The DRESS is Done

And given to the Granddaughter.  I like it --  The pattern shows a ribbon around the neck which I was going to do out of the pinafore material but decided it would be too busy.  Maybe I'll add a plain maroon ribbon about 1/4" wide.
Here's the pattern I used:

A vintage pattern I bought off of Ebay.

On to the next sewing project - the Christening Outfit for the New Grandson!

Shopping? NOT ME! I've Got the Crabby Christmas Blues!

WOW - a it's been over a month since I've posted!  We had a nice family get together over Thanksgiving and I sure enjoyed seeing the grand-babies.  The new one has grown so much since he was born the 29th of October. He almost had to share his birthday with a pumpkin or something!!  And granddaughter is such a good big sister!

Grandson was only about a week old when Granddaughter's Uncle (#1 Son) took this picture.  It's been my favorite photo of them so far!  Look at Big Sister's face in this photo in the corner and her hands.  She is so taken with her new baby brother!

Course with Thanksgiving came BLACK FRIDAY!!!  What an awful name for a day of shopping.  And I hate to SHOP.  HATE IT.  So I certainly did not participate in the crowded stores after Thanksgiving.   When I was dating Hubby I remember going into the J. C. Penney store in Mid-Wyoming Town on Black Friday.  It was so packed you almost could not navigate the stairways to the upper and lower floors.  So there we were in the midst of the crowd and Hubby-to-Be starts waving his arm and yelling at me "Out and Around 'em Shep!  Out and around em!" (for those that don't know, that's how you tell a stock dog to gather up the sheep or cows!)

And my nickname has been Shep ever since!  

So maybe that's what started my dread of shopping in crowded stores - nah, I hated it before then.  I guess when you are raised near Broke-Back Mountain (I really was!) crowds and you don't mix.

But I did participate in Manic Monday or whatever they call the Monday after when everyone orders on-line. Now wasn't that Easy?  Well, almost - still waiting on one order for the Wee Grandson.   Hopefully it will arrive next week and then I'm Done! except for a few small presents.

I've decided I have turned into Maxine!

I am almost done with the pinafore and dress for Granddaughter #1.  The pattern I used had several errors so that was challenge to work through but I like it and hope she will too. I wound up doing something entirely different then originally planned fabric-wise thanks to the great gal at ET Quilts!  Now on to the Christening outfit for the Grandson!  I'll post a photo of the outfits on the blog when I'm done.

Merry Christmas to All - to all a GOOD NITE!   Shep

Sewin' my Life Away!

Remember Eddie Rabbit's Drivin' My Life Away?  I always did like that song.

Tis almost the Season - Winter the Season of Sewing.  That's about the only thing I like about the season of frozen nose and toes anymore.

Some of you know I like to sew.  I have a new baby grandson and I made him a hooded cowboy towel that turned out pretty cute (but I neglected to take a photo of it so you'll have to take my word for it) along with some burp cloths as that's what his Mommy said he needed.  I've only seen him once (he's pretty new!) but he sure is cute.

My next project will be a Baptismal Suit for the new grandson.  #2 Child (who is the Dad) has strict orders that it CANNOT BE A DRESS.    So I've picked out this pattern with some customization - I am thinking of using an ivory satin for the main part but there is a gorgeous matching fabric with a leaf stitched in the satin at the fabric shop.  Maybe using it for the little vest and then making the bowtie a pale blue and making the bonnet with the leaf fabric and a pale blue brim.

When my granddaughter was born I wanted to make her a Christening gown and there in my closet was my wedding dress that my mother & I had sewn in 1974.

  My mother had hand-beaded the lace insets.  Now I thought NO one is ever going to wear that again so I cut it up and made this ---

Course I cannot make something for new baby brother without including Big Sister, so I thought I would make this for granddaughter in a red plaid with a black bowtie and white lacy pinafore.   I think she will look pretty cute in it.  She's fun to sew for as she is a girly-girl and likes the fru-fru.

Another project I think would be fun would be to reproduce a Victorian dress worn by one of her great-great grandmothers at the turn of the Century.  I have her other grandmother looking to see if she has a photo.  The photo below is my grandmother Irene with her older Sister Florence.  Boy they really had fancy dresses didn't they!   I'm not too sure I don't like Aunt Florence's dress better than my grandmothers.

Do you suppose that these little girls or their parents knew how precious this photo is to me today?

