes up pretty well. It's such a nice knit that I didn't even feel the need to serge the edges which cut down some construction time. It's got a decent weight to it but it didn't fee hot or heavy while wearing it. According to Hobby Horse it's soil resistant, has moisture management, takes heat well, and is machine washable. I agree with all of that but I did find that I had to be careful in finding the balance between a temperature that was warm enough to melt the glue on my adhesive appliques and crystals, but didn't scorch the fabric. This is a battle with any synthetic fabric, of course. There are a few little iron marks on the jacket but they're not that noticeable unless you're looking for them. I won't tell you where I burned a hole completely through the fabric while learning just how hot my new Clover Mini-Iron can get. Ooops.
Every project (of mine) has it's disasters, some minor, some major. Burning a hole through the jacket was major until I found the right combination of appliques to cover the whole without looking obvious. The other disaster was that I had to make the sleeves twice. I finished adding the apps to both sleeves and then went to cut more of the ultrasuede and realized I had used the wrong color of ultrasuede. I had a sand color that I'd used on the two previous year's jackets and that's what I had used on the sleeves. I then remembered I'd purchased a matching color of Bone ultrasuede that perfectly matched the hat - which shows the value of ordering swatches because I'd have NEVER guessed from the web photo that it would match.
After some swearing and pacing and deep sighs, I decided it was worth it to start over, so I tossed the sleeves aside and cut a new set. I didn't repeat the applique pattern on the second set and I actually liked both arrangements equally, though I was able to incorporate the ultrasuede in a more integrated way than the first version, so it was a happy accident! Plus I was able to toss the first sleeves into the washer to see how they'd fare. Surprisingly well! The ultrasuede released a bit at the edges but that's fixable and minor compared to the convenience of being able to wash a show jacket! I'm pretty confident that I can wash this inside-out on gentle and lay it flat to dry and have zero issues.... but I'll wait until it actually looks dirty! Dress Shields are my friend!
All of the appliques were cut on my Silhouette Cameo machine. Below is a video demo of the process that I made as a companion piece to a presentation I gave at a national theatre conference last spring.
The glitter colors are silver, gold, black-gold, and bronze. the supplier says they "cannot be layered" but it has been working for me just fine, even through washing so I'm not sure why they tell you not to... hopefully I never find out!
There's also some Silhouette brand "black glitter" but I'm NOT impressed with this stuff. It was hard to weed and hard to attach and is not nearly as cool looking as the glitter, but my supplier was backordered on the black glitter so I tried this stuff. If I do another black jacket (IF... ha!) I'll make sure to get the black glitter. It's such a cool tone-on-tone look.
For the double layered apps, I used my Silhouette software to create just the right size for the underlay and the overlay and then carefully lined them up and ironed them together as one. I didn't stitch the apps down, hopefully that doesn't bite me later. Back when I did in2paint's jacket, I stitched every one of them down because I didn't trust the ultrasuede OVER the glitter, but I think glitter on Ultrasuede is safer. Oh and I had to cut each of those apps by hand which is why I now have a machine to do it for me!
I used only Swarovski crystals on the jacket in several colors and sizes and finishes. I based the pattern off of Suitability's 5630 jacket.
I find it difficult to capture the shimmer of these crystals and glitter apps on still images so here's a quick video that helps a little.
In honor of my upcoming birthday... and a desire to move some merchandise, I just added a 20% off Coupon Code to MY ETSY STORE for purchases of show clothing! Good through my birthday June 15th!
I need help! I learned that this show is having circuit awards this year and I would certainly like to be in the running for that since I've done really well with getting High Point at the last several of these shows. This means I AM planning to show Western at this show so that I'm in the running for circuit.
Though I got a pretty good start on my new Showmanship jacket, I realize that in order to have it done for Sunday's show I would have to rush the process, and I don't want to be in that situation. I want it done right or not at all. Therefore I'm tabling both my new SMS jacket and my new Horsemanship shirt until after this show.
