Category Archives: SASS

SASS

Saturday…What More Can I Say?

Posted on by kathousekelli70

I don't think too many of us performed at any sort of fantastic shooting ability (except for Winchester who took out first place, cogratulations) today but did well at getting up to more cheek than necessary.

With only 3 women shooting today, we got up to more no good than usual and certainly enjoyed ourselves doing so. 😉

Mostly Pearl Starr and myself giggling on the sidelines or in the background!

 

A few cheeky comments thrown in for good measure with Prairie Joy.

 

Well maybe this group was up to no good too or telling lies!

 

Jack also managed to have a short play just with pistols to check his form. He wasn't particularly happy about speed but hello! He hit all the targets AND it's still early days buddy. All in good time, all in good time.

 

Great stages again by Mad Dog Tannen, no procedural for me today, so that was a plus but still a few too many misses for my liking and 8 stuck in the rifle……ouch!!


Everyone had fun and by 4.00pm we had finished 6 stages.

Dinner, drinks and more banter ensued. Gotta love any day out on the range!

Kat xo

 

B-Western

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Miss 19 asked me one day, “Mum what is B-Western?” Well I could explain to her what it meant for Single Action shooters by way of category, dress, firearms etc but what did it really mean?

Now I also knew it related to the silver screen era, John Wayne, Tom Mix, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and the like. So a little research got me looking further at the term.

In short, (because we don't need the full explanation on here) film production in the late 1920's and into the 1930's and 40's saw the double billing or short inexpensive films added to fill a program. Mostly due to rental of space to show a film and therefore to make it worthwhile not only for theatre goers but for the management and staff.

Western movies were said to be the most predominant in the 30's and accounted for 25-30% of production. Therefore the term, B-Western!

However, costume wise, it is all about the smiley pockets, piping, fringing, different coloured cuffs and yokes, bright coloured fabrics, embroidery and a little bit of bling thrown in for good measure.

There are many fine examples of such with the most revered being those created by Nudie Cohn. In particular to the country music artists over many years.

I found these little gems on some Grand Old Opry dvd's borrowed from 'Emerald'. Priceless! I'm sure I recognised one outfit on a DVD that we saw at the Ryman Auditorium when we were there in 2014.

This one of Ernest Ashworth wearing his 'Talkback Trembling Lips' outfit that matched his song! What a classic! Blinged up bars of music, the writing and of course the lips across it.

 

I think it was this one of Porter Wagoner's we may have seen at the Ryman or at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

 

In the realm of costuming I have completed a few B-Western outfits now and think there will be more to come.

Here is 'Lil McGill' from Texas, in her Annie Oakley inspired outfit (as worn by Gail Davis in the tv series of Annie Oakley in the 1950's). We saw the original on display at the Oklahoma National Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame and it just had to become an outfit for Lil! She won best dressed B-Western Lady at the 2015 US Nationals – Winter Range, 2015 World Championships – End Of Trail and then the trifecta, 2015 South West Regionals – Red Dirt Rampage.

(2nd Place, Sonora Blaze, 3rd Place, Paniola Annie)

 

Our Aussies can be partial to a bit of B-Western flair as well and when 'Katie Younger' and 'Robb and Co' hit the USA in 2015 they wanted an Australian themed get up. So National emblem and flower with kangaroo's, Southern Cross and the Australian flag were the order. They won 2nd Place Best Dressed Couple at the 2015 World Championships – End of Trail. Katie has the first B-Western outfit I ever made in a red and black combo.

 

'Sonora Blaze' from Colorado also required a show stopper and we got to doing this Dale Evans inspired number but in the turquoise instead of the original coral colour. Sonora won 2nd Place Best Dressed at the 2016 US Nationals – Winter Range.

 

'Flat Top Okie' from Oklahoma, required a shirt to match the boots he'd bought and after searching for the right colour fabric came up with the perfect match! Add in some custom styled design and a little bit of bling and there you have it.

 

And so we come to the latest creation in this genre. Another beautiful outfit for 'Lil McGill' with bits of a Patsy Cline outfit and inspiration from Annie Get Your Gun costumes for Betty Hutton, Lil will be the ultimate ray of sunshine getting around the range in this number! There are a couple of things left to do, like pearl snaps, embroidered triangles for pockets and careful trimming of embroidery threads but I can't wait to see this one decked out with Lil's final touches!

