Making a horse (any size possible)

Have just finished making this MSD size horse and all the accessories. Planning on a photoshoot outside with a doll in the morning.
Now it's 2:40 am and let this single photo be yet. Also, I will be ready to share my patterns and answer any question if anyone's interested.
It's not the first horse I made this way, but all the previous ones were smaller.

My horses have aluminum skeletons inside and are capable of any poses you want.

I would be happy to listen about some other experiences about horse making (and all horse stuff related) here.

I'm going to continue with better photos with a doll and poses demonstration in about 12 hours but now can't wait to share this picture

 

Hello! I'm so pleased you are interested.

All the horse is made of fleece.
Hooves are also strenghtened with some firm glued fabric I found in a sewing store.
I iron fleece before sewing to make it look more smooth and realistic. You can remove these grey hooves and wash them. Inside it's black.
Each leg contains 6 firm wires firmly put close together, so this horse has no problem having an MSD doll on its back.

There will be photos with a doll and also in different poses a bit later. But now I'm going to sleep for a couple of hours : )

 

With Resinsoul Tang (he is 45 cm height)
Here are 3 photos outside. 2 with the doll on the horse's back and one beside.
And 8 pictures of different poses at home - proceed to my google drive to see
Poses - Google Drive
Actually, poses are unlimited here - it's all up to your imagination.
Every part of the horse can be bent the way you want

 

The thing is that I can work only with fabric yet and know nothing about epoxy.
Thanks a lot.
I have no idea how to find and approach other materials.
Maybe someday.
But now I think I can make of fabric pretty much almost everything.
But yeah, I guess it will be inevitable to try different things for best results possible. And to buy a good camera. And to master photography.

I'm going to share patterns tomorrow if anyone's interested.
During the work, they looked like that.
But I know I should make some better digital version for you.
I hope my PC will turn on tomorrow, haha.

 

So glad you are all interested. Hope I will help you. Hope I will be able to. I'll try.

Here are my patterns. Patterns - Google Drive
Now without size, but if you really need, I will add this information. It's going to take time, but I will.
These are drawn on square grid paper (one square is 0,5cm) But I can just add size info to patterns.
This black horse is for MSD. But I'm going to create one for SD.
Also, I'm thinking about possibility of dapple grey colour. Not going to be easy, but maybe this SD horse will be dapple grey.

As to wires, I've never experienced them breaking. They are 6 in one leg for MSD after all. They are going to be 8 for SD, I guess.
But if the skeleton was broken, I would just replace it and refill the horse. Not going to take much time.
I never had to though.

I hate praising my creations, but I think they are better than Battat and so on.
My horses look more realistic in comparison. They are also thin and elegant.
Of course, you can modify the patterns and make the legs and other parts thicker if you want.
You can also add socks and any other white points easily.
This model is a light Russian saddlebred, I guess.

"I have one of them! But it's a little small for SD sized dolls--looks like a pony next to my 63cm girl!"

My girl, for who I will be making the next my horse, is 58cm. But I will make the horse slightly larger so it will be ok for both mine and yours.

This horse is going to be quite large, and I'm run out of wire now. Tomorrow I will visit some store and will see the variety. I guess I will have to choose something not exactly what I had before, I guess. We'll see.
Also, I have to make sure I have enough fleece for such a big horse.

So, tomorrow I will rescale my patterns for SD and add measurement information to them for you to use them comfortably.
I guess tomorrow evening or the day after tomorrow you will have this information.
Also, I'm going to change the saddle patterns.
Thanks a lot for your attention

 

@Ruyilala About cables.
Have just come back from the store where I found the cable I used before and some more.
The right (thinner one) - the one I used before (for the black horse as well).
The left one (thicker one) - the one I bought for my next SD format horse.

Each leg should contain at least 3 cables(6 wires).



