*How to make your own english pad*

[Heavenly Jumper]

This has been a weeks work in progress. Here you go guys!! PLease enjoy all the hard work I did for you...

You will need:
A good place to work that is well lighted and big enough. (like a kitchen table)
Sewing machine with a heavy needle that is good for sewing through many layers of fabric.
long ruler
seam ripper (just in case you make a mistake)
pins
fabric marking pencil (NON permanent)
good scissors
iron and ironing board

Materials
Pattern (make one by tracing around a pad you like)
One yard of 60" wide upper layer fabric (if you use 45" wide you will need 1 1/2)
One yard of batting (I use quilters fusible batting. Low Loft, so it's not super poofy)
One yard of 60" wide coordinating bottom layer fabric (if you use 45" wide you will need 1 1/2)
Four yards edge binding (we will make this later from the bottom layer leftover fabric)
18 inches 2" nylon webbing
48 inches 1" nylon webbing
Spool (3-500 yards) of matching thread (remember to match it to the top, bottom and webbing)

Step one
First, make sure your upper layer of fabric is clean and wrinkle free, iron it if necessary. This step is important because you could accidentally sew in a crease.
Lay your fabric (folded with the fold, toward you) on your work surface and put your pattern on top. Pin it. Trace around your pattern with the fabric safe pencil leaving 1/2 inch of seam allowance all the way around.



Next, cut out the pieces. There should be two pieces that will form the outer layer of your pad.
Do the EXACT same thing with the batting and bottom layer. You should end up with 2 tops, 2 middles and 2 bottoms.



Put aside the middle and bottom pieces.

Step two
Mark Quilting lines on the right sides of the top pieces. (do this now, because it will be hard to do it later) Most tedious part ugh!



Flip the pieces, pin them with right sides together, and stitch the topline seam.



Press the seam allowances to one side and stitch them flat. (don't skip this part, it's important because later the seams will not be thick on top of your horses back and they will be easier to sew through when finishing.)



Step three
Lay the piece of 2" webbing along the topline and trim it to fit.
Seal the ends of your nylon webbing with a candle or other open flame (PLEASE be careful! If you are worried have a parent help you. The ends should melt a little, NOT burn to black. Don't touch it until cooled) Practice with a scrap first.



Pin your webbing to the top layer and sew around the edges.



Step Four
With right sides together, pin and stitch the topline of the bottom layers.



After stitching, press the seam to the OPPOSITE side that you did on the top layer and stitch it flat.





Step Five
Take your batting pieces and cut a strip off the topline (both pieces) the is equal to the top seam allowances.



Step 6
Place the batting pieces on the wron side of the bottom layer. Then, place the top pieces (with the right side UP) on top. Basically, assemble the pad as it will ultimately look.

Pin all the layers together. Start pinning (not on top of the quilting lines!) at the topline keeping the layers smooth as you go. Iron the fusible batting according to the instructions on the package.



Stitch allong your quilting lines, taking care to start from the middle and the top. Watch out for bunching!

[paint_gurl_101]

wow! thats a way to save some money on the over priced pads! lol

XOXO
nikki

[Heavenly Jumper]

Step Seven
Trim off any batting that sticks out between the bottom and top layers. (Don't skip this step, it makes it WAY easier to stitch the trim later).

Zigzag stitch around the perimiter of the pad. Pretty close to the edge. (You will want it to be covered by you binding)

Step Eight
Now, I will show you how to make the edge binding from the piece left from the under layer.

Take the remaining bottom fabric and cut 4 inch strips from it.
Sew the strips together into a long strip.


Iron the long strip flat and make sure it is 4 yards long. Trim any extra.

Press the long strip in half.

Fold each half in half again, and press.

You should end up with a long piece that looks like this.
Step nine
Take the edge binding that we just made and pin 1/2 the width of the biding to the BOTTOM layer. Fold back the ends to cover the raw edges. Stitch along the edge.

Step Ten
Fold the binding over the edge so that it covers your first stitches. Pin it and stitch. Easing carefully around corners.
Be especially careful not to pull on the biding or it might pucker while you are stitching and look wierd.

ALMOST DONE!

Last step
attatching billet and girth straps

Neither of these are necessary. You can skip them if you want. I at least like to have the girth straps.

Girth straps
Cut 2 pieces of webbing each 6 inches long. Seal the ends. (being careful, like before)

Pin to pad as shown, and sew a box with an "X" in the middle.


Billet straps
Try the pad on your horse with your saddle. (important to make sure that they line up right) Pin the straps where they need to go.
Back at home, stitch the straps to the pad with 1" by 2" X-in-box stitching. Stitch the loop with the same x-in-box.


HAVE FUN AND MAKE ANOTHER ONE!

[Heavenly Jumper]

TA DAAA!

[lilrider]

omg.... I can never do that. The sewing the quilting part... how bout you make em and we buy em? hehehe

Thank you so much! Can't say I will be able to even try seeing as the sewing machine isnt mine and I dunno anything about sewing.... but thank you still I will try!

[lilrider]

what are the "right" sides?

[lilrider]

Step three
Lay the piece of 2" webbing along the topline and trim it to fit.
Seal the ends of your nylon webbing with a candle or other open flame (PLEASE be careful! If you are worried have a parent help you. The ends should melt a little, NOT burn to black. Don't touch it until cooled) Practice with a scrap first.



Pin your webbing to the top layer and sew around the edges.

Ok I am confused about this part. Whats the webbing for.... and you stitch it with needle and thread? I am slow dont mind me...

[Heavenly Jumper]

what are the "right" sides?

The side of the fabric that you see when it is finished.

[Heavenly Jumper]

Ok I am confused about this part. Whats the webbing for.... and you stitch it with needle and thread? I am slow dont mind me...

The wide webbing is to reinforce the spine of the pad and help it lie flat. It is stitched with the machine.

[Heavenly Jumper]

Is anyone else brave enough to try??