 

Bling it if you can!

Kat xo

P.S. Weirdly, I am looking forward to more smiley pocket experimentation, I think I nailed it on Lil's skirt. Have to do pockets on shirt now!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_movie

http://www.nudiesrodeotailor.com

 

Chance For Practice

Posted on by kathousekelli70

We found out that a cowboy club match was happening up at Belmont near Brisbane today. So with a chance to get in a practice and the last shoot for Jack for a while we decided to go up to the Metro.

Just a straight forward range, set up with a couple of stages, there were 9 of us turned up to shoot 5 stages with Carter Moss.

Here are the results from today, a good win for Jack! (aka Ricochet in Aus)

 

Good luck to all the Aussie's heading over to New Zealand for the Trans Tasman, Duel Down Under. Kick some butt and bring the trophy back home!

Kat xo

 

 

Gold Coast Gamblers Club Champs

Posted on by kathousekelli70

The beginning of Feb saw a group of Cowboys and Cowgirls get together for the Gold Coast Gamblers Club Championships for 2015.

It was a hot and humid day for the 23 that showed up for some fun and action.

 

Five stages were shot and then it was time for pack up, dinner, bragging, drinks and awards.

It came down to inlaws and outlaws – seeing as there were some that weren't club members.

Jack and I were both awarded our trophies for our category wins in the Pat Garrett Champs. For the Club Champs, Jack finished 2nd in Seniors and 8th overall. I finished 1st in Lady Wrangler and 2nd overall.

 

As usual it was lots of fun, laughter and having digs at each other.

Congratulations to the overall Club Champions (the inlaws) for 2015 being Mad Dog Tannen for the Men's and Trixie for the Ladies!

 

They deal in lead friend,

Kat xo

 

Guerilla? Or Just an Outlaw

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Jesse James was one of the most famous or infamous outlaws of the American west – robbing stage coaches, banks, trains, and leader of the James-Younger gang.

Why am I talking about Jesse James you might ask? And where does the guerilla bit come into it?

Well, once upon a time, in a land far far away….lol, no simple really. Jesse and his brother Frank James were confederate guerrilla's (also known as bushwackers). Road Runner, fellow Okie when we are there, requested a Jesse James guerrilla shirt.

With eyebrows slightly raised, of course I accepted the challenge and had him send me a picture. (As seen below)

 

Not hard really, finally found fabric that would drape nicely in the required grey, a simple black bias binding should work and found some studs that could replicate the trim.

It came time in the book to get onto this one and so I fiddled around with a pattern and created the very simple oversized guerilla shirt with slanted rounded pockets. Ta dah! Road Runner's guerilla shirt.

(Hmm they could actually have had more slant on the pockets now seeing it on the mannequin, noticeable when it's laying flat)

These shirts with their pockets shaped like that apparently made for ease of carrying extra ammo and accessibility to it. (so I've heard)

Personally I'm thinking that if you are galloping around on a horse at break neck speed you might lose it but then I thought about the drape of the fabric and figured it might well stay put due to the weight of the ammo.

The guerrilla shirts were often made by wives or sweethearts, some were elaborately embroidered, some plain, some with a placket and collar, made from various fabrics and patterns. According to civil war websites the shirts originated in Missouri but were similarly worn down through Texas.

Here are some more examples worn by the Duvall brothers and Bloody Bill Anderson.

 

All very different indeed!

And the whole guerrilla story with William C Quantrill and Bloody Bill Anderson is a tale for another day.

Cheers

Kat xo

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_James#Quantrill.27s_Raiders

http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/civil_war_history/v058/58.2.beilein.pdf

http://civilwartalk.com/threads/the-guerrilla-shirt.26529/

 

Australian Nationals 2015

Posted on by kathousekelli70

A quick trip to Harrington, catching up with an old friend from school (Heidi was the cool friend with red gym boots!) and we made the trek south again to Newcastle staying another fun filled night with a certain little princess sporting her new Frozen dance skirt.

Monday we headed to the range and over the next few days got stuck into 'building' in the bunkhouse. We finished lining it with timber panels, beading, installing shelving and a new corner to the existing, sort-of-a-shelf. We made and installed coat racks, cutting 3 from the old one and making another 5.

The sewing machine also came in handy for hemming curtains for the window, dressing room and showers.

