Riding jacket and skirt

I have just finished making a riding jacket and skirt. The jacket has pretty feminine puffed gathered sleeves. They do not show up too well in the angle of the photo. My mind was not at all on these pictures being taken when they were and the background is poor as well. Maybe I can get some better pictures later. The coat has the splits in the back for properly hanging in the saddle. I thought of using a wool gabardine, but wanted something washable since the caot will not only be worn riding, but used as a dress coat as well. I made it from a "linen look" cloth, a rayon/polyester mix. I like how it looks like linen and yet does not wrinkle hardly at all. It is very easy care and wear.

The skirt was made from some cotton broadcloth which was on sale and I am paying for it by having to iron it after each wearing. It wrinkles terribly. So much 1800's time period sewing has nearly made me adverse to using synthetic cloth, but the cotton wrinkles so, that I may make the skirt out of a rayon next time. It is a complete circle skirt, full enough for cross-saddle riding and nice enough for side-saddle riding. Kayla C. is always making circle skirts and I used her instructions for making this one. Some of her skirts are pictured on her blog. Here: http://custerfamilyfarm.com/blog1/index.php?blog=3&title=my_new_skirt&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#trackbacks

and here:http://custerfamilyfarm.com/blog1/index.php?blog=3&title=lots_of_pictures&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#trackbacks

Ruffled western skirt

Recently, I made a western skirt from some very light weight denim. After cutting the yoke and basting the skirt on, I did not like how deep or pointed the yoke came. I took the skirt off and cut the yoke higher and with less of a curve. This altered the hem-line of the skirt a bit making it un-even, but all the ruffles on the bottom helps to hide this defect. The belt loops also come to the traditional western yoke shaped points.

Western dress and vest

About ten years ago I received a western catalog with a nice burgundy dress and western vest; I wanted to make something similar. I purchased some burgundy cloth and found some drapery/upholstery cloth with the right pattern for the vest, and never made it until just a couple of weeks ago.

The upholstery cloth had a suitable texture in the pattern design part, but the green on each side had a texture like carpet. I cut it off and sewed black cloth on each side and cut my vest fronts from this. The back of the vest is solid black.

The catalog picture was a two piece dress with the blouse having hidden buttons except for the top one which was silver, as most western buttons are. I used a hidden button blouse pattern and used matching silver buttons on the vest and the top blouse button.

To make it look western, it really needs black cowgirl boots, but I haven’t any black ones and my cream ones do not match. I am thus obliged to wear my burgundy/wine lace up boots. These, along with my re-enacting hat, gives the clothing more of a Victorian western look than a modern western look. I plan to make a matching western purse out of some of the vest upholstery cloth. Lord willing, when this is done, I will post pictures.

Cedar board and spurs bookends

A few years ago I saw some bookends with spurs in a western catolog and decided to make some. I purchased the spurs and cut the wood, but have never put them together. My friend Kayla who likes western stuff as well, had a birthday in March and I thought I would make her a set - even though I still have not made mine. I bought some shiny silver spurs and sanded some cedar wood. My dad helped me cut the pieces and screw them together.

Kayla makes hand-braided whips, bolos, and key-chains.

Cowboy boots baby quilt

One of my friends who is expecting a baby boy had told me cowboy boots were too expensive for how quickly a baby would outgrow them. I thought baby Colton should have a pair of cowboy boots - even if he couldn’t wear them. I machine stitched this little baby quilt and tie-quilted it. The boots were hand embroidered with a simple out line stitch. The drawing was from a coloring book. There is a rod cover slip sewed onto the back so it can be used for a wall hanging when the baby grows to big for it.

Horse silhouette

At a re-enactment in November, I burned this horse silhouette with iron poker pieces heated in the fire.

This blog has not been abandoned. Even if post are few and far between. Several years ago, I made matching western shirts for my brother and me out of this cloth. It has the traditional western yoke in the front and back though they do not show up much since I matched the stripes instead of placing them diagonal as some shirts are done. My brother’s shirt also has front pockets with the western cut flaps with the stripes matched as well. We do have one picture of us wearing these shirts together, but it was taken before I had a digital camera, so I cannot post it on here.