Pink Zebra Mishaps

As a crafty parent, when your child asks you to make them some thing for their birthday and you don't already have anything to give them, well you try your best to make that thing for them.

My child has asked for a stuffed Applejack

Source: mlp.wikia.com via Corsetra on Pinterest

I had already used another pattern to make a pony for one of my other children, and was not 100% happy with how that one had turned out, so I had made my own pattern.

I made the pattern, and then moved on to another project without ever testing it!

Time to pull it out and test it!
I had planed to make Applejack out out of polar fleece, so I pulled out some Pink Zebra fleece from my stash to make a test pony.

I then spent a long time embroidering the eyes, they ended up working well, but not equal and placement was not equal either. While embroidering the eyes before making the head is easier since the pieces are flat, it doesn't always make a for a good expression. Embroidering also took a long time, so I think I will experiment with applique AFTER assembly next time around.

I also tried to embroider the flank.
The design comes from a painting my husband did which is based on the Golden Rectangle.

I drew my design on plain white cotton, pined it to the wrong side and running stitched around the design so that I could see where I needed to fill in on the front side.

I added the second color as work progressed

When I got almost finished I realized that NOT working in a hoop and left the flank all wrinkled, so I put it away and cut a new piece.

Then I sewed up the pattern and stuffed it, Here is what I ended up with.

I have two major issues, the head is well flat faced, like the poor dear ran into a wall, also the front legs are too splayed out, the under belly being to wide. I was concerned that might be the case.

But other aspects of the pattern worked perfectly, and yes I forgot to cut hoof pads, so the stuffing is peaking out there, but this is not a finished animal, and I may indeed take the stuffing out and toss it.

I have about a week left before birthday, so I best get to fixing these issues and make another test of the pony pattern if I hope to have something for my child on his birthday!