My new driving rug

 Well, its almost Christmas and I took a little time to make my horse a gift ;-)  I sewed up a new driving rug, designed to keep her back warm on the cold winter days we drive.  It took a bit of  "experimenting" since I did not have a pattern,  just had a copy of one driving rug version in a catalog.  I used comfy no fray fleece, that you can find at awesome prices this time of year, and also a wide variety of colors or even colorful patterns.  The rug pictured below is what we in our family call the "gopher"  ... a cute story stands behind that. Years ago, when Mike's Mom was married to Harry Graf she wanted Harry to cut out of wood, a couple of bears....having no pattern (just a photo in a magazine) the first attempt Harry proudly brought in from his workshop for Frances to see....she simply exclaimed "Harry, that is NOT a bear, it just like a "gopher" .....and the term stuck...so, here is my "gopher"  what some folks would call a prototype, a first attempt or...LOL...a gopher.

 The concept worked well, and this rug in a whole lot like the rugs you see in catalogs...but I wanted the back half of the rug to lie closer to my horse's loins to keep her warm...so, after driving in the rug a few days, I modified the rug to be cut out above the first section of shafts, and then to lie flat behind the breeching strap where it connects to the shafts.

 Another practice round of driving...to make sure it works fine and dandy.

And....drum roll please...the finished product....I will be adding velcro straps that connect the rug to the saddle of the harness, so it won't pull back as the horse moves...but I needed my horse holding groom for that task....and...the rug is simple enough to sew up in a matter of minutes...Legacy already has 3 now, all in different colors...I had better stay out of the fabric store for awhile.!  haha!  I bet they put fleece on sale REALLY good sales, in January...and....I will be making some matching harness pads, and matching polo wraps too, I already have the fabric. Who would have thought a gal that could barely pass home ech in school could be so creative?  Merry Christmas !!!!!!!!!!!!