Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I don't have any pictures to show.....yet! Gilly and I are going to ride out the old year and ride in the new again this year. The weather here is  about 43 degrees and slightly cloudy. I can every so often see a quarter moon peeking out of the clouds.
Pokey and Gilly are in the barn waiting and eating some hay, it's getting closer to time to go saddle up. Gilly got something in the mail today that he will be wearing. I don't know if he is excited or not, he's not saying! You can tell me what you think when you see the pictures, it's a fun thing!
Mike is taking pictures for me, hope they turn out good so I can share with all of you!
A New Year is fast approaching, time for looking forward not backward!
I'm ready, are you?
Blessings to All......
Jane

War Horse

On Christmas Day Mike and I went to see the movie War Horse. I had been waiting and waiting until this came out to see it. I was wonderful, yes, some sad parts in it but still I loved it. Did I cry? Yes, some I held it together pretty well.

Baby Joey

Albert making friends with young Joey

Joey excepts the work collar, love this picture reminds me of Gilly.

Joey and Albert racing a car.

Joey is sold by Albert's father and starts his journey as a war horse.

Joey in the trenches

I loved the movie and plan on seeing it again with my horsey girlfriends. Mike liked it too but for the war part, I am the horse nut so I loved it! The sweeping scenery of the English countryside is beautiful. I would highly recommend seeing this movie. When it comes out in DVD I will have it, I have already bookmarked it in Amazon to be notified when it is available for purchase. Yea! 

Finder's Key is the horse that portraits Joey in the movie, really smart well trained horse. I found two articles about him here and here.
Here is a really good review written by Nancy Rojo of Horses are my Passion . 

Have a Happy New Year! If the weather is not too cold here I plan on riding from 2011 to 2012 to bring in the new year! If I do I will have pictures, Mike said he will take pictures for me! Yea!

Jane

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
To all my Blogging Family!
Have the best ever Christmas!
Blessings to All!
Jane and the Boys

New fabric for pads

  Went to Neff's Country Loft in Belpre Thursday and .... oh my ... look what I found! I love, love, love old looking fabrics and these look like Civil War fabrics. Not sure just how I will incorporate these into saddle pads but I will.

The one below is a green shade, hard to describe but it is beautiful and the eagle border is on both sides so lots of possibilities here. 

Stars and strips below is really beautiful and the blue star with red stars surrounding is gorgeous. I want the blue star for the back corner, will have to do some piecing here. Kacy, are you seeing this one???

The four fabrics are Laurel Bush designs that are now discontinued and really hard to find. Love her work, so sad that she passed away in 07. An extremely gifted and talented woman.

 This is one of the bright horse designs I found not as eye catching as the bright horse heads, as below but in the bright colors. Everyone loves it so it's pretty much vanished. I did find some on eBay that someone is selling for $25.00 a yard!!! I won't be buying any of that!

These earthy tones are beautiful but not as bold as the brights. Of all her fabrics I have seen I have to say the bright dancing horse head fabric is my very favorite.

I like the bunched up herds of horses in the above one. Dappled horses or Appaloosas?

This last one reminds me of ponies playing. I have to stop collecting fabric and get busy sewing! But.....I have always been a fabric collector. When I was making quilts I really collected fabric and still have many, many yards of fabric waiting to be turned into something.

I know my taste in fabric is not everyone's taste and that's OK. If no one buys them Gilly will be the best dressed horse around, he doesn't complain about color or design, he just wants them to feel good on his back.

Only one more shopping day left......is everyone ready? I am! :-)

Jane

Scarlet dressage pad

Here is a new pad hot off the sewing machine! Deep scarlet, it may appear an orange red but isn't. The Dancing Horse head fabric in the corner is almost gone and I can't find any more, it is being discontinued, darn!
This pad measures in the spine 22 inches and the drop is 21 inches. I don't put the front billet strap on unless someone wants it on, I never use mine and know other who don't like them and will cut them off.
I love the color of this one, really bright and colorful. It's listed on Gilly Wear web site and is $79.00 if anyone is interested.
Jane

Two more new pads and a sale

I am having a one day sale on my Facebook page, Gilly Wear  (click to go) one day only tomorrow Dec. 14th $5.00 off all pads but you have to buy it from the facebook shopping cart, not my Gilly Wear web site.

 Here are a couple of new pads I just added. Love this fabric, Star Spangles Strips dressage pad, did some fun quilting on this one and I really like the colors here too....more purple!

This one I had so much fun doing, free motion machine quilting. This one is an all purpose pad, the fabric was called Terra, I call the pad Terra Firma but it kind of looks like fried eggs on drugs! LOL  I do love the colors and the shape, I may have to buy Gilly an all purpose saddle pad if this style doesn't sell so I can use them myself. heehee

Jane

More saddle pads....

