Horsie

My baby girl loves the horses near our home and gets excited each time she sees one. It's sweet to watch. There is all sorts of pointing, neighing and smiling going on. This year I started into her costume and wondered if she'd even try it on. Once she recognized it for what it was though, she was good to go! Phew. So without horsing around any further, I must say that this costume totally reins. And the hardest part in making this costume? Harnessing all that cuteness.

Materials Used:

• White fleece (1 1/4 yd)
• Black and blue felt
• Yarn for hair
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Fiber fill
• Elastic

Size: 18 months

Step 1: The Body

The pattern for the body was traced from an older torso of a costume and includes 4 pieces: front body (cut on the fold), right side, back, and left side 

• Double your material over to cut 2 of each piece. This is so you can put some fiber fill or stuffing in between each piece to give the costume its round shape.

Sewing The Body

• Attach the front piece to the side pieces at the shoulders, right sides together. Sew.
• Sew the sides together, then sew the sides to the back piece.
• Stuff slightly each of the four sections with fiberfill.
• Sew around the arm holes.

Step 2: Finishing the Body

Finishing the Top and Bottom of the Body

The slit or keyhole in the back is to give your baby room when taking the costume off and putting it on. The next step is to finish the top of the costume with a finishing strip that also acts as a tie in the back.

• Cut a strip of fleece 1/2 inch wide and 4 ft long, or long enough to go around the edge of the top of the torso and also tie up the keyhole with a bow in the back. 
• Fold the strip in half to create a width of 1/4 inch, then sandwich the top of the costume in between the folded strip. Make sure the strip is centered on the costume, then sew all the way around, beginning at the bottom of tie or strip.

Horse Bottom and Tail

• Finish the bottom of the body by sewing while stretching a narrow piece of elastic around the bottom of the costume.
• The horse tail was made by cutting long strips of yarn then hot gluing it to a strip of white material. Roll up the strip of material and glue shut. Glue the tail onto the bottom of the costume. 

Step 3: Arms and Legs

Legs

The pants can be made from any basic pant or pajama pant pattern, with one alteration: extend the front of the legs with some black material to cover their shoes and look like hoofs. The black hoof is shaped like a half circle.

Arms

• The shape of the arm is a typical basic sleeve pattern.
  • If you are winging it, the shape can be made by creating a rectangle with rounded ends. About a couple inches before you begin to round the end, widen the line of the rectangle to account for the shoulder. The half circle, or rounded end you have created should measure the length of the arm hole when folded in half.
• Cut a hoof shape and topstitch it onto the end of your sleeve. Cut 2 inches of elastic and attach to the underside of the bottom of the arm, so that it stays on. Attach the arm to the body.

Step 4: Horse Head

The horse head was shaped from 5 pieces; two sides, a middle strip, a beanie, and throat. Create a basic beanie first:

• Draw a half circle and connect the bottom with a straight line. Cut 2 of these shapes. Serge around the curve of the shape, leaving the bottom open. This is your beanie shape. Use an existing beanie as a guide, making sure to leave 2 inches extra at the bottom for the hem and seam allowance. Attach some ties on each side.

Horse Shape

• Create the horse head shape by cutting a side view of the horses head. Cut 2 pieces.
• Cut a strip for the center piece. To get your strip to fit the best, lay your horse head side pieces on either side of the strip you are about to cut, to see how to shape the sides of the strip piece. Cute the strip long enough to fit the head: from the back of the horse bead all the way around to the end of the nose.
• Cut another piece of material for the neck, about 12"x6". The neck piece length is a little more than half of the horse side piece length. Cut the width to be 6 inches long, which can be cut shorter if needed.

Pin and sew the middle strip together with the side pieces, right sides together. Next, pin the neck shape to the bottom of the head, right sides together, making sure it is centered. Sew.

Pin the horse shape to the top of the beanie and topstitch on. Add ties to each side of the hat to keep on your cutie pie!

Eyes, Hair and Nose
Finish the horse head by creating eyes, nostrils and hair made from yarn- each glued on with hot glue.