Repair shop

The only good thing about my recent, crippling allergies is that I've been spending a lot of time catching up in the studio. 

I've shipped several small orders in the last week, most of which weren't photographed before leaving my possession. I feel vaguely bad about that, so I was sure to snap a couple quick pictures of Anne's saddles before I boxed them up today. 

Neither of these saddles is new. The one on the right only needed new stirrup leathers, but the other one required some fairly extensive repairs. I wish I had taken a "before" photo, as it was looking pretty ragged. Now, however, it looks brand new.

Because Anne is awesome, I also included a little something extra in the box.

Enjoy the saddles and Coronu, Anne, and please remember that I think you're awesome. After all, I have three performance shows to prepare for, and I'm pretty sure I'll be needing at least one last minute doll!

Almost forgot!

I finished two of the three tooled collaboration saddles last week.

Like me, Tiffany was unable to attend BreyerFest this year. Because of this, I felt it was important to get her saddle to her before the end of BreyerFest week.

The second saddle is staying here with me, and Erin's saddle is on hold with a pattern issue.  

It feels good getting some of these old projects off my plate. On to the next!

Little buddy

Like probably every tack maker in the history of model horse tack making, I have a reference file filled with pictures of things I'd like to make someday. Sometimes when I get stuck, I flip though that file, hoping for inspiration. That's what I was doing yesterday when my eyes landed on this Little Buddy saddle.

"That looks fun," I thought. "I bet I can make it in five minutes." 

It turns out I was half right. This was, in fact, a really fun project.

However, it took more than five minutes. Truth be told, it took more than five hours. I didn't mind, though. This was the most enjoyable studio time I've had in recent memory.

Eventually, I'll need a little kid to ride in the buddy saddle, but for now, it belongs to Mieka.

On to the next project!

The week in tack

Despite, or perhaps because of, all the other things going on in my life, this has been a surprisingly productive studio week. I've all but finished two of the tooled collaboration saddles.

A lot of people have inquired about these. I appreciate the interest, but I don't expect either of this will ever go up for sale.

The dark one is mine, the light one is Tiffany's and the one that still needs to be assembled belongs to Erin. 

I also completed two shiny Western Pleasure bridles. 

Like the saddles, one of these will stay here.

The other is my entry for this year's MEPSA Tack Making Contest.

But that's enough showing off... There's still a lot of unfinished projects on my desk. It's time to get back to work!

Tooled English saddles, part two

Four years ago, Erin Corbett and I teamed up to make a tooled huntseat saddle.

The plan was to make three more in rapid succession, but life got in the way.

Erin didn't deliver the next batch of saddle pieces until last year's BreyerFest. They've been sitting untouched in an plastic bag in my studio ever since, but today I needed a project. I dug them out and cut them up.

Five and a half hours later the pieces are prepped and Edge Koted, and the knee pads have been installed. 

I have another project lined up for tomorrow, so the pieces are back in their baggie. I don't know how long it will be before I pull them out again, but I'm feeling reasonably confident they'll be finished before the end of summer. It's been a long wait, but hopefully these saddles will be worth it.

Full dog saddle circle

The only thing more frustrating than making stablemate tack is photographing it.

I tried really hard to take good pictures of Leah's saddle, but eventually things got silly.

The tiny saddle didn't fit any of my ponies...

so I decided to try it on a dog. 

This reminded me of an edited picture of Darcy that appeared on my blog back when she was just a pup. I decided to find that picture again, and in doing so I discovered this amazing fact: the person who edited the photo was none other than Leah Koerper!

Some things are meant to happen, including tiny saddles on jumping dogs. Isn't life awesome?

Secret saddle

Almost two years ago, I attended BreyerWest in Albany, Oregon. Leah Koerper picked me up at the airport and delivered me to Albany, where we split a hotel room. Throughout the weekend, she made sure I got to where I needed to go, saved the day when I was not quite prepared for my halter making workshop and offered to handle the sale of my volunteer models after the event was over. I hadn't met Leah prior to BreyerWest, but in just a few short days, I decided she was one of the most awesome people I'd ever met.

During the course of BreyerWest, Leah told me that one of her hobby goals was to own a Braymere stablemate scale saddle. I laughed and told her that one of my hobby goals was to own a Leah Koeper stick horse.

The stick-stangs arrived in October. 

I can not tell you how many times I have sat down to make Leah a saddle since then, but Stablemate is not my scale. Every single time I'd look at all those dinky pattern pieces and give up before I even started.

About a month ago, I signed up for a small holiday gift exchange. Leah was a member of the group, so I begged the coordinator to let me have her as a giftee. 

"It's the only way," I said, "that I'll ever make this saddle."

It worked.

This is Leah's saddle. 

It's not quite Anna Helt level... 

but I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Leah's saddle arrived in Oregon yesterday.

I think she's also pleased with how it turned out!

#blameCurtis

Last Christmas, Curtis Sayers sent me a CollectA warmblood with an exquisite, handmade snaffle bridle.

This was a gift, but also, I suspect, a bribe. Curtis has been trying to convince me to make a small scale saddle for a long time. I think he hoped that having a horse and bridle on hand would nudge me in that direction.

He was right.

This saddle didn't come easy. I struggled with the pattern and had to re-cut the flaps three separate times before I got it right.

Now that it's done, however, I really like it.  

There's only one problem... It's a little too big for Curtis' warmblood!

I guess he'll have to wait a little longer to get his BCS saddle. I'm sure someone at Breyerfest will be happy to buy this one!

Sideways

I'm pretty much out of the commissions business, especially the last minute, week-before-Breyerfest commission business.

And yet, sometimes I can be persuaded....

This brand new double bridle is a perfect match... 

for this five year old BCS sidesaddle.

Durability is important to me, and this saddle has held up pretty well. Some of its edges are fuzzy...

and it had a broken billet. 

Now both problems have been addressed. 

Almost as good as new! 

Good luck in Kentucky, Fabian!