Patchwork Toys

Horse Pull Toy

18" high

Equipment:

Sewing machine needles, size 16

Fine, curved upholsterer's needle

Beeswax

Leather needle

Tailor's chalk

Flexible ruler

Clip-type clothespins

Tape

Handsaw or jigsaw

Fine sandpaper

Tack cloth

Drill with 3/32" and 1/4" bits

Rags

Newspapers

Screwdriver

Hammer

Materials:

Wool coating fabrics 60" wide: 1/4 yard dark green; 3/8 yard dark red; scrap of dark old gold

Matching sewing threads

Black button-and-carpet thread

Fiberfill. Dowel 7/8" in diameter, 36" length

Clear pine 5/8" x 5 3/4" X 21"

Dark wood stain, such as walnut

Eight 1/8" wood screws: four 7/8" long and four 1 1/2" long

Four 5/16" metal washers

Four six-spoke metal wheels 2 1/2" in diameter

Four 5/16' x 1 1/4" nails. jute twine

Rawhide shoelace, 6 feet

Two 1/2"- diameter brass wire rings

Directions:

Prepare patterns.

Cut body sections apart along inner lines, leaving darts.

From green wool; cut two each of underbody, front leg, back leg, and head.

From red wool, cut two bodies; from old gold wool, cut eight hooves and two noses.

Stitch noses to heads; stitch heads to bodies from A to B. Stitch front legs to bodies from C to D, back legs to bodies from E to F.

Stitch darts in underbodies; stitch underbody pieces together along center edges, leaving open between notches.

Stitch underbody to bodies from G to B, leaving bottom of legs open.

Stitch top of bodies together from B to G. Turn horse right side out.

Stuff head and body firmly, stopping at legs.

Cut dowel into four 9" pieces.

Cover each piece with a layer of fiberfill and insert into a leg opening, leaving about 1" extending; add stuffing at top of legs if necessary.

Stitch hoof pieces together in pairs along short edges.

Press raw edges 1/4" to wrong side; baste in place.

Turn hooves right side out.

Pull hooves over extending dowels, placing seams at front and back and having lower edges even with dowel ends.

Tuck raw edge of leg fabric under hoof and slip-stitch hoof to leg.

Turn in raw edges of underbody opening; whipstitch edges together with doubled, waxed thread and upholsterer's needle.

Use tailor's chalk and flexible ruler to mark vertical quilting lines on red portion of body: * Mark line 1/2" from back edge, next line 1/4" from previous line, the next line 1/2" away; repeat from * across section.

Thread needle with one strand button-and-carpet thread; work a row of running stitches along each chalk line, catching a little fiberfill as you stitch and pulling stitches taut to create a textured surface.

Remove chalk markings.

Mane:

Cut 30 strands of twine 12" long; bunch together with ends even.

Tie strands together tightly 4" from one end with another piece of twine.

Tack tied area to top of head along seam at x, with longer ends toward back.

Fray out twine ends by separating plies.

Trim ends as desired.

Tail:

Cut 26 strands of twine 24" long; bunch together with ends even.

Tie strands together tightly at center point with another piece of twine.

Tack tied area to center seam at dot F.

Fray and trim ends as for mane.

Tack:

For nose band, use tape measure to find circumference of horse's nose at inner seamline; cut a piece of rawhide shoelace 1" longer than this measurement.

String brass rings onto rawhide piece.

Overlap rawhide ends 1/8" and sew together, using doubled, waxed thread in leather needle.

For cheek strap, measure horse's head from y to x to y.

Cut rawhide 1 1/2" longer than this measurement.

Thread one end of strap piece through a ring; fold end back to form a 1/2"-long loop and stitch to secure.

Repeat with remaining end and ring, completing bridle.

Fit bridle on horse's head, placing center of cheek strap just behind x; tack strap to head.

Adjust nose band so that "seam" is on underside and rings are about 1" apart.

Reins:

Cut two 24" pieces of rawhide.

Thread a piece through one ring; bring ends together and twist the two strands together in a spiral fashion; knot ends in an overhand knot.

Repeat at remaining ring, then thread knot of one rein through last twist of other rein.

Cart:

For axles, cut two 1" x 5 3/4" pieces from pine board; set aside.

Mark crosswise center of remaining pine piece.

Place cart pattern on pine, with center end at mark.

Mark and trim front end. as shown.

Drill a 1/4" hole through front of cart at circle.

Sand wooden pieces smooth, if desired.

Dust with tack cloth.

Stain wooden pieces, following manufacturer's directions.