I am taking ALL of my finished shirts/jackets to the tack swap on Saturday. Fingers crossed that they all sell. I've had good luck there before. BUT this means that by Saturday evening I might be completely OUT of western show shirts/jackets. I would very much like to have this problem, but it leaves me with a dilema: what to wear?!?! I'm certainly not going out and buying something so I'm digging through my closet for appropriate options. I'm going to have to go with a more casual look, but it'll all be clean and starched so I'll be legal, just not fancy, which is probably okay at this open show. I've seen some turnouts there that would make you twitch.
I don't have time to model pictures of all of this so please use your imagination, I know you have one. Imagine this as a dressing-room musical movie montage...
Option 1: Starched Jeans and a White/Tan Western Shirt (not super fitted, but not too huge) with my new well-shaped straw hat, black boots, plain black belt with a pretty buckle. Black ultrasuede chaps added for the riding classes.
This outfit has the white/tan shirt and my straw hat.
Option 2: Same as above but with a Black shirt with tiny white circles. It does have a small section of ruching at the waist because it's a New York & Co dress shirt, but it's much more form fitting that the white/tan one. I could wear this with a black felt hat, my straw, or my "bone" felt. Here it is with the bone felt and a scarf with my black pants and chaps... missing the belt.
Sorry for the bathroom selfie...
Option 3: I have a light blue western shirt with black and white pattern on it that can be worn with my black hat. It'll be the most casual of the shirts.
I could also wear my black show pants under the chaps for the riding classes, or I could stay in the jeans. If I start in the jeans, should I stay in the jeans? I do not think I want to have a shirt tucked into black show pants for the showmanship, it just seems weird to me. There are too many options between the hat, the pants, and the shirt!
So thoughts? Comments? Cautionary tales?
I'm also trying to decide what to do with Junior's mane. I can get a braider, but I kinda feel like I should stick with a level of formality for the day. I'm going to wear all my normal English stuff so braiding seems the best option, or should I trim and band? Or leave it natural? It might be too casual if I just leave it... and I'm not roaching it again.
Junebug's current mane... and his Bestie Brofriend, Mystic.
And what about MY hair? It's at a super awkward length and I can't get it cut before Sunday. It's too short to put up in my hats. I've been experimenting with my hair down in a hairnet with my English Hunt cap but I am not satisfied with the results. Does anybody have advice on this matter?
It's made of Midnight Blue Hobby Horse PMS fabric and is covered in silver and fuchsia glitter appliques and multi-colored crystals. The edge of the collar and the "eyes" of the peacock feathers are hand painted.
I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving! I spent the morning feeding horses at the barn, then made a stuffed turkey and shared it with two of my girlfriends who are also far away from family.
Post in Progress::: We did a judging class thingy a week ago, I'll post on that when I get a hold of some photos. VERY enlightening experience for me! Stay tuned for more!
I've been increasing my inventory of show clothes for sale! I've yet to add them all to the For Sale page, but they'll get there. Feel free to inquire if something strikes your fancy!
Here are 2 new vests, 3 new shirts,2 used jackets, and 1 new jacket ready to sell. There's also a blank jacket there, it's in Hobby Horse's Midnight (a discontinued color so I don't have the pants to match), size Small-Medium and it is currently undecorated. If you want it, we can design it together, so claim it if you want it!
In between stitching, I've been organizing my studio. I live in a 2 BR apartment, so the spare bedroom needs to also be a guest room, therefore I'm somewhat limited in how much room I can dedicate to sewing. Someday when I have more room I will have an amazing studio, you just wait.
In the mean time, I'm working with what I have, including a folding banquet table propped up on bed risers. This table is my cutting table and painting table.
Above the table is my new pegboard I made from a fugly frame I found at a thrift store and some paint.
Ziplock bags on the right hold 3 more shirts ready to stitch.
I've been exploring some painting techniques using contact paper stencils, trying to decide what to do with the Midnight jacket!
Also a bit of research on pearl snaps for an upcoming project.
Remember that show jacket I mentioned? Well, it's finished, and it's a finalist in the 2012 Hobby Horse Elements Designer Contest!!!
You can visit Hobby Horse's Facebook page to view the other 5 finalists and to vote for us by "like"ing our photo! The winners are selected by Facebook votes and by Hobby Horse employees. Details on their page.
