Giddy-Up!

With two active little boys in the house, it’s not uncommon for one to feel that they are smack in the middle of a stampede of wild horses. Chi-Chi and Muffy are definitely a rambunctious duo and they keep me on my feet most of the day. Of course, I’ll admit I sometimes encourage this type of behaviour. My latest creations, Ranger and Silver, are definitely promoting a bit of “horse play” around here.

As a child, I was a devoted, passionate horse lover. I spent my summers at horse camp, dreaming of the day I’d have a pony to call my own. This dream never did become a reality (yet), though I do clearly remember the hand-made hobbyhorse my mother lovingly crafted for us as children. My childhood reminiscing provided the inspiration to try my hand at creating this traditional favorite for my wee ones.

I’ve become rather addicted to creating beautiful, natural, open-ended toys for my children. It’s a win-win situation for everyone. It’s incredibly rewarding from my perspective and they reap the benefits of some very cool toys! I’m simply fascinated by the magic that unfolds when my little ones are presented with my hand-made creations. I adore witnessing their imaginations take flight as they formulate an innocent, unbiased interpretation of the object. Chi-Chi immediately started showering Ranger with kisses and feeding him oats. Muffy, on the other hand, approached things in a more original and unique manner. He promptly turned Silver upside down and started mopping my floors. I can’t complain about his innate desire to clean house!

I drew on a couple of sources to create these two sweet ponies. I purchased a pattern on Etsy from Babymoon Boutique. I also followed this tutorial for a number of the techniques I used. These ponies were created from 100% wool fabric and were stuffed with raw wool fleece. I drew on my rapidly expanding wool stash to create their long, flowing manes. My dear husband picked up a couple of broomsticks from the local hardware store for me and sawed them off to the appropriate height. This was a weekend project that took surprisingly very little time.

Hi, Ho Silver…..Away!!