 This is the latest saddle pad I finished the other day. (All purpose, spine 21" drop 17".) It was spoken for but so far the person who wanted is hasn't contacted me. It could be for sale if  I am not contacted soon. I love this fabric, so bright...usually I never go for fabric like this but wow! This fabric is also discontinued, so sad the designer died a few years ago and the company has decided to discontinue her fabric line.

 This dressage pad has a military look to it, (spine 22" drop 21") smokey blue and black stars. I thought about doing flap piping of red but at the last minute used this gold fabric. I like it!

 Now this one is a wenglish one for sure! Western looking dressage pad (spine 24 1/2" drop 23") I have added some buttons and beading to the end of the swallow tail. This one doesn't have the strapping to hook to the billets, I don't very often use them; thought I would leave it off unless requested to put them on.

 For the under pad I used cotton plaid flannel, nice and soft next to the horse.

 Close up of the beading and button. I also did a machine blanket stitch into the black binding, makes it look more western.

This is Gilly's wool pad I made him awhile back. I added some wool stars and hand stitched (blanket stitch) the purple stars on. I may add some bead work to it also. He needs a little bling on his stuff too!

It has been rainy here for days and days. Gilly loves the mud so no riding, I think he coats himself with mud on purpose just so he doesn't have to do any work. Clever horse isn't he? Weather is turning colder too, need to get some warmer riding pants so I can stand to be out for hours on end. Do they make those snuggy thingys for equestrians??? And just how would that work? Hum???
Jane

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day with family and friends, Happy Thanksgiving!
Enjoy the turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie! Relax and enjoy the day, blessings to all!! 
Jane and family

Indigo snowflake pad

Here is another pad I just finished sewing the beads on yesterday while I was sick. I added some lens flares on a few of the beads so you can see them. I used iridescent glass bugle beads. I LOVE this one, these beads really BLING in the sunshine.

This is posted on my web site to see more info. I may have to Photo Shop this one on Gilly to see how it would look on him. As you know he can't model them cause he is a dirt ball and would get them filthy!!! Can't have that!

Tomorrow I am making cranberry salad, YUM and sweet potato pies tomorrow for Turkey Day! Hum? Maybe I can sneak in some sewing time! ;-)

Have a great Thanksgiving!!
Jane

Gilly - Horse of the Week

Gilly made horse of the week on Carol's blog Horse Sense. Carol saw my post on Gilly Wear and wrote and ask me if she could use Gilly's story on Horse of the Week! I said, sure.....Gilly has a story to tell; there are pictures with the story if you don't know how I got Gilly go there to read his story (click on the link horse of the week to read it.

Yesterday and today it's rained and been very dreary here on the farm. Yesterday I started feeling not so good and today I really feel bad. I hope it goes away soon, I can't be sick for Turkey Day! I've got things to do, animals to care for....but today I have been on the couch, with the dogs keeping me company. They are so kind to me, always wanting to sleep on me to keep me warm....but I think they have ulterior motives, they want to sleep and keep themselves warm!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!!!  Blessings to all,
Jane

Western pad

 Here is my first western saddle pad, not for sale, I made this one for my neighbor Kim and her horse Messina. It also has wither relief in the front. Fabric is mottled blue with flecks of silver, I quilted it with silver metallic thread and a silver ribbon between the bias binding and pad. She sparkles! I will be making more western pads soon.

Here is my sewing room, yes, it's packed full of "stuff" and Kitty thinks she needs to come in and keep me company. Either that or she is hiding from the dogs! I had to re-arrange my work area a few days ago, the other lay out just wasn't working. This is much better, now I have access to both sides of the cutting table (where the blue pad is) the red table is behind the sewing machine so when I am quilting a pad it has someplace to rest. Before the pad would be over the edge of the sewing table and pulling toward the floor. The sewing table was facing the window before now I am sitting sideways to it, I like that I can still see out the window to keep an eye on the boys when they are down that way.

I thought maybe today, it's so sunny here, that I may get out to ride. Well, after I was outside for a bit I decided against it. It just looks nice outside, the wind is very sharp, biting and it's colder down in this hollow too, so I decided to stay inside. I'm not one for being cold. BRRRRR! Boy, I don't know if I'll make it through the winter! We don't even have snow yet.....where's my long underwear???

I am thinking that the dogs have the right idea. All four of them are on the couch and have wrapped themselves in a fuzzy blanket, napping. Hum, maybe I'll join them....
Jane

New Web Site

My web site is open, Gilly Wear is now up and running! Yea! My business card, that I have working on for some time. I am liking purple a lot this year so there is a lot of purple on it!

