Half Chaps

      I really like the way this photo is cropped. I took the photo, I know it is a doll and a model horse, and if you look at it quickly it looks real. At least it does to me. Today I want to talk about half chaps. This is my endurance rider and her half chaps. 

     This is my Breyer lady for my Best Customs entry and her half chaps. I have basically made them the same way since I designed the pattern which was years ago. I think they look better on Yvonne-type dolls. But I think everything looks better on Yvonne-type dolls. My half chaps pattern definitely works, but I wanted to improve it. 

     It was time for a redesign! I looked up a variety of styles of half chaps, made myself a collage of them, and printed it out. Then I made a new 2-piece pattern (the old one was 3) and worked with that one. 

     Once the ribbons are added to simulate the zipper area and where snaps go (I need to add some nail heads to simulate snaps) they are looking pretty good. I still want to see if I can do just a bit more to this design, to make them just a bit more realistic, but I do like how this new pattern works. It is not a huge change, but I like it. 

     Doll clothes patterns are interesting things. The more you use them, the more the change. Either from just wearing out at the edges or from storage, they do change. A pattern that works for me might not be one that works for you. And a pattern that never gets an overhaul might be missing out on the potential for even more realism. I still have some goals for my half chaps pattern, but I need to hunt for specific material to see if what I have in mind can even happen.