Process of the Royal Blue, White and Black Bosal 2024

If you're like me you love seeing process. Or watching Process. Or reading about someone's process. I find it all fascinating and inspiring.  

This post is for those that are like me and love process.  I hope that it inspires you in some small way.. OR makes you laugh..

In my previous post, about "The Culprit" knot I explained how I wanted to figure out a way to recreate the "solid" braid look on horse gear like this:

 

"The Culprit" knot was the first knot like the knotwork on the tack above that I tried.  Needless to say, that failed and I sort of decided to lay off that idea for a bit until I felt like I could execute it better.  I REALLY should've tried to do something easier first..

This is going to be the long way around so stick with me- Earlier this year I thought about entering the Breyer Custom Tack division at Breyerfest.  I started to pour over western pleasure saddles- particularly the Harris Custom Saddles and Miguel Aguilar saddles. 

I have always sort of "danced" around sheridian "style" tooling on my saddles- in each one of my older western saddles with tooling I see the influence of the sheridan pattern.  I am also inspired by several other mini tackmakers that make sheridan tooling look beautiful in our scale.  I set out to make a fully tooled western pleasure set for the Breyerfest Contest. I started to practice and learn sheridan tooling by watching videos and drawing, and drawing and drawing.  I finally came up with what I thought was a really beautiful pattern and I was so excited about it.  But then I tried to tool it and I found that I had made it waaaayyy too complicated to be able to tool in 1:9 scale. (I could probably do it in 1:6th though).

I was very very disappointed in myself.  I had worked so hard and now I felt pretty deflated.  To "console" myself  I thought "well maybe if I work on the bosal bridle for that set, it'll give me time to heal and get back to it."

Which brought me to the thought of making a black bosal with a black nosebutton that would be interwoven with another color. ( I haven't decided on that yet)

Again, I wanted that "solid" color look but I remember the many lessons from "the culprit" and decided I needed to have more experience of what a long, interwoven button looked like, and "felt" like while I was making it.  Knowing the difference between an interweave string and the "core knot" string is crucial when you are interweaving with the same color thread as your knot. 

The way I learn best is by doing.  Even if that means that I have to do something over and over again to the point of where it would annoy other people.  This is just how I learn. (I have ADHD- I have learned that I am a slow learner but once I learn something I expand on it and know it well)

Again the knot that defeated me loomed in my head.

Then I came up with an idea- what if I made a bosal with a two color interweave, so that I could SEE the interweave and then learn and feel what the knot is like when making it.  A visual representation of how the knot goes with two colors, then maybe I could go back to the same color.  

This lead me to the royal blue, white and black bosal.  I don't know why I keep choosing those colors.. I love blue and it's easy to see and a black interweave just makes sense in my head.

While learning about the long casa knots I learned how I could do "groundwork".  Thats what Gail Hought calls in her books.  That term didn't mean much to me until the last year or so...  I had always thought that in small scale, to do groundwork was impossible or at least something I didn't need to do.

Then I worked on my 1:6 scale bridle and found that I could easily do groundwork in that scale on the reins and while doing that, I figured out how I could possibly do it in 1:9th scale.  I had already started doing groundwork when making the Dk Brown Braided bridle by "puffing" up the ends with a knot underneath using the same color thread.  But this time, with this bosal, I really wanted to mimic the look of a real bosal with the thicker noseband and the rounded side buttons.

I settled on an opposite colored string underneath the knot and wrapped it around the bosal core. Then I made two knots on either end and wove my nosebutton over top.  I used a gazillion part 4 bight casa knot (with 9 Runs)since using the 6 bight "culprit" knot had previously kicked my butt.. lol This gave me the look that I wanted.  

When you interweave a knot, you have to make sure that the base knot is looser than you would have it when it's finished. This is because with the interweave, the knot gets tighter and tighter.  If it gets too tight you can't interweave it anymore.  

I started the royal blue interweave and while I was working on that interweave, I decided (because obviously just doing the one interweave just wasn't hard enough) that I was definitely going to teach myself to add a second interweave. The second interweave proved very challenging, especially on the ends.  It took a few days of trial and error before I was able to complete it. 

I was pretty pleased at this point and my self esteem had been restored!  At first on the side buttons I used a 7 part 6bight turks head knot and double interweaved it.. but it was too bulky so I went back to a 5 part 4 bight knot and double interweaved that instead..  I also used "Groundwork" underneath those knots to give them a rounder look.

Then onto the heel knot! I normally do 8 bight 9part knots here but I went one higher this time and went 10 bight 11part turks head knot.  And it worked out somehow! lol  The first interweave was pretty easy to get in but the second color interweave- well that was harder because the knot got really tight.. but I think it turned out pretty good :)

 

and then to the "hanger" with an "ear loop".  

