Fancy New Boots Are Here!

 My boots from Celeris finally arrived!

They were ordered at the beginning February, but they screwed up the first pair that they made (full sheepskin-lined legs instead of just the foot), so it took an extra month for the new pair to be made. They got it right on the second attempt and the boots showed up last week.

And I'm really happy with them!

They're airforce blue crocodile, with a light grey stripe and piping, and a stingray stripe. There's also stingray spur straps and protectors to go with them.

Thankfully, I got the Bia's with the laces up the front because I don't know if I would have managed to zip them up otherwise! They were snug! But they seem to have relaxed a bit and I don't feel the pulse in my lower leg anymore when they're on.

You can't really see them here - too much dark on dark. But trust me - they look fantastic!

These are solid boots. The leg is fully lined with a thick leather that is fairly soft. I was surprised by the weight when I first picked up the box. The boots feel like they are built to last. 

I think that the Bia's are more of a dressage style versus a jumper style as they have the boning down the back seam. 

I chose Phantom for their premiere ride. I barely managed a half-hour of easy riding - I couldn't feel my right leg in relation to the horse or stirrup and my left ankle was aching. But about half-way through the second ride on Cisco, I forgot that I was wearing new boots. They were already starting to feel much more broken-in.

The moment of relief when I've decided my ride is done and I can let my sore ankles dangle.

The only thing that I don't like about them is that I found the footbed to be very hard and uncomfortable. I have crappy feet though, that need a high-cushioned footbed. I had a pair of Nike running shoe insoles kicking around that I put into the boots and that made a huge difference. The foot is a little snugger with them in but with thin socks it isn't uncomfortable. 

Spur straps and protectors match the stingray at the top of the boot. 

I'm only a couple of rides in, but so far I'm really happy with the boots. I'm determined to look after them and clean and polish them regularly so that they last a long time. I can't afford a second pair anytime soon!

Now I just need to figure out how to fit them in my tack box! I have a spot set up for tall boots that I used to use, but these boots won't fit in there while in a boot bag - they are just a wee bit wider than the space allows. I'm going to have to get creative with Pony Grandma's assistance and customize some sort of individual boot coverings. There's only one spot in the tack box that the boots can be made to fit so it going to have to work!

My Holiday Shopping

 I was pretty good about not going crazy on spending over Christmas this year. However, I did succumb to a targeted ad that came across my Instagram feed. And I'm glad that I did!

The ad was for a small company called Vencedora Eq. They are local-ish in that they are in my province, but too far away for me to be able to shop in person. Their selection is quite limited; this isn't an everything-you-need-for-your-horse kind of shop.

The ad was along the lines of "up to 75% off". I'll always check out those deals but I usually don't find anything of interest.

To my surprise I found a few things that I liked - and I really liked the prices. 

I ended up ordering a couple base layer shirts at $15 each, a quilted jacket for $42, a belt for $13 and a saddle pad for $29. That got me free shipping.

I'm not really keen on ordering clothing online due to fit issues. But I figured at those prices I could make it work.

The quick reviews:

The base layer shirts - "Eva" - simple, polyester V neck shirts. The sleeves are on the longer side (I have to roll up the ends), the fit in the body is a close-fit, the fabric clingy. The colours are great - I got the ink blue and the raspberry. Happy with them at $15 each.

Photo from vencedoraeq.com

The jacket - "Nadia" in navy - well, the description says that it runs small. It does. Sized for someone slim with no boobs - not me. I can do it up, and it looks fantastic, but I wouldn't be able to ride in it without undoing the zipper most of the way. 

Photo from vencedoraeq.com

But it's a super cute jacket. It's got a 2-way zipper, tailored fit, and a shiny look to the quilting. I really like it, and so far I'm keeping it (but I really need to lose a few pounds before I can wear it out of the house). I might try to sell it at some point and since I only paid $42 for it I think I could get that back.

