Dad, the rampant writer

You know rampant, right? Ever thought about the origins or the wordstring of it? Rampage comes to mind. I like it. It fits. Except for the violent aspect of Webster's definition, Dad is on the rampage. He is writing like a wild man. Like a madman. Like a banchee. Like a forest fire on the wind. Oops, I think I am getting carried away here.

Anyhow, Dad is writing like crazy. He has 3 novels in his head right now. And he's working on each of them every day. There's the one that is very nearly finished and in need of fine tuning -- Crow Woman on Deadman.

The one that he wrote over 10 years ago, and just needs some updating and revision--Dragons of Fire. Or as I call it, John Wayne and the chinese maiden.

And the new one. The one that has no name yet, but is percolating in his head day and night. The one where he comes in and sits down and says, I'm afraid we have to kill Jesse. Rachel Rodriquez's little brother Jesse. Oh, and the horse. We have to have the old guy on the porch shoot Virgil's broken down horse. For kindness, to put the old nag out of its misery. And how about some flirting. Or, as I called it, sexual tension.

I think we are going to go to Cody today. And take some pictures. And do some research. That's our new category... for just about everything we do these days...research. If we are watching a movie, it's research. You know, listening to dialogue, noting the scenery and transferring it into words, and studying interactions. And reading. It's more than reading now, it's noticing the phrasing, the conversation, the punctuation, and chapter separations. And driving about. Dad says he has to take more pictures. His latest novel is set in Greybull, so we're going to have to go to Greybull and take pictures of the old railroad and the hills, etc, so he can get it right. Research. I like it.

Oh, it's interesting living with a writer.

Sew what? or Howe Sew?

I am really going over the edge here with this word play. But it's my blog, so I guess I can do whatever I want to here.






I have been sewing this week. Yup. After ignoring my sewing machine for almost a whole year---maybe even 4 years, if you don't count the occasional quilt seaming--I got caught by the sewing bug. I think it's Fallon's fault. She is so darn cute, and I read that she is growing out of her clothes. What better time than to see if a couple of little jumpers and a sundress might be useful. So here they are:

I got carried away in the sundress, because it was just so adorable. I think it was the ruffles in the back...can you see them? And the bow to be tied around her neck in back. Anyway, I made matching panties and a sunhat to go with it! Can you see them?
It may not be useful yet....maybe in the spring, summer to come. We will see. Because the trick is, unless you have a dress form, or a person to try pieces on, it's anybody's guess if the clothing will fit.

I know this for a fact, because I used the measurements on the pattern to make myself a shirt this week. It was huge. I took it all apart and cut the pattern pieces down 2 sizes! And resewed it. Then I decided I didn't like the pattern at all--it was too voluminous in its design, so I cut it all apart a second time, and made the little flowered jumper you see in the pictures. It will look so much better on Fallie, than it did on me. (Poor Dad, asked me if I was going to go work in a pharmacy, and he was being nice and cheery. Little did he know that it was an arrow to the heart.....and that he was right. It was a very large smock like shirt--so that pattern is now in the trash.) So, I am nervous about little Fallie's clothes. I think next time I will get something she is wearing, or something the same size and use it to compare/test as I sew.

And although this all sounds like an arduous time, with the exception of the "smock" I enjoyed myself. And the smaller the clothing, the quicker it sews up! That's why there are 3 dresses for Fallon. And I discovered that it's all just sewing a seam.( Oh, except for the buttonholes....why won't my machine make buttonholes?????!!!??? I tried 11 times to make the buttonholes on the flowered dress, and finally had to finish handsewing them.) So, I just won't make anything with buttonholes. Easy enough. But I liked the notion of taking pretty fabric and making it into something wearable. And since I have a bunch of fabric and some patterns, I was able to make myself 2 blouses and Fallie 3 dresses without spending a penny.

Hmmmm. I noticed my most often repeated money phrase ends with "spending a penny." Do you have phrases like that? That just naturally come out of your mouth? Some people would say, it didn't cost me a dime or a nickel, or a dollar. I guess I just like the sound of the word penny. Whenever I think of the word dime I think of Martha's "diamonds." Still after all these years....dimes and diamonds.


Ok. I'm back from that. I think I have been inspired by Erin and by Emily. I was reading Erin's Motherbird website entries in the sewing category. Then I started studying her sewing website. Erin, you make it all look so easy....and then, you try it and find out it can be easy! How lovely is that!

We stopped on our way home from CA to visit Emily in Provo at the Red Robin. I made Dad take pictures of her as our waitress. Isn't she gorgeous!
So, back to the topic:
So Emily, who loves her sewing machine (she told me so when I visited her this summer) is scoping out thrift stores for basic clothing to rework. What a brilliant idea. How come I never thought of that? Erin had mentioned to me that she buys men's shirts at the thrift store for their good quality fabric and reworks them also. Brilliant! The economy of their thinking is so totally brilliant!

When I get back to civilization (I think this is going to be my new phrase...don't anybody be offended, please) I think I will make visiting thrift stores for the purpose of expanding my fabric options a new game. I've visited them for so many different purposes over the years, but never this one. A new hobby and a new search.