Unfortunately, the leather that i used at first discolored this little bosal a little bit.  I posted to my heather moreton of desert night creations facebook page and let everyone know that I would need to restart this bosal over.  They assured me  that I was being overly perfectionist and that in real life horse tack gets dirty! They also told me that the discoloration was not noticable and that they would be interested in it anyway!  (I was so happy! Lol)

I remade the leather  hanger and used commercially dyed leather.  Then I put a few matching knots on the sides and on the earloop and then put in a little tassel. I love making the little tassels on the ear pieces because I feel like it's a nice little detail.  On this bosal hanger I also used small watch screws to mimic the "Chicago Screws" sometimes used on tack.  I think it has a nice working tack look but could also be used for "show" if someone wanted to.   I'm always delighted and amazed at what my customers come up with!

Now I am at the point to where I need to make a mecate. My new mecates are made using a fringe maker.  My hands could not take twisting and keeping proper tension of the strings so I needed to go for a mechanical solution.  I use the fringe maker to twist the individual strands and then after the strands have sat twisted for a few days I twist them all together... but here is one of the many hard parts of doing that-  you have to watch tension and the width of all of the strings-  it all has to be same or the thinnest string will "disappear" inside the others.  Last summer I made probably made close to 25 little mecates by trial and error before I came up with some kind of procedure that produced a good mecate twice in a row.  I had some help too from Anthony in that he made me some little tools for it.  I also typed some stream of consciousness notes to so that I could remember all of the little things I needed to do..

 I won't describe exactly how I make my mecates because honestly I'm constantly changing them and they are really difficult for me to do.. let alone explain..  I also have to be VERY awake and focused to make them correctly or all of my hard work will be for nothing and I have to start over... I totally sweat buckets while making them because I'm so worried it'll fail..

When the mecate is done and the Hackamore/Bosal is ready to sell I'll let everyone know on my facebook page and on here!  It will be auctioned off on Model Horse Place  Thanks for reading this far!

The Bridle that Was mean to me- AKA the Culprit

About a two years ago I learned how to make a "Casa knot".  Which is just a longer turks head knot than the 7part 6 bight or 9part 8 bight turks head knots I was used to making.. I was inspired by Tom Hall's More Turks head knots book. I Saw that Susan Bensema Young had used this book to teach herself how to do Casa knots about 10 years ago.  I felt like my bosals needed a "level up" and I needed to learn to make a proper nose button.

After a LOT of trial and error I finally learned how to make a casa knot.  I created several new type pieces (to me) with braidwork on them. Most Notably Sue's Saddle Tan Colored Bridle and A Dk Brown Bridle I made to keep (FOR ONCE! LOL) so that I'd have an example of my work.

I felt like these were a triumph at the time!  Not only did I manage a long knot, I learned to also interweave it! I'm still sort of proud of myself about that.

Although I was/am proud of the above work, I wanted to work on being able to make a knot and get that "solid" knot look.  

So I tried a bunch of things. I tried really complicated casa knots- For instance the bosal below with the brown nosebutton-  that nosebutton is so small, and so complicated, that I can't even see the structure well enough to interweave it.  It will stay plain but the side buttons and heel knot are interwoven.

 I tried looser casa knots with the same color "backgrounding" or Ground work (the green bosal above employs this method).  I am really happy with how that looks but of course, in the back of my head, I decided that I really needed to figure out how to do a same color interweave to mimic the nosebutton on a real life bosal. 

Which lead me to:

THE CULPRIT AKA the Mean Knot

The above bridle I have been working on, on and off for over a year.  The shank/bridle piece on the left, I finished a year ago.  This is a "Giant" casa knot (I can't remember the parts) with 6 bights, interwoven with the same colored thread.  It was so hard.. There is so much to learn with doing such intricate braidwork on a smaller scale on 3/32nds" leather lace with the same color interweave.  I tried over and over and over and over and over again and finally, I was able to make that beautiful knot on the Left.  I loved it! I was so excited!! I daydreamed about all of the tack I could make that way! SO Proud of myself..( ALSO maybe I could eventually interweave it!?)   Then I went to the piece on the right. And there I have been stuck for over a year.  I kept mentally beating myself up because the first one "Came so easy" (ha!) "WHY can't I just duplicate it on the other one!?".  I think I tried for at least a month - every night coming into my studio and trying to make a matching piece.  NO DICE!  Either I missed a string and the whole thing was off or the knot became too tight as I was interweaving.  Also with a knot that tight, the leather beneath it eventually gets destroyed. Not only did I have to CUT the knot off, every 3rd or 4th try I had to redo the leather too.  Since this was a project just for me, so that I could learn, I eventually put it down so that I could move onto other things that I could finish. (And that didn't steal my self-esteem)

At the end of March of this year, I picked it up again to see if I could finish it.  I have had a lot more practice with casa knots and with interweaving so SURELY I could make a matching piece! And I did! Unfortunately it was a 4 bight instead of a 6- because I forgot I had made a six bight one until It was finished.  So again, I cut the knot off and tried again. And again. And Again. And AGAIN, and again until it was in the state it's in now. REALLY Close.. LIKE IT'S REALLY CLOSE!!!! But I had given myself a timeline this time, of two days solid, and again I couldn't finish it.  One of these years, if I ever finish it.. I will keep it forever BECAUSE IT WAS MEAN TO ME! LOLOLOL  Actually I'll keep it because it is SUCH a lesson!! 