I'm very honored just to be a finalist, but it would be so cool if I were to win! CLICK HERE to vote before October 31st!
The jacket will soon be in the hands of Becca from R Lil Bit of Cash! Becca wanted a new showmanship jacket, and I wanted an excuse to enter Hobby Horse's Elements Designer Contest, so after a bit of collaboration on color and style and several versions of the design emailed back and forth, I created this jacket for her.
The Hobby Horse Elements we used were the Chocolate Pants Fabricand the Silver Shimmer Sheets. The entries needed to include but were not limited to the Elements. The fushia is ultrasuede and we used a few hundred genuine Swarovski crystals in 5 different colors and 3 sizes. Becca will be able to get the Chocolate pants from Hobby Horse and they will match perfectly. They're also having a sale right now on all of their Basics if you want your own! :)
I communicated the design ideas with Becca with (several) photoshop drawings.
The appliques were double-layered and each had to be ironed on and then stitched on.
I stitched the body seams together, then attached the appliques and most of the crystals. The final crystals didn't go on until the final seams were stitched, the zipper was in place, and the hems finished. It's much easier to maneuver the applique stitching and the crystal application when the garment is in pieces, but some of the crystals are placed too close to seams so they needed to be placed after the seams were finished.
Did you know that EACH crystal needs to be heated for 20-35 seconds?
I cannot wait to see photos from Becca and Lilly's first show in this jacket!!!
I am making a show jacket for one of our fellow bloggers. She can "out" herself in the comments if she chooses. There will be a whole post about it when it's finished, but here is just a teaser of how it's coming together...
For some unexplainable reason, this post has remained in draft form for almost 18 months. So here it is. No idea why I didn't post it!
I'm sure you have all been waiting for a progress report on that show shirt. If you couldn't tell from the peek at the crystals, I moved in a slightly different direction than I had been going with the diagonal designs. I moved on with the same combination of colors, still mostly black, but with color up towards the face. It will be symmetrical so that I can use the shirt for horsemanship, too. I also decided to be a little brave and try some Ultrasuede appliques. I had attempted this with the purple shirt and found it was a lot harder to double-layer them than I thought so they ended up as just simple straight V pieces on that one. Last year I discovered how easily they will cut and position themselves if you first use Steam-a-Seam Lite2. I was still not brave enough for anything but straight lines.
It wasn't until I started playing around with different brushes on photoshop that I started to really want a curlier applique and think it might be worth it to try again. I tried to use stencils and paint and that looked.... like total crap. I have been paying a lot of attention any time I get close to a high-end show outfit with appliques trying to see how they're done. So I got out the Ultrasuede, made stencils from the same photoshop brushes using a trusty laminator, and went to town. This is where I'm at:
I first tried a bunch of combinations on photoshop and then I cut a bunch of Ultrasuede pieces and played with them on the fabric, starting with the center front piece, which is in the photo. It's going to have a back zipper, rather than the front. I may regret this at a summer show when I miss being able to just unzip my jacket to catch a breeze, but it'll look cleaner. I don't know how many different combinations I went through before committing.
The crystals aren't attached yet. I'm having a slight technical difficulty and I may need to do some woodging (yes, that IS a technical term) to fix it... not sure how yet: the black fabric I'm using for the base doesn't seem to like the iron... which becomes a problem when you are IRONING FUSIBLE SH*T TO IT!!! Ooops. It's probably not going to affect the fit, only the fact that the brocade and the black are stitched together and the brocade is not shrinking with the black, hence the wrinkles in the photo. If I don't have the iron hot enough the appliques/crystals won't adhere. If the iron is too hot the fabric shrinks up badly. So I have to be very very careful, which will require me to have to use my little crystal setting tool instead of the whole iron so I have to apply the crystals one by one by one instead of in large iron-sized areas. That's going to be a day where I work in front of the TV.
Here's what I think it'll look like when I'm done, just slightly different appliques.
I don't know what it is about this time of year that makes me itch for show season. Even though I don't know if I'll be able to show this year, I'm still thinking about it. AND I got a new digital drawing pad from my BFF/SO and I need to practice with it!