The belt - a braided elastic belt in red and navy. I like the belt and have worn it quite a bit. However, I wish I had ordered a smaller size. I did my due diligence in measuring and it ended up being longer than ideal. Still wearable though. It was $13.

The highlight of the order was the saddle pad.

They only come in a jumper style and in three colours - red, burgundy and navy. I ordered it in burgundy.

It's a really nice pad. So nice, that there are now at least five of them in my barn - everyone wanted to know where I got it. 

It's got a satin finish on the outside layer and silver braiding along the edge. Like, a shiny silver braid. It looks far more expensive than the $29 that it cost me.

Silver braid next to the cording and a nice little button detail.

I liked it so much that I piggy-backed on someone else's order and also grabbed the navy one. It helps that it's a good shape for my rather oddly shaped saddle. 

The website is definitely worth a look. The sale prices are still in effect - not sure if they are closing or clearing out to make room for more inventory as the ad's state. There's not a lot of options but what they do have is priced really well. 

New Place to Shop?

 Over Christmas, I was hoping to find a new winter coat to replace my current barn winter coat that is about 10 years old and starting to fall apart. There were lots of sales, but I have a list of things that I want in a coat and I wasn't able to find anything I was willing to pay for. 

In my search, I came across a website called decathlon.ca. I figured it was the website for the national sporting organization, and that since jumping is a sport in decathlon it made sense that it sold equestrian stuff.

However, I was wrong. Riding is not a sport in decathlon - it's in modern Pentathlon. Also, Decathlon is a sporting goods store.

Decathlon is a French company that is the largest retailer of sporting goods in the world, selling in 57 different countries. In Canada they have physical stores in Ontario and Quebec, in the US there are only a couple of stores in California. They sell stuff for something like 62 different sports, all under their own branding. No name brands. Thus, their prices are really good. 

They sell all kinds of horse things sold under their house brand Fouganza. Most of the horse care/tack items seem to be introductory level quality, so I don't know that I would buy much of it. But some of their clothing seems to be very reasonably priced and worth looking at. 

This leather halter looks cute and it's only $55!

I bit the bullet and ordered a pair of winter riding breeches. I've been looking for some to add to my rotation other than the Kerrit's full seats that I regularly wear, but I haven't found anything I've been willing to pay for. 

Decathlon had a few options at really good prices starting at $30 CDN. I ended up ordering this pair that has a silicone full seat and costs only $60. They even have a cell phone pocket, though I'm not optimistic that it will fit my cased Galaxy 10+.

I was going to order a different pair, that have a weatherproof finish to them that gives them a leather look but they didn't have my size. Having all sizes in-stock seems like it might be an issue as many of the items I looked at were only available in very small or very large sizes.

If the winter breeches work out, I might try these breeches for summer.

I did a search before ordering to see if I could find reviews and they were generally all positive saying that the quality is much better than the price reflects. 

There are a lot of things I wouldn't order from there - the sizing charts are horrible with little information of use and the descriptions on many items leave much to be desired. Returns are free if you return to a store but if you have to ship it back you would have to pay for shipping. 

I don't know that I would buy a $35 helmet, but I could see the appeal to parents of kids who are just starting and don't know if it will stick. It's not ASTM approved - it has an EN rating  (European) so it appears to still be legal to use in Canadian competitions.

For basic clothing staples however, it is worth a look.

I'll post a review when I receive the breeches. Fingers crossed that they are decent!

Riding Skirt - It's Fantastic!

The arena that I ride in isn't really heated during the winters. There are radiant heaters in it, but they are really high so it takes forever for the heat to reach the surface. Not to mention that half of them don't work. (They are getting worked on.... slowly.)

In winters, I can dress my upper body up warmly enough during a ride. But I can't seem to find the right layers for my lower body that will keep my thighs warm and still allow me to bend my knees when I'm in the saddle. My full chaps will keep my thighs warm, but not my butt.

Last fall I discovered a company in Alaska that makes riding skirts. And promptly sent a link to my mom with the message that she would be making one for me.

It was finally finished last week. And it's awesome.