When stain has dried, center horse on bottom side of cart piece with back legs 3 1/2" from back edge; trace around hooves. Drill 3/32" holes through cart at center of tracings.

Place horse on top side of cart and attach with 1 1/4" screws.

On one 1" side of each axle, mark points 1 1/4" from each end; drill 3/32" holes through axles at markings.

Place axles on bottom side of cart so that one is 4 3/4" from front edge, the other 3" from back edge.

Attach axles to cart with remaining screws.

Attach wheels to ends of axles with nails, placing a washer between wheel and axle and allowing a little play for wheels to turn easily.

Cord:

Cut two 48" pieces of twine; hold together with ends even and fold in half.

Thread center loop through hole at front of cart from bottom to top side; pull ends through loop and tighten loop on cart.

Divide ends into pairs.

Working with one pair at a time, roll strands between fingers to twist them very tightly together in a counterclockwise direction.

Continue to roll strands until they begin to kink when tension is relaxed, then hold twist taut by clamping end in clothespin and taping pin to work surface.

Twist remaining pair in same manner, then twist the two cords togther clockwise to form pull cord.

Tie ends together in an overhand knot and trim as desired.

Indian Pony

10" high

Materials:

Knitting worsted weight yarn, 

2 ozs. brown; 

1/2 oz. natural; 

small amounts of black, orange and gold.

Crochet hook size E.

Two black shank buttons.

Stuffing.

GAUGE: 5 sc = 1"

Body:

Begin at back, with brown, ch 2. Rod 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook.

Rnd 2: sc in each sc-12 sc.

Rnd 3: (Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc) 6 times-18 sc.

Rnd 4: (Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc) 9 times-27 sc.

Rnd 5: (2 sc in next sc, sc in each of next 2 sc) 9 times-36 sc.

Rnds 6-30: Work even.

Rnd 31: (Dec 1 sc over next 2 sc, sc in each of next 2 sc) 9 times-27 sc.

Rnd 32: (Dec 1 sc over next 2 sc, sc in next sc) 9 times-18 sc.

Rnd 33: (Sc in next sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc) 6 times-12 sc. Stuff body. Dec to 6 sc in next rnd. Sew up hole.

Neck:

With brown, ch 25; sl st in first ch to form ring. Work 10 rnds of 25 sc. End off. Stuff and sew to body.

Head:

Work as for body through rnd 4. Work 10 rnds even.

Next Rnd: (Dec 1 sc over next 2 sc) 3 times, sc in next 21 sc.

Work 1 rnd even.

Next Rnd: Sc in 9 sc, (dec 1 sc over next 2 sc) 3 times, sc in 9 sc-21 sc.

Work 1 rnd even.

Next Rnd: (Dec 1 sc over next 2 sc, sc in next sc) 7 times.

Work 1 rnd even. (Dec 1 sc over next 2 sc) 7 times.

End off. Stuff; sew up hole. Sew to neck.

Front Leg (make 2):

With brown, chain 10; sl st in first ch to form ring.

Work 18 rnds of 10 sc.

Change to black and dec 1 sc in next rnd.

Work 2 rnds even. End off.

For bottom, with black, ch 2.

Work 6 sc in 2nd ch.

Stuff leg and sew on bottom piece.

Sew legs to body.

Back Leg (make 2):

With brown, ch 12; sl st in first ch to form ring.

Work 10 rnds of 12 sc.

On next rnd, dec 2 sc.

Work 9 rnds even.

Change to black and dec 1 sc in rnd.

Work 2 rnds even. End off.

Finish same as front leg.

Bind a bit at first dec rnd.

Ear (make 2):

With brown, ch 6. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch.

Ch 2; working back on other side of starting ch, sc in each of 5 ch. Sew on.

Finishing:

Sew buttons to face for eyes.

For tail, cut 12 strands of natural about 12" long.

Sew to pony at center of strands.

For mane, cut 50 to 60 strands about 6" long.

Sew to back of head and neck through center of strands.

For forelock, sew a small bunch of yarn to head between ears.

Saddle Blanket:

With orange, ch 4; sl st in first ch to form ring. Ch 3,

11 dc in ring. Sl st in top of ch 3. End off.

With gold, (2 dc in each of 2 dc, 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc in next dc) 4 times. Join. End off.

With orange, sc in each dc around, 2 sc in each corner sp. Work 1 row of sc along one side of square.

Change to gold; work 1 more row of sc along same side. End off.

Work 1 row of orange sc and 1 row of gold sc across opposite side of square.

Loop gold fringe in every other sc on gold rows.

Make orange ch long enough to fit under pony to hold blanket on.

Work 1 row sc.

Sew ends to blanket each side.