And even though last spring I said about my outfit "I'm pretty happy with it. Hopefully I won't feel the need to make yet another outfit for next year!"I am considering making another one. I know, I just can't leave well-enough alone! In my greatest fantasy I'd have a completely different outfit for Showmanship, for Horsemanship, and for Western Pleasure, but that's just not practical for the type of shows I go to. There's not really time to change that many times! And I seriously don't need anything else to have to haul the shows!
I had been pondering the idea of designing a new showmanship outfit in a COLOR rather than the black that I've been wearing. I thought about using Hobby Horse's (now discontinued, but they still have some available) Green and adding tan(like the hat) and some sort of other accent color. The 2011 Color of the Year from Pantone was Honeysuckle and I LOVE the color. Maybe a little bright for an adult, but I really like it. I can imagine it with my current hat color and I think it would be pretty with Junior's roan coat. I could envision using the hat color and a darker pink like the gradation of the flower petals.
But after pondering the idea long enough I realized that not only will this create some expenses that I don't want to have, this will cause logistical problems for me at the shows. There is simply not enough time between my Western Showmanship class and my first Western riding class. If I changed colors, I'd have to go all the way to a bathroom or my tack stall to change the outfit, THEN put on the chaps and spurs and tack up the horse. Even with a Groom last year I was late to my first riding class - thankfully KAT was kind enough to tell them I was doing a tack change otherwise I would have missed the class! And with how terrible I am at memorizing 4 patters in a day, I need all the time I can get between the classes!!!
If I was only doing showmanship and not riding I might go ahead with a fun color since I wouldn't need to keep the black pants for the black chaps or need a new saddle blanket. I could keep the black and just make a new top with the Honeysuckle colors mixed in, then I'd have to still have another top for riding or get a new saddle blanket. I think that using the same top for both is worth the time it saves both in construction and in tack change time. I did that the previous year with the embroidered lace jacket and I found the additional changing stress this past year was awful.
So then I'm back to my existing outfit I made last year and figuring out how I can make it improve it visually and functionally. After wearing it a few times I'd like to make some modifications and I can do these with VERY minimal cost:
1. Remove the closed "invisible" zipper from the back and put in an invisible separating zipper. Currently I have to put the thing on over my head and squeeze my shoulders into the circumference of the hem which is rather difficult and time consuming. Having the jacket able to slip on and off more easily will allow me to take it off if it's really hot between classes or if I need to do a task that might get it dirty. Separating invisible zippers are not available locally, but I have finally found them on line so I might be able to have the best of both worlds! A new zipper is the ONLY expense on this project.
2. Shorten the Hem just a little so I can wear it for halter and riding. I gave it a removable crotch strap so it would stay smoothly tucked in for the riding classes. Not only was this rather uncomfortable (I'll spare you the details) but it added time to the change. If I shorten the hem I can use the jacket for both showmanship and riding, and only have to put on my chaps and spurs for the riding. I hate putting a horizontal line at my hips, but I think with the black-on-black it'll be okay.
3. Add more appliques down the center front to vertically lengthen the visual contrast. The inverted triangle will hopefully be flattering/slimming. The increase in the non/black color will also allow the hat to blend more. I can easily cut the new pieces from the extra ultrasuede/gold and apply them while the zipper is out. I'll add in some more crystals down the front, of course, to match the amount on the existing areas....maybe I should bling up my hat??? Kidding. Kidding. That will not happen.
4. Make pants? This vexes me. The fabric I bought for the jacket looks like the same black as my Hobby Horse pants in person and in photos, but on my videos it's a different shade and I don't know if it's noticeable in person since I can't see myself. I'm pretty sure I can get more of the jacket fabric, but there's still a chance that the dye lot will be different and I'd have the same problem so I don't know if it's worth the effort/cost of fabric.
So this is what I think it will look like:
I don't think it's super trendy, but I really don't like the trendytextured and crazy look. I like a little more retro/subtle I think. It might end up a little different when I actually go to lay out the new pieces on the jacket.
What do you think? Here's the way it is now for comparison - remember the jacket will be out over the chaps.