 

We got the guns back into our hands and got the muscle memory happening and seemed reasonably happy with a practice. Things were looking okay.

Come Thursday the campers are definitely rolling in and the fun is beginning, side matches and Warm Up match were held on a particularly warm Friday! 42C/108F

Beers, catch ups and posse marshal walk through was done and dusted.

94 shooters fronted up Saturday and Sunday with, thankfully, cooler and sensible shooting weather days. 6 stages held each day. Movement, reloads, and good stage design.

Don't know what it was though but with only 2 clean shooters for the match, the rest of us had too many misses!

However, we had a great Posse and paired up with Posse 4 we had as much fun as you could get! Posse 3 and 4 – myself, Jackaroo/Ricochet, Chuckwagon and my Margarita Sista Pearl Starr, Gopher, Squints, Kitty Pearl and Sidewinder Sam, Dam Sam, Walker, Tom Mix, Henry Moon, S.O.B., Hoodoo Brown, Tin Star, Black Jack, Holy Ollie, and Sodbuster – if I have it right. (First time I haven't taken a photo of our posse list so I did get it right)

Saturday night we had the shindig and gambling.

 

Then Sunday it was all over bar the shouting. Jack finished 1st in Senior and 6th overall. I finished 1st in Lady Wrangler, 2nd Lady and 8th overall. There was 1 rank point and 0.07sec between Jack and I.

Above photo's courtesy of S.Sedger.

A big congratulations to RC Shot and Jazzi Jess, Men's and Ladies Overall Champions for this years 2015 Australian National Championship!

Congrats!

Kat xo

 

Sign Up!

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Red Dirt Rampage is coming! You'll see this at the front gate when you enter the range for it.

My poor knees and one hip are feeling it from being on the floor but this gem is now finished and ready for installation! Yee haa!

 

Oh, just remembered lacquering to be done yet but that's shed work.

Back to the sewing machine tomorrow! Yippee! 🙂

Have a good one!

Kat xo

 

Ah, Tis The Good Life

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Back into today with a club match at OKC Gun Club with the Territorial Marshals. A pleasant day had 52 shooters show up for 6 fun stages and lunch.

Was great to catch up with all our friends again.

Then it's back to washing, painting, loading, cleaning brass and having a brew at the Big Horn Saloon. Haa haa haa!

 

Oh and don't forget the Territorial Marshals are hosting the SASS SW Regional – Red Dirt Rampage. We wish we could be here for it! 😦

Cheers!

Kat xo

http://cowboy.okcgunclub.org/reddirt/reddirt.html

 

Magic In The Valley

Posted on by kathousekelli70

This years Idaho State Championships hosted by The Snake River Western Shooting Society presented Magic In The Valley – Magic Medicine Show.

 

One of their members Idaho Calliope Kid built a little medicine man wagon and the ladies, Missy Mable (also Match Director), Sweet Harmony and a few others (I'm sorry I don't have their names) came up with some priceless medicinal labels for bottles of varying shapes and sizes which became the side match and costume prizes.

 

The stages were well written, based around various medicinal concoctions and remedies from back in the 1800's. There were little signs almost everywhere and their decorating of stages definitely added to the atmosphere.

Thursday was side match day that started with a 1911 match, then we had speed events and onto warm up match. After shooting the 1911, hands were back into single action mode and ready to go.

 

Friday's 6 stages went well, great weather, great posse. Our Posse – Allen Street Contessa, Colter's Girl, Idaho Bad Company, Idaho Dusty Dawn, Idaho White Rider, Jackaroo, Kathouse Kelli, Kid Colter, Li'l Shotz, Marshal Stone, Missy Mable, Pintail Bandita, Silver Shadow and Twelve Mile Reb. Clean for me and 1 miss for Jack.

After lunch we had couples – real and odd – and then a four man team event. Jack and I won the couples, Colorado Blackjack and I were 2nd in the odd couples. Jackaroo, Waddell Red, Sweet Harmony and Idaho Shady Layne won 2nd place in the team event.

 

Friday afternoon we hung around, cleaned guns and the car whilst waiting for a visit at the airport. Airport? You ask. Well here's why.

One of the cowboy shooters, Lefty Way, works for a company called Airpower Unlimited, and is part of a restoration team for old planes.

Yes, I'm talking Corsair's, Mustang's and more.