Not a flattering pose from the horse.

We tried to copy the one that I had seen online from the pictures. I think my mom did an amazing job on it, though she's not happy with how the pockets are set in (the fabric is thick and she couldn't get it not to pucker at the bottom of the zipper). I'm not worried - it will be covered in slobber and hay soon enough and no one will notice.

We used a softshell fabric for the outside and lined it with a printed polar fleece. It's got some weight to it but I don't notice it once it's around my waist.

I love the fleece pattern that I chose.

There is a 2-way zipper at the front. I unzip from the bottom when I'm in the saddle.

Nobody has been around at the barn so you get barn bathroom selfies.

I wanted a velcro waist strap to allow for wearing different clothing underneath. My Kerrits fleece full seats are definitely thicker around my waist than my regular breeches and I wanted to be able to accommodate that. The waistband is actually a wee bit too big but it will work for this winter. In the summer we'll take it apart and make it smaller.

I can snap the front to the sides of my waist to make it easier to get on or to keep the skirt out of my way if I need to bend down.

Because the skirt is so full, it drapes nicely in front of my legs and the saddle so there is no need for straps around my legs at this point. If I find that it flaps around we can add them later.

In front of the saddle.

The cost for the material and supplies was about $150 - the fabric was on sale for 40-50% off. We used a poodle skirt pattern as the starting point, which called for 5 meters of fabric. Because I'm so short the skirt was shortened quite a bit and we had a fair amount of fabric leftover.

I chose a mid-calf length as I plan to wear it around the barn over my breeches when I go out to catch a horse or when standing in the arena teaching. Any longer than that and I felt it would get in my way.

I've ridden both Cisco and Phantom with it on. Neither horse had any concerns about it, though I played it smart and left it draped over the saddle while I mounted and then pulled it up around my waist just to be safe.

Both days that I rode in it were milder days, close to -5 celsius in the arena on Friday night and closer to 0 on Sunday. I had my regular Pikeur breeches and thin long johns on underneath it. My legs stayed nice and toasty. Almost too toasty in this mild weather (might need to also get an unlined one).

Apparently also a good spot for needy barn kitties to hide under.

The skirt stayed where I put it when riding. Because it is so full it doesn't get pulled around as the horse moves. And since it stays in place I don't have to think about it and can just worry about my riding.

Covering my leg while in the saddle.

It might have flapped away from one leg at a canter for a couple of strides - I suddenly felt a cool draft on my leg. But it settled itself back into position while I was cantering so I don't really know what happened.

I am super happy with it.

If you live somewhere where the temperatures are below freezing for 5 - 6 months of the year, I would definitely consider getting one. The price to buy one from Arctic Horse would be a little over $300 Canadian (of course way less for the Americans). If you don't have someone who has the sewing skills to make it for you (for free) then I think this price is quite fair based on the cost of fabric and the required labour. It might seem a bit steep of a price, but if you use it for 30 rides a winter for 5 years, that works out to $2 per ride. And that isn't counting all the times you'll just throw it on to do chores or stand around in the arena chatting.

Not having thighs that take hours to thaw out after riding - totally worth it.

Sports Bras Reviews

One of the most important parts of a rider's wardrobe is a good sports bra. Sitting the trot without any support is not comfortable or pretty - no one wants to see "two badgers engaged in mortal combat" as so eloquently described on a recent Facebook post about her brassiere failure while giving a demonstration ride.

As I gained some extra fluff over the last few years, I've had to make adjustments to what type of support I prefer. I like the girls to be locked in place with no movement. I don't mind a tight bra, and I prefer to wear underwire, for the support and also for the shape - I dislike the dreaded monoboob.

Full disclosure - my bra size is 36D. My boobs are full on top and fairly high up. If yours are different you might not like the same kind of bra as I do.

So here are the bras that I have and my opinion of them.

Moving Comfort Fiona and Maia bras

The new version by Brooks.