There are 476 gen-u-ine Swarovski Crystals in that pile. The colors are R to L on the loose ones: Jet, Dorado, Crystal Copper, and Light Colorado Topaz. You can also some fabric and copper paint.... I wonder what that could be for?
First, it seems from the comments that some readers want to reassure me that I don't have to go through all this work and that the clothes don't have to be that fancy for the level I show. To those people I first want to remind them that I show in Central Ohio where I show against folks who show at the QH Congress. I have noticed it's a bit swankier here. Then I also want to say, "Yes, you are absolutely right. BUT my day job is a Costume Designer for theatre. This is what I do. Every year I spend thousands and thousands of other people's money and spend countless hours sketching and selecting fabrics for outfits I will never get to wear. My job is to make other people feel fabulous and I really do love it, but this is the rare occasion I get to try to make myself feel fabulous."
That being said, I have been working on the Show outfit designs. I've considered lots of options and I am still considering several more. I need to make myself a deadline and go with it. In my professional life someone else makes the deadlines and I just follow them. Considering it's only 6.5 weeks until our first show of the season the deadline is... um...NOW. Or at least I should get the materials ordered. But y'all's comments were so helpful and inspiring that I haven't really come to a decision. I'd really like to find some show clothes that can last me a few seasons, but I've just not been completely satisfied with the past 2 year's outfits. I am happy with the color choices from last year even though it wasn't at all what I thought I wanted.
I admit I've considered going off-the-rack *GASP* I know, you're speechless, right? A few mouse clicks is SOOO much less work than fabric hunting and sewing...And I found two tunics from Hobby Horse that I kinda like, the Santana in Gold, and the Allegro in Copper:
They're simpler than what I'm planning but I like them. I like the Allegro better, but it's the more pricey one at $219. I could make something SOOO much more custom/detailed/impressive for around half that price, or I could make one that simple for less than a third of the price. Plus I really CANNOT be in the ring with someone else wearing the same outfit. Every single western outfit I've had (aside from the first vest I only made alterations to) has been custom. I can't go back now, not when I have the skills and technology to do this.
I've also considered utilizing the new DIY Janie Tunic from Hobby Horse. It's not up on their website yet but here is a screenshot of the digital catalog page:
Not a bad idea at all! Go HH! I've never bought a top from them but I have their pants and chaps and think the chaps are the bees knees. But I'm afraid I won't get as good of a fit that I can do on my own, and I'm not sure what the length is. I'm pretty short waisted so I'm hardest to fit in that area. It seems too short to be what I want for showmanship, but not the right material to tuck in for Horsemanship as it's made from their PMS pants fabric.
So I think I'll be making TWO tops instead of one. Argh. Twice the work!?!?! BUT twice the fun and I admit I get a kick when someone stops me at a show to tell me they like my outfit and I can say "Thank you, it's my own design." and then they say "REALLY!?!?! It's gorgeous!" So having TWO different ones makes me look even more talented. I know, I know, I should get over myself. But seriously, this is my JOB. People pay me for this service I should get to enjoy it for myself once in a while.
So for Showmanship, I think I'm going to do some version of the all black outfit but have enough of a lighter color in the stones or the lines to make it work with a tan hat. I can't help liking that one the best out of the myriad of attempts to bring in some more light color. In fact I was searching for "Showmanship" on google images and my eye was immediately drawn to a very cool black outfit... oh wait, that IS mine. HA! I'll do this in the longer length.
Then for the riding classes since I'm more of a Horsemanship rider than a Western Pleasure rider, I think I'm going to go with something like this:
I've missed the streamlined look of the black body that my purple thing had so I've brought that back. The lines will be Ultrasuede. I'd like them to be more interesting than straight lines but that stuff is actually a pain to cut out into fancy shapes and keep symmetrical. The fabric on top is a glittered stretch velvet in shades of gold and copper. It'll sparkle but not be gross.
I was watching some video of that show season and it masked a lot more of my movement than the stripes. The vertical stripes on the one from last year kinda woodge back and forth at the lope... ick.
So that's where we are today. Probably should make some decisions...
Not that I couldn't wear the other thing for one more year...