He took a handful of us to go see a Corsair they have been restoring. There is also a Mustang sitting in the shed. Well pilots, and wanna be pilots drool. The guys loved it and asked all the technical questions and even for Second Fiddle Sue and I, it was a sight to behold.

The Corsair is one of around 30-40 Corsairs left in the world, (most were used for the series Baa Baa Black Sheep if you've seen it, we haven't) having spent most of its time in Hawaii it didn't actually see war time as such. Now it is privately owned and once fully restored will go back to its owner in Washington (?) to his museum and personal flight enjoyment.

 

It is also one of the last models of the series to be made with 3 blades. Her paint work has been colour matched and finished to the original Fed specs/technical order. During WWII there were around 12,000 made.

Lefty said it is one of the most complex aircraft they work on, even compared to the Mustang's. They've been working on this one on and off for 11 and a half years – approx 38,000 man hours so far.

It was spectacular, thanks Lefty Way! As you can imagine Jack thoroughly enjoyed it and had to get a picture with the Mustang as this is what his Dad flew during WWII in England.

 

Anyway, back to our featured program.

Saturday and we get into the last day, 6 stages. Same finish, Jack 1 miss and me clean! Yippee! Only 3rd clean match ever, actually maybe 4th, think I had one clean match at Chisholm Trail (AUS).

 

Saturday night was banquet and awards.

Jack finished 3rd in Senior, congrats to 1st Place, Jeremiah Jonathon; 2nd Place, JT Wild; 4th Place, Gem Hunter and 5th Place, Mizpah Pete.

For Lady Wrangler, I finished 1st Place and a big congratulations to 2nd Place, Sweet Harmony; 3rd Place, Ruby Q Hammer and 4th Place, Colter's Girl.

Top honours overall went to Colorado Blackjack 1st Place, Kuna 2nd Place and the Idaho State Mens Champion and Twelve Mile Reb 3rd Place. I finished 1st Lady overall in 9th place and Jack finished 11th overall. Finishing 17th overall and Idaho State Ladies Champion is Belinda Belle. Congratulations to all who played!

 

Sunday was the shootout won by JT Wild for the men's, Tadpole for the juniors and myself for the ladies.

However, I am embarrassed to say that it should have been Missy Mable. The video ref says so when Jack and I watched it back (I nearly died), an absent minded moment which should have been called on by the spotters and declared by myself, so I put in a call of apology to Missy Mable. That's what cowboys and cowgirls should do, it's the cowboy way. 'Nuf said.

Once again a hearty congratulations to all those with the Snake River Western Shooting Society for putting on an entertaining, well put together match. We thoroughly enjoyed it and the perfect shooting weather! It truly was magic!

Cheers

Kat xo

http://www.idahocas.com

http://www.airpowerunlimited.net

 

What’s Next?

Posted on by kathousekelli70

So we have been back from End Of Trail now for almost 2 weeks.

In that time it's been busy clearing washing, folding and ironing, for Jack, cleaning and reloading for the next trip, and of course a couple of club matches thrown in good measure and getting to the gym and swimming.

Then to the new fabric choices on the board, sorting out what needs to be cut, sewn, drafted, ordered and put into production.

It certainly has been a busy couple of weeks.

– finished making a bustle skirt and corset – sent!

– 2 vaquero suits underway, passementerie trim arrived and patterns half sorted in my head from photos.

– 2 reticule's made aka small hand bag or if you are Jack – a shell bag for brass……no comment.

– 8 corsets at varying stages of production on the table. Extra steel has now arrived for completion.

– 1 bar keep's apron.

Ready to cut out – 1 split skirt, 2 shirts, 1 pr bloomers, 1 pr pants.

 

Find fabric for – 1 civil war bodice, 3 corsets, 1 b-western outfit, 2 b-western shirts….and that's only a part of it.

Oh, and just a small portion of embroidery to be done.

But you know what, it's not a chore. Everything is different, I love it and can't wait for the next project.

This next trip though the sewing machine will be going with me to do some portion whilst enjoying some of the Midwest highlights of this great country.

This week coming we will be heading back up through to Colorado to Nunn and then spend a couple of days with Aspen Filly before heading through to Cheyenne, Wyoming and beyond.

Check out the 'Where Along The Trail' on the website to see the schedule.

See you on the trail!!

Kat xo