These were the first bras that I bought about 7 or 8 years ago when I starting riding again. I was also trying to be a runner at the time and needed a high impact bra for that activity. I liked them so much that I ended up owning about 5 of them (mostly bought on sale). They wore very well through many washings. The straps were adjustable using Velcro. All of these bras that I own are a size too small from my current bra size - they are still wearable, but there is a bit of boob overflow at the top, and on one of them the straps Velcro up at the very end and might come undone while I'm wearing it. They are out of my regular rotation at the moment but I'm not going to get rid of them.

Moving Comfort was bought out by Brooks a couple of years ago, and I've read that that new versions are not as good as the old versions, so YMMV.

The Panache Sport Bra

When I decided that I needed to go up a bra size, this was the bra that I bought. I tried it on at a trade show and took it home. I absolutely love this bra - unfortunately, not for riding. Likely because I am short-torsoed, I need to put the straps in the racer-back configuration in order to get full support for high-impact activities. The straps then put a strain on my collarbones and become very uncomfortable.

For everyday wear though, this bra is fantastic. It's comfortable and supportive enough that nothing bounces when speed walking or going down the stairs, and since it has underwire and encapsulation, it keeps the girls up and perky. If I could afford them I would happily pick up a couple more and wear them every day to work. They cost about $80, but I've seen them on Amazon for about $45.

I know that this bra is a favourite for many riders. I love it for everyday, just not for riding.

Wacoal High Impact Sports Bra

Kind of similar to the Panache bra, but I like this one for riding. Underwire, encapsulating cups. No monoboob here. Fits true to size. They run about $90, but I picked them up on clearance for about $50 (for Canadian viewers, keep an eye on The Bay's website). I liked it so much that I bought a second one. These are probably my current favourite for riding.

I have a different Wacoal sports bra that has a zipper front and racerback - it doesn't seem to be available anymore. Super supportive, but the band is tight. Okay for the amount of time I would be out at the barn, but I wouldn't want to wear it all day.

Freya Sonic Spacer Underwire Sports Bra

I managed to find this one on Amazon for about $30. I wasn't sure what it would be like for riding, but I figured it could at least be a backup for the Panache bra for everyday use. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like it.

The inside of the cups are different than any other bra. They have almost a sling around the outside of the cup (on the inside) that is made of non-stretch material that supports your boob. It feels like a bit of a light-weight bra but does a really good job of supporting through a ride. I always forget that I'm wearing this one, which is the mark of a good bra.

It's not perfect - the underwire sometimes digs a bit into my arm, and if I've worn it for 8 hours I'm happy to take it off. But for riding, I don't mind it at all.

Knixwear Catalyst Sports Bra

I have a love/hate relationship with this bra.

It's the most expensive of the bunch - I paid about $85 for it. Knixwear doesn't have traditional bra sizing, so I used the chart and decided to order the recommended size 5.

When I put it on for the first time, I could barely pull the two pieces together to hook them up. (For sports bras, I hook them up in front of me by my waist and then turn them and pull the straps up over my arms. Good sports bras don't have much stretch in them and are hard to do up behind you with no stretch.) But I got it done and wore it out to the barn that night.

And thought it was going to be a dud. The hook for the straps sat right on top of my shoulder blade and bugged the hell out of me. But it seemed supportive enough, so I figured I would keep trying it.

That problem went away after the first wear. Not sure why - I think I adjusted the height of the straps, so maybe that did it.

The bra is very comfortable, and although it doesn't have underwire, I have no complaints about the support.

I do have a couple of concerns about it. First - remember how I could barely pull it together to hook it up on the first wearing? Well, it has stretched over the last 6 months with fairly minimal wear so that now I sometimes do it up on the second set of hooks. I question its longevity. Second - the height of the straps adjust by slotting the hooks into a slot on a tab at the back. The hooks come out very easily. Every time I wash it (in a mesh bag in the washing machine) the straps come undone, and one strap came undone between riding horses one day.

So I'm torn on this one. I like it, and will keep wearing it. But I don't know that I would buy another one (maybe at half price) or even recommend it.

