I Need Help With The MANE Event!!

Do you remember earlier this year I mentioned a soft toy project I had embarked on? Well, here’s the story behind it!

As you’ll know, my boys (& Lee!) are BIG into computer games! I tend to let a lot of the chatter & excitement about this game & that game just wash over me! Most of them seem to involve war, or fighting zombies…lots of shooting & strategic planning involved…give me cutting & sticking any day!!

But I digress…my ears pricked up one day when Alex was getting very excited about a new hybrid trend online…someone (or lots of someone’s) was (were) blending all of his favourite 18+ games & more, with ‘My Little Pony’…yes…you read that right!

Apparently this has been happening since 2010 & the group even have a name…they’re called ‘Bronies’. He was laughing at how all these unlikely, very macho characters were being depicted in pony form, with pony names to match…Dr Who became Dr Hooves for example!

There’s even a website for MLP Bronies…DeviantArt, where a Broney can share his creative work & admire fellow Bronies work too!  Alex was soon creating digital images including his own pony alter-ego ‘Robinmane’! He also downloads & watches adapted ‘MLP’ cartoons, all with an underlying moral story but geared to a teens/twenties audience!

   So, I have been paying
   attention since, I’ll admit
   I’m fascinated by what these
   Bronies come up with! A visit
   to the DeviantArt site is quite
   impressive! There’s even a
   site selling Tee-shirts, sweats
   & hoodies up to a mens XL,
   all bearing MLP images & pony
   pictures!

These are no ‘Little girls ponies’!!

So where, you may ask, is this leading!! Well, my own Brony Alex asked me if I could make him a plush toy of his favourite pony Trixie!
He & his brother have quite a collection of plush toys collected through the years, mostly from their Pokemon era! So I wasn’t surprised at the request!

   I managed to find on ebay a
   ‘blind bag’ miniature of said
   said pony, hoping that that
   would satisfy the need to
   own a solid replica! But No!
   the need still prevailed for a
   larger soft toy & I thought
   ‘where to start?’

   Years ago I made soft toys,
   teddies & other animals, rag
   dolls etc but I can’t say that I
   ever made anything like a
   pony!

Here is the pony in question, her name is Trixie & Alex was very specific about the colours & type of fabric I needed to use! I found a pattern on DeviantArt for a generic pony body & set about my fist foray into toy making in more than a decade!!

 

   The cutting out & sewing up by
   hand was very therapeutic & it
   was nice to see it all coming
   together & taking shape! Then,
   once the body was done I stuffed it, using lentils in the ‘hooves’ for added weight, & we had a satisfying but rather blank looking pony!!

Now the fun began! I scoured through DeviantArt for patterns for the very specific requirements for mane & tail, but none are to be had! So I decided to get on with the eyes & cross the whole ‘Hair’ bridge later! I opted for a combination of felt & embroidery for the eyes & this is how it looked stage 1…

 

 

   …& then I HAD to tackle the
   mane & tail! I could not avoid it
   any longer! I sourced some white
   velveteen fabric & blue satin that
   would be perfect but with no
   pattern to cut, it was trial & error
   from the start!

 

I managed the tail, with approval from Alex that yes. this is just how she should look…I even managed the eyelashes & smile to his satisfaction…

…but the mane is giving me nightmares!! I’ve had two attempts & she either ends up looking like she has bunny ears or some kind of hat & scarf combo!!

So this is where I need your help…you wonderful crafty people!! Can you offer any practical advice, links to sites etc that can help me get Miss Trixie done & dusted? If you can you’d make one frustrated toymaker & one self confessed Brony very happy!

  
   Thank You in anticipation!!

   …& thank you for stopping by
   too, be sure to come back
   very soon!