Rachel Fail Custom Tack

This tutorial will cover my method for making breed style English saddle pads.  Here is one pictured under a beautiful older BCS saddle: To begin, you will need the following: Pattern White Felt (will be easier to sew symmetrically than two layers of fleece) White Fleece Sharp Detail Scissors (I use my fine leather scissors, available in my Etsy store ) Rotary Cutter (optional) White Thread & Needle or Sewing Machine Air Erasable Fabric Pen First off, trace your pattern onto your piece of FELT: Then place your felt on top of the fleece, with the good side of the fleece against the felt: Sew the two pieces together completely: Cut along the outside edge of the stitching, leaving 1/8"  Then cut a small slit down the center, about 1/2" shy of each edge with the rotary cutter (or carefully use scissors): Then turn the pad inside out, from that slit, and push the seams out and fold flat with felt side out: Then sew a sli...

I often get asked if I will have fitted English saddle pads available in my Etsy store, and since I don't make them very often (it's impossible to make them fit everyone's saddle correctly), here is a tutorial on my method.  I've made them several different ways, but I find this to provide the closest contact with the saddle, while still providing the smooth rounded pad edges of fleece that still looks to scale. First, make a pattern on light card stock.  Cut it out making sure it's symmetrical.   Trace it onto the back of a piece of white fleece.  Then, trace the line with a small amount of Tacky Glue. Lay  a piece of flexible cording (I have used a yarn cording) onto the glue:  After it's dried, cut out the pad, leaving 1/4" of fabric on the outside of the cord. Then clip half way to the cord, every 1/4".  Sew each "tab" down to the underside of the pad, grabbing a small amount of the fabric on the pad underside.  You can ...