I don't know if you would call this pad a Christmas one or now but I liked the fabric, looks like holly leaves and berries to me. Winter, this would look good on a white or grey horse.                                                         

 This pad, Cream and Claret, I just finished on Friday, I am really liking it a lot! Got the fabric I got from a shop beside my husbands office. Decorating Connections is a fabric what does window treatments and such, I stopped in to have a look. The pad is made of some of the fabric, drapery, that I found there. Poly batting is sandwiched between it and white wool on the back.

 Back of the pad showing the free motion machine quilting. That is so much fun to do, makes the design on he front just POP!

Close up of the claret fabric. This fabric has a black thread running through it so when it moves it changes colors, these pictures don't do the fabric justice at all. There is a small strip of a gold/green separating the claret and the cream fabrics.

More to come, I'm just gettin' started!
Jane

Beautiful November Ride

 Wednesday Gilly and I went for a ride, 2 hours, we visited the neighbor, rode down the road to the next township. I didn't go too far as old Lucy was with us. At 12 she still wants to go with us but can't last as long as she used to, so we go slow and don't go far. These pictures are when we were on our way back home.
Gilly checking out his shadow.

Gilly and me in shadow, I wish the weather would just stay like it was then. So beautiful, just cool enough for a light jacket and air so clear and the sky so blue! My favorite time of year.

Looking across our hay field to the back hay field and the shed beyond. Gil and I ride back there a lot, crossing creeks and riding in the creek. Gilly is not to keen on walking in the creeks but he is learning.

This picture should have been above but now I can't move it; anyway this is an old road that Gil and I ride on. A very steep rocky old township road that no one takes care of but it's still an open road. With all the rain we have had of late I haven't ridden up there, pretty muddy and slick.
Yesterday was a beautiful day but I didn't get to ride went to Stanleyville Stables to their open house, wish I had taken Gilly over just to ride around and enjoy the weather!
Today is another gorgeous day but we are going to do some work in the house I think, boo, I would rather be riding!
I love fall!!!

Jane

Gilly's wool saddle pad

 I made Gilly a wool saddle pad with wool I used to hook rugs. Since I am not hooking now I thought I would put it to good use. Wool is a natural fiber and so good at wicking water away and cooling, I thought why not?

I used three layers of wool on each side of the pad and the yellow line is where I put a another layer of wool for more support where the saddle will sit. This design was used from my ThinLine pad. Pad feels all soft and cushy and I used it on Gilly for the first time this afternoon. (same pad color looks darker in house)

I almost forgot to take the picture of the pad on Gilly after my ride. I had removed the girth and was about to remove the saddle when I remember, take a picture!
I have ordered a sheepskin rug so I can make Gilly a fleece girth cover, I didn't like the ones I found on line so I thought I would make one myself....yea, I'm like that.
I haven't been able to ride for about a week, going to chiropractor but am on the mend so I rode today, between rain showers. Gilly was good, we had fun. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice, no rain! So I want to get another ride in and then hit the sewing room and get busy on some more saddle pads.

Halloween

This is from a card I made a few years ago so I thought I would post it again. 

Have a spooky good Halloween!!!!

The Fabric

Here is the fabric I bought yesterday at The Quilted Work  click on the link to see the beautiful shop and the gardens full of gorgeous day lilies....lots to see, check it out. The shop is only 10 miles from home and it's close to the stable where I take Gilly sometimes to ride in the indoor arena. I am also going to work there one or two days a week, fun!

Oh, boy! The fabric above is one of my favorites for sure! This will be good for western or English, pretty! Some of the fabrics I bought as yardage for a full pad and some 1/2 yard cuts for corner trims and such, it will speak to me with time to start sewing it.

 This beautiful indigo blue with snowflakes is pretty neat too, it's also a favorite.

 Not sure what I will do with this one but it caught my eye so......I had to buy it.

Two of these have strips that can be cut and used as decorative pieces, the black with the copper and silver outlined leaves is interesting and the copper metallic is another neat one.

Love the turquoise and black one is interesting, that one looks western wear type to me but I don't know yet.

Ahh, horses running in the snow this one may end up as a band on the front of a hoodie sweatshirt. Yes, I know we will be having that snowy look all too soon! Ugh!

WOW!!! Flames, I see this one on a black background and I have an idea that in-tales some decorative glitzy metallic thread, yes, I do machine embroidery too. So many ideas my head is going to burst! Maybe if I make a pad like this for Gil it will light a fire under him to move faster, think? I don't! LOL
I started another pad this evening, will finish it tomorrow and start another one.

I have lots and lots of fabric from when I quilted years ago but one can never have too much fabric! ;-)
Jane