These comments are really wonderful to have! Thank you! A special Thanks to JenJ who pointed out a terrible mistake I was about to make: Tan surrounding my face. I have recently learned the hard way how dreadful I look whilst wearing a tan shirt. That's what happens when you order from the interwebz and don't try on the tan shirt before purchasing. You'd think I would have remembered this!
Also the tan starts looking a bit like that faux-nude skating outfit stuff that eventer79 snarked about....
I had made this sad realization already and I was shopping for latin dance clothes last winter and was somewhat crestfallen to find that western show clothes also look like men's latin dance shirts.... That one on the left is a current Hobby Horse item. Derp.
AND one of the versions I was working on last night had to be abandoned because it looked too much like a drum major uniform. I've already played that game... in was green/silver/black sequined.... ah, memories of a band geek... I think western show clothing has become much more of a "Costume" than clothing. And it is a SHOW afterall so I guess that's to be expected. I was watching the Masters Western Pleasure class at Congress once and I SWEAR this lady had mini lights in her jacket because she continuously sparkled like twinkle lights- it was rather tacky, actually.... or maybe not....
So I've come up with a few new versions that (hopefully look less like skating, ballroom and marching band) have some sparkle but not too much (no lights), and will allow me to keep the black hat but still get more brightness around my face. The white will act as a reflector under the black hat. No new hat, no new hat can. I've also included In2Paint's idea of blue but not I used it as an accent rather than the all over color. Still trying to work with what I've already got, you know. The same year I buy a brand new saddle is not the year to buy a colored SMS outfit that requires me to custom dye boots! And didn't you remember I already DID blue?!?! :)
This version is with silver metallic lines over black airbrushing which I am a little nervous about screwing up, but it will really help give dimension. Since white is so easily dirty I'll also add airbrushing around the cuffs since those will be dirty first. I can play around with exactly where the stones go but I like the idea of 3-4 different hues together and possibly some clear or AB crystals, too, since it's on white. I'll have to get earrings that match the accent color.
Then the version with the copper lines, the same airbrushing, 3 colors of Topaz stones and tiny black stones.
Another option would be make one short jacket to work with both.
This Shortened version doesn't really look all that different so maybe I only need to make one jacket. It still has the longer vertical line that the top one has because black on black will mask the place the jacket ends and the pants begin. Plus then I don't have to worry about where the belt buckle and the chaps buckle attempt to share the same space on my body, which I learned with the purple outfit. With the jacket from last year I wore stretch pants under the chaps and no belt since it was not seen and that was much more comfortable. The APHA rules don't seem to require a belt. Does anyone know about AQHA? I'm showing open, but it's nice to know which rules I'm breaking. :)
But is the asymmetry bad for horsemanship? Or is this symmetrical enough for the level I show at? Not too crazy for horsemanship but not too boring for SMS/WP?
Below is actually an earlier version of the design from yesterday. I had nixed it originally because I was trying not to have to purchase a new hat. But comments about making the design brighter around the face are very legit and since this trusty black thing has been in and out of the show pen for over 15 years now, only cost me $25 and has been through far too many shapings (from the 90's flat brim to the Arab Taco) it might be okay to retire it. MIGHT. The other hard part is actually matching the hat color to the shoulder fabric. Sort of has to be a perfect match in this situation. I don't want to spend much so I'm limited to the few in my budget. But what do you think about this one?
Or if it's too wierd with the two different colored sleeves:
I feel like I'm losing the simplicity from the all black one.
Another option would be going with a black/white/silver but then I'd either have to haul around 2 hats (which also means buying a new hat can - In2Paints I can hear you laughing!) or buy a new show blanket or use the boring black one.
There's only so much funding Junior is willing to throw at this, you know.
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!
We are moving to our new stable tomorrow morning so you can expect a post about that soon. I'm very excited. Of course I have mixed feelings about the good things I will miss about that barn, but those things are good for ME, not necessarily good for Junior. I know that if I give him better care we will both benefit, but I will miss the friends I've made and I will miss having KAT and shows so accessible. BUT Max and his family are at the new barn (and loving it), and there are other great people at the new place, too. But still, it's mixed.
So to tide you over, here are some more pictures from the show!