I have a lot of fun memories of my Grandma Irene.  I always loved her kitchen as she had a rooster theme.  Her table was round and it sat in a round dining area in the kitchen.  She had rooster salt and pepper shakers and a rooster napkin holder.  Her table was red and chrome classic fifties style.  But the neatest thing she did was she painted a gorgeous rooster above her cabinets just to the left of her kitchen sink.  Someday I want a rooster over MY Kitchen sink!

Well I have a ton of other projects lined up for this winter too!  Several quilts and some baby hats like this one  These are the cutest hats on a baby and I usually make them for all the new babies I know.

Happy Winter Sewing!

Can Hu-Mans HIGH-BEAR - NATE?

It was inevitable - one morning I was going to wake and see this.....

And This.....











But I really wanted THIS...

But I would have settled for EVEN THIS:

I wanted to pull the covers over my head and NOT drive sixty miles to work.  I knew the roads off The Ridge were going to S L I c K  and N A s T y.    But I had to cowgirl up and go.  I arrived at work late. The roads were nasty for 25 miles and I drove s l o w l y.

CAN HUMANS HIBERNATE?   See you all in the spring...........................

Drat! Rolling into Number Four

Season, WINTER!!  Snow in the High Country is forecast for this weekend.  Soon the fall colors will be gone and everything will be white, or dirty brown....

Goodbye to

 

Golden Cottonwood Trees at our Gate!

 

Fall Colors along the creek

 

Beautiful Colors on Muddy Mountain! 

And HELLo to

 

So Many CLOTHES you cannot move

 Standard Time so the Moon is rising

while you are driving home from Work

 

 Bad roads (look at THIS!)

ONE INCH and it's all on the Bloomin' Road from the Wind! 

SHEESH!

 Feeding Livestock Every Day  - Sometimes you Get to Feed when there is No Snow.

And sometimes you don't.

And just occasionally, very occasionally, winter is pretty.

Now picture the scene from Gone with the Wind, where Scarlet O'Hara is digging  rotten turnips out of the garden, and with her fist raised to the sky declares, 

"AS You are my Witness, I WILL survive the winter!"

Well okay, that's not exactly what Scarlet said, but that's what I'm sayin!

Advice for the Farm-Lorn

I've decided to become the next World-Wide Famous Advice Columnist.  Shouldn't be to hard.  All you have to do is read a letter and then boss the person on what to do.  I think I'm already good at that.

Why is it we love to read about the misery of other people?  I guess it must be the same mechanism that drives the gossip gaggles.  So here is sampling of one of my possible future columns.  Enjoy.

Dear Redneck Cowgirl:

I have always wanted to live in the country.   My husband is an investment banker who earns enough money to afford a wonderful huge expensive home in New York along with wonderful vacations, and is a kind considerate man and wonderful father.  However, he refuses to move or even to allow me to have a horse and board it near the city.  What should I do?  Sad City Mom

Dear Sad City Mom:

You have obviously been seriously deprived in your privileged life.  You need to shoot your husband (I recommend checking the death sentence laws in your state first however) and find a nice farmer/rancher to marry where you can then work outside of the farm and farm full-time also.  You will also have the wonderful experience of living paycheck to paycheck, freezing your buns off in horribly cold weather, stoking a wood fire to save on heating expenses, and feeding your farmer/rancher and all his best buddies every time he works cattle or plows his field and they all come to help.  This is of course on a very limited budget so you will also have to plant a garden big enough to feed a neighborhood and put all that food up by canning or freezing for later use.
Plan on sleeping a maximum of 2 hours a night at least 11 1/2 months of the year.  Think of how buff you can become walking home when your car quits on the 2 mile lane into your house (plan on once a week at a minimum); or the wonderful experience of watching your darling child run over by a mad bull!  Oh not to be missed!
As for the horse, you will be allowed numerous steeds but will only get to find the time to ride a couple of times of year, usually branding and shipping.  And you can take pride in your tractor driving skills along with your new-found bravery when you smack that mad cow over her nose with a 2 x 4.

---Redneck Cowgirl

Dear Redneck Cowgirl --

My husband and I run 1000 head of sheep which means we also have several Border Collies.  The problem is those dogs are very attached to my husband as they spend all day with him.  I don't as I have to work off the farm so we have medical insurance and money.  Whenever I try to get into his pickup, one of the dogs is in the front seat (they fight over who gets that position) bites me.  What so I do?    Bitten in Colorado

Dear Bitten -

Suck it up and make sure those dogs are current on their rabies vaccinations.  