At the store with prices and sizes



All the variety of the store.
For concerned, I recommend the copper one. It is very substantial though more expensive and also more difficult to bend and cut (especially cut - at least for me). I tried it but then realized that aluminum is enough



I never experienced breaking but if it happens, you will just replace it and refill the horse


Now I'm going to resize and slightly change my patterns for SD size.
I think I will share with you all the details of the process of making my new SD size dapple grey horse (fingers crossed - I never made dapple grey before)

 

Finally, I made it.
Have changed something actually. Decided to cut the front leg together with a shoulder.
And some other slight changes. If you want, you can use this or rescale the previous MSD one.
I'm such an ancient person. Was going to make a digital pattern of the photo with GIMP but failed.
So just printed the photo of the patterns on the table in A4 format and drew all the measurements there.
Click to see the large picture
All the measurements are in centimeters.
You can see that some edges are longer. It's made on purpose (for shaping - otherwise the horse would be just a barrel on legs).
Fleece is quite stretchy - so just put the shorter edge upon the longer one and pull the shorter when sewing.
http://pic.fullrest.ru/hZg3A66X.jpg


Tomorrow I will cut my SD format dapple grey. I'm not sure if the colour will work out. Going to be much more challenging.
I will glue "apples" after the horse is ready.
I will post all the stages of the horse making process

 

@kurogane

I buy these eyes at the local store.
They are made of plastic and cost just 16 rubles (about 0.2 USD) for one pair : )
Here you can see the eyes


Yeah, I hope that planned dapple grey will look quite natural. I need more fleece for it.
I'm going to the neighboring town for fleece tomorrow (though today already). I need some grey. Hope it won't be too dark

 

Meanwhile, the dapple grey experiment has started. Of course, mono-color horses look much more natural and are easy to make. You can add white socks and other white spots to monocolour. Paint horses look ok here too.

But I wanted to try dapple grey badly.
So here we are
These eyes, which you can see in the eye sockets, have not been glued there yet. It should be done after attaching the sides to the middle part. Otherwise, it can be difficult or impossible to sew with a machine.

P. S.: I highly recommend you to go for black or bay horses in this technique. With socks and white spots on heads if you want. Black and bay are the most realistic in this technique

 

And now look at how the mane on the head is being done. The rest of the mane will be done in some easier way (I'll show you when the time will have come).

By the way, after I'd attached the sides to the middle part first, I realized that the head was going to turn out to be too wide so I decided to shrink it by applying new seams 5mm to the center from the old ones.
As to the MSD one, I didn't do that.
Looks like I have to slightly change the SD horse head pattern.

 

@Ipledreamer
I feel honored. I admire your work.
Thank you a lot for advice.

Yeah, I admit that acrylic paint is much better than gluing circles of white to a grey horse XDDD.
But I never tried it. I have to someday, I guess. And yeah, I admit that horses have rectangular pupils. But I have only these people-like eyes. But if I find something better, I will use it, of course.

Now my dapple grey is in the process which has stopped due to the lack of filling material. I'll go to the shop tomorrow in hope that they have got some more for now.

This horse needs at least 3 meters of padding polyester. Here you can see some wrinkles and lack of filling in the body. Tomorrow I'll try to get some more.

Also, I'm going to slightly change the SD size horse pattern. Especially the head. I changed some things while sewing.
So, don't use it yet, please. As to the MSD size pattern, it is ok.

After finishing the horse, I will share the stages of the process. I want to do it when the horse is finished and looks great.

"Apples" will be attached after the horse is fully filled because of possible deformation. Fleece is stretchy.

There will be also some head contouring

 

@tinyseams
Here you can see the skeleton next to the hide. It's actually a very simple construction.
Maybe you will improve it and share with me your ideas



@Ipledreamer
As to fur, I'm not sure if it'll work out well in this case. I tried different materials, but nothing was as good as fleece. But maybe your fur is stretchy and soft and can bare some tension.
Maybe it'll be better than fleece.
But I can't guarantee. If I had some expensive fur, I would not take such a risk.
I think fleece is optimal. Being well ironed, it gets a perfect hairy-glossy horsecoat-like texture.
Compare fleece before and after ironing. I iron at the max temperature but without steam

 

Thank you for the great idea!
Oh, I got my little finger injured.
It's not able to bend. I hope I will not be like that forever : (
I'm going to the UK on Saturday.
I hope this accifent will not ruin my plans. Now in a local hospital, waiting in a queue : (((

And I hope to finish this horse

 

Thank you very much, girls!
Thanks a lot for the link, @tinyseams!

I'm flying to the UK tomorrow and will continue my work on the horse on 25th August, I guess. But it's almost finished. Maybe I will manage to have applied all the "apples" by the end of the day. I've just completely filled the horse. You should fill it until it stiff, and you have to feel some great tension while sewing the edges of the hole which you leave to fill the horse.

Here's the horse with my SD girl on its back. For now, without apples. They are standing on my double bed here. So you can imagine the size.