Its reins are already braided. Black reins with off white casa knots near the part that connect to the bit that are interwoven with black.  The reins have black tassels on the end as well.  The bit on this was a Rio Rondo prototype bit so it is the only one I have.  It is a snaffle with a star in the middle of it.  It also has matching star buckles.  I'm still excited for this thing but I don't know when I'll ever be able to finish it! Lol 

But I will KEEP trying...........

 

WHEW It's been a Minute!!

 

Wow!  Two years since I blogged!  Things have been crazy in my life.. but life is never settled is it?  That old adage of "Life is what happens when you're making other plans" has definitely been true for me.

Many may know that My mother battled Multiple Sclerosis for 30+ years and eventually had to be put into skilled nursing care. Taking care of her through the 2020 pandemic and into 2021 remotely from my house and being unable to visit her was difficult.  Thankfully I could send her stuff that she needed from amazon but I could not be in the room with her, making sure the supplies got opened and used.  All skilled nursing places were short staffed during that time and it was difficult for me to armchair her care.  We got through that though and in June of 2022, just a few days short of my Dad's death anniversary, my mother passed away in her sleep.  It was quite an adjustment to live without her.

In October 2021 my company, Appriss, Inc was acquired by Equifax, inc for 2 billion dollars.  Suffice to say it's been culture shock to go from a company like appriss that was always customers/victims first to a fortune 500 company with a totally different goal.  I'm still working on adjusting to that.  It's been difficult and very emotionally draining.

Also I know a few posts back I complained about the symptoms of Menopause.  Thats been the hardest of all.  I think that all women know that when your body lets you down, it is destabilizing.  Unlike the monthly hardships of when I was younger (when things got better after a week) Menopause is permanent.  My body is entirely different than it was before and my hormones have kind of changed me as a person as I adjust to this new body that is unreliable.  The ADHD that I was diagnosed with as a kid, then went into denial about for 30 years is back with a vengeance.  I had so many little coping mechanisms to help combat the "quirks" of my brain so that I could function and work "like a normal person".  I can't even remember to do those now.. lol  I have a new therapist though who has referred me to the practice she is with to get evaluated for my ADHD again and to get on some meds so that I can function better.  I look forward to being more focused and maybe able to accomplish some things that my executive disfunction has been preventing me from doing. (like lose this menopausal weight!)

On the Miniature Making front, I've taken some leaps forward with my braiding and understanding of real world horse tack.  I guess in the past I had some insecurities about learning new things because it scared me a bit.. but not now. Now i'm voraciously  watching videos about how real western saddles are rigged and made and I've acquired more real tack to take apart so that my miniatures can be better.

I have also taken a metalsmithing class from Designs By Dawn . It was a wonderful class and Dawn is a fantastic Teacher!  Also she's super talented and has been making jewelry all her life. She also has two metalsmithing parents so her knowledge of  techniques is extensive. If you live in KY and want to learn more in general about metalsmithing you should take her class! 100% worth it! 

Because of the changes mentioned above, my body, my work, my skills I am working towards trying to make miniatures full time. There is a whole lot to consider with a change in occupation like that.  I make a very good living right now in tech but my skills are outdated and I'm finding that I dont' have the patience to put up with a male dominated field anymore.  I'm finding I have a lot less energy than I used to and I would like to put that energy towards arts and making instead of hoping I have enough energy left over after work to make.  I feel like I could take custom orders, and maybe do some more museum projects as well as break into the western collectibles market to help make ends meet.  I know that there are also Art/Craft grants I could apply for.  It's all very scary but I have a goal of liquidating a lot of my collection and extra tack making items (Do I really need 3 of each bit?) within the next year and scraping and saving everything I can.  We'll see..

My kiddo is now DRIVING!!!  He's such a wonderful child.. Poor thing takes after me but he is handling it well.  Anthony is doing well too.  We are back together and raising Kiddo together and have a good partnership.

ON The horizon tack wise:  The above bosals will be for sale as soon as I can make "Good" mecates for them.  I will sell them, and the rest of my collection on "Model Horse Place". It is free to sign up there and is run by a hobbiest.

I publish the most information about my work on my facebook page;  https://www.facebook.com/desertnightcreations  Please join there if you would like to stay up to date on my work!