Redneck Cowgirl

Dear Redneck Cowgirl --

My 16 year old son tells me he wants to rodeo and be a cowboy.  What should I do?

Worried Mom in Montana

Dear Worried Mom in Montana -

Suck it up and make sure he is current on his rabies vaccination -

Redneck Cowgirl

Dear Redneck Cowgirl --

I have a strange problem.  A badger has set up a hole to live in right near our lane gate.  It threatens me every time I get out to open the gate.   What should I do?   Chicken in South Dakota

Dear Chicken in South Dakota:
Suck it up and make sure YOU are current on rabies vaccinations.  OR you can do what I did - shoot the badger. (note requires nerves of steel while it comes running towards you with teeth flashing! And a darn good aim.I sucked it up and hit it.)
Redneck Cowgirl

Dear Redneck Cowgirl --
My twenty year old son entered the wild horse race over the 4th of July, which his team won.  Unfortunately that night he got drunk at the street dance, got into a fist fight and was arrested for being a minor in possession.  Now he has to go to court and as his parent, I have to go with him.  What should I do?  - Myself

Dear Myself -
I sucked it UP! and went to court.  I was so proud of him...not. (and yes, that really IS the kid that did this to me in the above photo.  FWIW he spent more than he won on the fine and learned his lesson.)
Redneck Cowgirl

So what do you think?  Do I have a great future or WHAT!!!  Send in your questions! (just not too hard a question.  My life experiences are limited here North of Nowhere).

Talking Photo Play

Talking Photos - go to demo

Here's what you do when you are procrastinating --  It's windy, blustery and cool here at North of Nowhere in Wyoming.  I have to go to town and do some garage cleaning at our house in town.  I am so dreading looking forward to it.  So I've been on the net.......

The foal is our little buckskin lady from this summer.  AFS Ryder Hi Brida.  Isn't she cute?  And she really does kinda have a cutsie lovely disposition.  Have fun and go play around with talking photos.

The Summer of Noda Nuff

Oh Fall is almost here officially (and actually probably arrived a week ago in Wyoming as the cottonwoods are starting to turn) and this was certainly the Summer of Not Enough of

Time to Work with green horses

Camping on the Mountain

Or sitting around enjoying a campfire

Or Riding

Petting the new foals

And definitely Not Enough S'Mores

 or

Playing with the granddaughter!

And Definitely Too Much of

Slaving over a hot stove (campfires not included!)

Housework (need I say More????)

and WORK!!! Definitely too much.

Therefore I am officially putting 2011 on Notice that there will be More Camping, Riding, Petting the 2010 foals, S'mores and Granddaughter!  Housework, cooking and my job will be put on hold indefinitely or until I am a)broke and b)conditions become too unsanitary or c)hungry.!!!!!

I KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN!

Sometimes Camping is just exhausting!

Aunt L Was there when I woke up.  I really like my Aunt L.  She's a Real Cowgirl.

And Nana had a New Helmet and New Boots Ready!

 

Hey Nana! It Fits!  Now Where's the Boots?

 

Okay, got the boots on but I'm still a tad tired.

 

But I perked right up when Dad showed up with a horse.  Daddy took me for a short ride. It was scary at first, but I wanted to do it.   The very first thing I said the next morning to my Daddy was Ride the Horse! 

 

And I wasn't scared at all.  I liked it...a Lot!

Grandpa rode Ratchet and Daddy & I rode Fizz. Charlie the Schnauzer went too!

I did other fun stuff too, like swinging in the swing Grandpa put up for me in the tree.

Digging in the dirt was a hit too.

 And what's camping without s'mores????

Yeah Horse Patch Camp was a lot of fun.  But how did Nana know I about ready to ride a horse? (Hey, Nana's been down this road with quite a few kids, she knew.)

And now a word from Nana.  Horses are big AND scarey.  Never force a child to ride a horse.  They have to want to do it. And please please never put your child on a horse - ANY horse without a properly fitted equestrian helmet.  Head injuries are the #1 serious injury from horseback riding. I know, the old photos of my kids-no helmets.  But now I am older and wiser plus the helmets are more available, better built and reasonably priced.
My granddaughter's helmet was a small dial-a-fit.  Don't put your child on a horse with dangling jewelry, tied hood strings or anything that can hang up on the saddle and prevent them from getting off if they need to in an emergency.  Don't put laced up boots on them, slip on type ropers are the best so small feet can fall out. 
Never let your small child walk up to a horse alone and NEVER let them walk behind a horse.   

Make Safety a Priority -- and Now Let's Go Ride!