New Paddock Boots!

I ordered new paddock boots from Germany on September 26th. They arrived on October 4th. And that was the slow shipping option! I chose the slower option because it was slightly cheaper (not much really, but mostly because it sends the package through the postal service when it reaches Canada. This means it is definitely slower than the other option of a courier, but it most importantly means that the chance of getting dinged and having to pay customs and duties on the shipment are significantly less. Sure enough, it paid off, and there were no extra fees that had to be paid when the postman dropped off the parcel. Score!

I ordered a pair of Cavallo Paddock Sport boots in dark brown. They are a lovely, rich shade of brown. Not a perfect match for either my old Grand Prix half chaps or my newer ProChaps, but no complaints. Cavallo makes matching half chaps for their boots, so if you needed a matched set you might have to go that way.

When I first pulled them out of the box my heart sunk - they looked like they were going to be much too long. They are a little bit longer than my Ariat's that they're replacing, maybe a half inch or so. When I put them on though, they didn't feel too bad.

I have slightly wide toes. Because of the shape of the toebox, I think that if I went down a size they would be too small. The outside toe area cuts in much more than the Ariat's do. I could afford to lose a touch off the length, but couldn't afford to lose any width. I ordered the UK5's, which are a European size 38.

Because they have zippers down the back, and the laces are a fixed elastic lace, they have a much slimmer fit around the ankle than my Ariat's. Which means that they kind of look like clown shoes to me. I mean, I kind of have big feet - I generally wear a 7.5, which isn't really that big, but then I'm only 5 feet tall. That's a solid 1.5 - 2 sizes bigger than almost every other vertically challenged person I know. These wouldn't be the first pair of clown shoes that I've owned.

They felt quite comfortable right off the bat. At the barn I only wore them through my ride on Cisco. The inner liner on the footbed felt nice and squishy, even when I put my foot in the stirrup. I didn't have any rubbing due to the zipper, but I only wore them for about an hour.

The left boot was a bit too tight, and the right one was a bit loose. I'm not sure if my feet are that differently sized, or if the boots are slightly different. I tightened the lace on the right one a bit, and I'm pretty sure that the left one will loosen up in a few rides. I couldn't feel my feet in the stirrups very well, but that should go away after they've been worn a bit.

Initial impression? I'm quite happy with them. They are comfortable and seem to be of good quality. I'm okay with the fit - if I went down a size I don't think I could get winter socks in them, but they might end up slightly big in the long run. I might have to use the bathtub method in the spring to fix that if it turns into a problem.

The boots, with shipping, came to about $236 CDN. I also added some Haas brushes to the shipment, which came to about another $30.

I love them all! I'll review them shortly.

Cold Day Crafts

Not much happening around here this weekend. Or for most of the upcoming week.

It started to snow on Thursday night and ended Saturday morning. Roads were terrible - the drive home from work took me 50 minutes instead of the normal 30, and that was before the worst of rush hour hit.

And it's cold.

There is light at the end of the cold, dark tunnel. The weather is supposed to take an upwards turn next weekend and be hovering around the freezing mark for the following week. Mind you, it was supposed to start warming up mid-week this week. But the cold seems to be staying longer and longer.

Since the roads were crap and it was so damn cold I didn't head out to the barn this weekend. So I did crafty things at home instead. 

I decorated the two polar fleece neck warmers that I had bought at the dollar store.

Rose gold glitter.

Blog wear. Not sure if the discolour will wash out or not - this quite often happens with black, but usually goes away after washing.

The wall behind my couch in the living room is a horse photo wall. It's still a work in progress. I've wanted to put the names of the horses that I've owned on the wall and finally decided on how to do it. Not sure if it will stay this way or not, but it was an inexpensive project. I picked up a few of the frames at Ikea on a one day sale for $0.97 and just used some decorative paper for the background. The names are on the backside of the glass, so if I want to change the background it would be super simple.

