Hand applique Hobby Horse fur patches & blazes

Hand applique Hobby Horse fur patches & blazes

A self-sewn Hobby Horse made from a single-colored fabric doesn’t have to remain a varsity horse – you can also turn it into a pretty pinto simply by sewn-on pieces of fabric in a different color! If you know kullaloo, you probably know that we are big fans of doing appliqués with a double-sided iron-on adhesive webbing like Heat’n Bond and a sewing machine. But this is not always possible, and sometimes sewing appliqués by hand is even better. Not least, of course, if you don’t have a sewing machine or simply prefer to sew by hand. Even if you want to sew a Hobby Horse with large patches that extend over seams, hand appliqué is the better choice.

Hand applique fur patches, blazes & co. to your Hobby Horse by hand – this is how it works

If you’ve never done it before, it’s best to practice hand appliqué beforehand with a few scraps of fabric. This will make your appliqué seam much cleaner when it’s time for hobby horse riding.

Hand appliqué with the overcasting stitch

  • Pin the fur patches onto your stuffed Hobby Horse. Caution: If the patches are to run across the horse’s neck, i.e. also over the bridge seams, they are appliqued before the mane is attached!
  • Thread colour matching sewing thread with a knotted end onto a hand sewing needle.
  • Slightly lift the appliqué fabric (the one that needs to be sewn on) at your desired starting point. Insert the needle underneath the lifted fabric and stitch out at a point that is close to edge of the lifted fabric. This way the knot is hidden under the fabric.
  • Now the fabric is sewn on. The easiest and also the least visible stitch is the diagonal overcasting stitch. For this, insert the needle approx. 1/8″ (2-3 mm) behind the edge of the appliqué fabric and then stitch out at an angle on the Hobby Horse fabric (1/16″ or 1-2 mm distance to the appliqué fabric).
  • Sew the entire appliqué this way.

Alternatively, you can use a blanket stitch, but be aware that the thread will be visible as a frame at the fabric edge!

Hand appliqué with the blanket stitch

With a blanket stitch the thread is visible at the edge of the fabric as a kind of frame. So this stitch is more suitable when you’d like to have a visible seam and for shapes with clean, smooth edges that aren’t as heavily knurled.

Hand sew a Hobby Horse: blanket stitch

  • Sew from left to right.
  • Hide the knot behind the patch as with the overcasting stitch.
  • Make a loop and pierce the patch about 1/8″ (2-3 mm) from the edge.
  • Stitch right next to the edge and pass the needle over the thread loop.
  • If you pull the thread tight now, the looped thread will automatically lie exactly on the edge of the patch.
  • Repeat until you’ve sewn around the whole patch.