As to my finger, I've cut a bending tendon. I will apply for surgery after I'm back from the UK. Now the surgery is impossible due to the wound

 

Of course, I will, @Victoria Victrix.
Proper bondage should be worn and changed every day.
Thank you : 3

A bit more of the horse. Without apples yet




Some head contouring. I'm sure the seams will be almost no seen on a black horse.
Only the shape will be seen.
Black is the best option for this horsemaking technique
Head contouring - Google Drive

 

Seems like I will continue "dapplening" my horse after I'm back from the UK.
Was busy preparing for the flight.
No, I will not be giving any piano concerts there, just studying and passing IELTS : )

@Ipledreamer
I fixed my SD size horse pattern. Here it is. I changed it a bit when sewing.
My girl is 58cm height. I guess your guy is bigger, so it's better to make a slightly larger horse, maybe.

I'm looking forward to seeing your new creations.
As to myself, I'll be back to horsemaking after 20th August

Here's the fixed pattern. Without seam allowance! You should add a bit when cutting.
I'm also replacing the version in the old post.


Full-size picture: http://pic.fullrest.ru/hZg3A66X.jpg

Mind that this curve of the horse's behind is possible only because of the difference between the length of the body and behind edges above. Also because of fleece stretchiness and tough stuffing.
A lot depends on the material you choose.



If you are going to make your own horse this way, feel free to ask any questions.
I will be checking DoA when in the UK so will answer.
I would be also happy to see improved versions.

Maybe for a baroque horse, it makes sense to make body larger and slightly longer and legs shorter.
Also, it makes sense to make a thicker neck.
But for my dolls, I prefer warmblood saddlebreds.
As to horse height, I think the height of the horse's behind pattern (in fabric it will be slightly less than in pattern because it will curve to the back, so your doll's head highest point will be around withers of a finished horse) should be the same as your doll's height for optimal results. For a baroque horse, it can be lower, I guess. But I dare to say it's not necessary. Cause bjds' legs are often longer than peoples' (I dare to guess), so your guy might possibly look not best natural.

Also, make a head firstly. Then try to stuff it and see if it's thin enough or too wide. Change if necessary before attaching to the body. By the way, it's not necessary to stuff head and heck as hard as the body, chest and behind. Look at the shape and decide when to stop. I
If you are going to apply head contouring, it's ok for the head to be slightly wider than you want. After contouring, it will become thinner

 

Interesting. For now, I just place the shaping stitches right through the coat. Looking forward to your improvement on a real horse. I hope you will share with me the algorithm too

 

Finally, my horse is fully covered with "apples". Sorry for the gap. Now I'm in Russia and full of dollie ideas again. My school teaching starts in a week, and I will be able to work on my dolls only on weekends perhaps, but anyway.
I will 100% manage to finish this horse project by that time.

Sorry for my walls, but to have this room renovated, I have to move my stuff somewhere and stop my work which is impossible for me XD. At least now

Spoiler: More pictures

 

Thank you for the advice. And yeah, it's a bit too regular. Especially it was at the beginning (the neck and chest).
But to be honest, I'm a bit afraid of paint job myself. Never tried that.
Kind of scared to make it worse.
I guess I will never try dapple grey anymore, haha

 

Thank you so much!
Also thanks one more time for tips with paint and felting.

A new academic year is coming!
So, now I have a lot of work with curriculum and also sewing some costume for competition among schools, but I hope to find some time for all the riding equipment for the horse and my SD girl rider this weekend.

Wish you best of luck with your horse plans, kurogane!

Glad to see you, tinyseams!
Haven't received any notifications about your new content. Perhaps, I should check myself.

 

Oh, it's been a while... Since then, I got 2 more dolls - Resinsoul Ni and Faina by "Anthrogon" Zlata's fantasy dolls.

Also, my horsemaking and sewing have gotten better. Here's Faina with her steed. All the clothes and accessories were made by me.
Now planning more horses with improved heads and tails. Coming soon.

 

Thank you! Would love to see pictures of your horses in this convo or anywhere else.

Tomorrow I'm going to make patterns for improved horses. Also, I got a great deal - 2 kg of goat hide pieces for about 20 USD, so my new horses are going to have goat hair manes and tails.

And now some pictures of Faina on the black horse made by me earlier. Taken by my husband. You can also see my poor frozen hands, haha.

 

Due to technical difficulties, I'm not likely to continue posting here. I share my craft on VK only now (Russian "Facebook").

But jj3_dolls may continue developing my ideas here how she sees fit. I don't mind her using any materials by me and improving on them.