And then I decorated a couple of shirts for myself. I shamelessly stole the idea from somewhere on the internet, but had to make my own version of it.

Would also work for a chicken farmer.

Makes me snicker.

I also did an older shirt as a trial with my blog name down the length of the sleeve. Not sure how much I like it. Maybe it's the colour (blue glitter), or maybe it's the font. I'll see if I learn to like it. 

I will head out to the barn on either Monday or Tuesday, mainly to swap Cisco's suit of armor for the new one that arrived. I really hope that the forecast for next week doesn't change - unless it's to get warmer!

Winter Riding Attire

This winter feels colder than previous winter's have on the Canadian prairies. Maybe it's because I'm getting older. But I think it's because the arena that I'm riding in isn't heated as well as the other's have been. So I've had to change up my riding attire this winter.

What am I wearing while riding?

On the top:

• A long sleeved quarter zip base layer, usually merino wool blend. I get a new one or two from Costco every year for about $20 so I have a bunch of them.
• The Kerrits EQ Moto Quilted Jacket - I was trying to find a lightweight, fitted jacket, that wasn't softshell (doesn't breathe), for about $50 in local stores. And I couldn't. So I succumbed to the netequestrian.com sale and ordered this jacket. I really like it - as in I want it for non-riding activities. When riding it adds just a bit more warmth, which is all that I need.
  
• My helmet (of course) with my ear warmers installed. I might have to take them out if I need to listen to people as they definitely muffle the sound.
• A fleece neck warmer of some style from the dollar store. I have 3 different ones that I have in my riding bag that I alternate between as I can't stand to use one that's damp from my breath. My jawline gets cold easily so I pull it up when taking a walk break, but it usually falls down when I get going again.
• Gloves - usually just my regular SSG Digitals. I have child-sized hands, so bulky gloves mean I can't hang onto the reins at all. I'm looking for winter gloves that I like, but haven't found them yet. Plus I'm cheap, and don't want to spend too much money on something I will likely lose really fast. My hands are generally warm enough in the Digital's for one horse, but are a bit sweaty for the second horse, thus colder.

On the bottom half:

• Long johns of some sort. I have about 4 pairs that I wear, of different materials, and don't find one pair to be any warmer than another.
• Breeches - it depends. If warmth is the priority, then I'll wear my Kerrits Windpro Bootcut breeches that I also picked up from netequestrian.com. If keeping my butt stuck to the saddle is my biggest concern, then it's just a pair of my regular full-seats. The Kerrits are warmer but slippery (mine are the knee patch version because they were the ones on sale).
  
• Full chaps. I pulled my old chaps out of retirement for use in the winter. Unfortunately, they shrank while stored for 10 years. I hate when that happens. So Pony Grandma worked her magic and added an elastic strip down the sides to make the legs wider. And I cut up an old belt to make the strap across the back wider. They are a bit bodged together, and not the most fashionable item, but they keep me warm, and didn't really cost anything.
• My regular Ariat paddock boots. I wear big warm boots in the barn, so only switch into the paddock boots for riding. My feet stay warm.
• I might wear tights underneath everything else on a really cold day. 
• I usually just wear regular socks. When the temperature plummets, I'll put on socks made of either merino wool or angora. The angora ones are super warm.

In the barn/outside:

• Arctic Sport Muck Boots. I love these boots. I think the only time my feet have been cold in them was when I had to stand on cold cement for a couple hours for vet stuff. Only one pair of socks required in these boots.

  

  Mine are this colour.

• My barn jacket is a hip length jacket from Greenhawk that I've had for a few years. It could use a few repairs but keeps me warm enough.
• A toque with ear flaps. Or for the non-Canadians - a knitted cap with ear flaps.
• Gloves - either cheap dollar store ones or inexpensive pebbled palm knit gloves from the tack shop. For the extreme cold I break out ski gloves that I got at Costco ages ago, but they are only good for bringing horses in. Too bulky to do anything else with.
• On days like farrier days when I'm going to be standing around I usually throw on a pair of sweat pants over the long johns. Warmth is my priority.

