This lovely lad was found munching on the magnolia tree. He is all set to go to his new home with a friend of little e.

The first birthdays have been rolling by for at least a month now. After much discussion our antenatal group decided that we would draw names and between us, buy one present for each child. The discussion got a little heated when the budgets were set, but we managed to come to some sort of agreement and drew the names.

I drew the name for a certain young boy who loves to climb everything and whose mother has a soft spot for horses. I'm sure she will come up with a suitable name for our friend here. The horse is more of something for a little boy to grow into, but it is already kitted up to go with his best cowboy bandanna.

I'm not big on making soft toys and was surprised that this took a whole 500g bag of fill. The bag certainly looked a lot larger than the head when I started. When materials are counted, it was probably cheaper and faster for me to buy a present, but I was stubborn and wanted my present to be handmade. I searched online for a pattern but couldn't find anything realistic. I ended up at my local library with a 1982 copy of “Easy-to-Make Toys”. There were lots of soft toys, some crotchet ones and a word working section so that “It's not only Mum whose skills are employed. Dad can join in the fun too, especially with the wooden toys.”

The designs are suitably 1970s, and probably kitsch before it's time but without the deliberate irony of the Softies. The book is proof that there really is nothing new under the sun.

Horse showing concern - “Poor guy, she skinned him for a pair of PJs”