My attire is pretty consistent. The trick is trying to stay warm without sweating, which keeps you chilled afterwards. If I know that I'm going to be out for a while after riding (like a clinic or something) then I would take a change of clothes for the top half - changing into a dry shirt and sports bra makes a big difference in being able to ward off the chill.

These keep me relatively comfortable to maybe -10 celsius (14 F). I'd have to tweak the gloves and socks for riding up to -15 (5F), and chances are that any colder than that I'm staying warm on the couch.

Warm Ears

I had hoped to pick up my parcel from Apple Saddlery yesterday that contained the Hands On Grooming Gloves. It's sitting at the post office, but when I arrived she had a huge pile of parcels to process, and mine was in that pile. I tried to look for it, but couldn't see it. I'm hoping I get a notification before I head out to the barn to clip later today.

So instead I will show you my latest craft project - helmet ear warmers!

It's been years since I've ridden in an unheated arena over the winter. Technically the arena is heated - but the heaters aren't working, and they aren't the priority at the moment (the joys of buying a property as-is that has been vacant for a few years!). My ears and my jawline get frozen really easily. I usually do the hunter-hair wings of hair over my ears in winter, but this year I think I might need more.

I whipped these up in probably 15 minutes. Unfortunately, it came together so fast that I forgot to take pictures for a tutorial. But they were super simple to make, so if you have any sewing skills you can probably figure it out.

Pony Grandma has mad sewing skills, so I raided her stash and the total cost to me was free. Thus I can continue my resolution of not spending any money.

I used a double layer of polar fleece. I made a paper pattern of the shape of my harness over the ear area, and cut out 4 pieces of polar fleece. For my Troxel helmet the shape is pretty symmetrical so I didn't have to worry about a front and back, other helmets might be different. Make sure you add enough for a seam allowance.

I stitched a square of the soft side of Velcro onto one piece for each ear. This will go on the outside.

Then I got an idea of where the stiff side of the Velcro straps would need to be placed by fitting it against the harness. I left them attached to the big square and cut them long enough so that they could be stitched in when I stitched the two layers together.

Next was to stitch the two layers together.  I took one of the pieces with the Velcro attached, and a plain piece, and pinned them right sides together. I stitched them completely along the two sides, and across the top I just stitched in a bit from the corners, which left an opening along most of the top to be able to flip it through once stitched.

I tested it before closing the hole and discovered that it kind of slid down along the harness when installed. This helmet has a liner that the stiff side of Velcro sticks to, so I cut a short piece and stitched it into the top seam when I stitched it closed.

And voila! Cozy ear warmers!

I plan to make a set for my One K helmet which I'm pretty sure has a different harness shape so I will try to remember to take pics along the way!

Fancy Strips of Rubber

Another of my Black Friday purchases finally arrived - some C4 belts! And they are fantabulous!

The printed belts are harder to find up here in the Great White North. And there were 10 or 20 a few that I really like. I kept an eye on their Facebook page over the Black Friday weekend and managed to see it when they offered a 50% off code. Score!

I capped myself at 5 belts. I already have 3 (or 4?) solid coloured ones. So now I can wear a different one every day of the week!

What did I choose?

Fox Hunt

I had to have a Thelwell. It was a hard decision as to which one, but I chose Pony Chaos.

Pony Macaroni. Because I like saying pony macaroni.

Vintage Horses. I think this is my favourite. It's going to look great with breeches.

And Space Cats. Just for fun. (My cat could be the model for the fat orange cat on it's back.)

I also ordered a couple of buckles, including the metal flip top buckle. Not sure how I feel about this one - the teeth that secure your belt will dig into the top of the belt, and I would imagine leave a mark. It might have to live on one specific belt. It does feel really secure though.

The only downside to ordering 5 belts is that I will have a hard time justifying getting more on Black Friday next year, as I am sure that there will be some new prints I need want. It will be difficult to justify, not impossible. 😉