Tag Archives: Winter Range

Whats Happening?!

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Plenty apparently! We had a great club match with The Gamblers weekend before last. It was hot, sweaty but still fun unlike our Winter Range cowboy’s and cowgirl’s who were competing for the US National Championship this week. They endured thunderstorms, hail, rain and freezing temperatures from snow falls in surrounding hill areas.

Suffice to say that despite us really wanting to be there for it, perhaps it was just as well. We couldn’t be happier for all those who finished well and survived this year. Congratulations to you all, and to Holy Terror and Cody James for taking top mens and ladies overall!!

I’ve finally got into a ‘normal’ routine. Don’t laugh, y’all know I’m not normal. Back into exercise, sewing and finding a purpose. Have been assisting The Gamblers with a new website and the upcoming match. Jack’s been reloading and building our outdoor table in between coughing up a lung this week. I finished a corset and am set for some more!!

Our gear is almost here from Oklahoma, which means treasures await with my machines!!! Its in port and just waiting for it to get out of quarantine.

Cyclone Oma appears to have been and gone, leaving some awesome waves for surfers but destruction of the beaches. Winds were high but all in all, we got bugger all rain out of it and she seemed to pass on without a care.

View from the Mermaid Beach Surf Life Saving Club last Thursday.

 

Bottom pic is a panorama view of Surfers Paradise around to Coolangatta from the centre of Mermaid Beach.

Speaking of last Thursday, landed my self a little job outside the house! Yep, first shift tomorrow and raring to go.

Anyhooo, its time to write up the list of things to do tomorrow and head for some shut eye.

Hope you have had a great week too!

Kat xo

When In Texas….

Posted on by kathousekelli70

It's go bold, go big or go home! Lol!

So here I present the 'I Love Texas' outfit that I made for Pistol Packin' Pami.

You would have seen it boldly worn at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix at Winter Range 2018! (Tuesday over there)

Others desiring this similar theme were a little disappointed when I said I couldn't do a corset for them because 'somebody else' was already getting it.

Pami wanted a Texas flag corset incorporated with blue bonnets and the main part to be like the flag. We put our heads together and came up with the star embroidered on the blue, the red and white on the left as per the flag – perfect – and at the back the two middle sections would be white and feature the Texas state flower, the Bluebonnet. (The 'lupinus texensis' the bluebonnet was adopted as the official state flower by the Texas legislature in 1901)

 

Pami, being a colourful character who I treasure, loves colour and so we went with a red top with a small blue and a white frill in a style she is familiar with.

 

Her flamenco styled skirt in red features a blue frill with white embroidered stars, the white frill has a smaller version of the blue bonnets and a plain red frill – see where I went with that? Keeping it in similar order to the flag itself.

 

With, of course, a quick little headpiece to boot!

 

The final product and one very happy cowgirl! You look amazing my friend, can't wait to see more photos of you in this outfit on range.

 

Somebody please post more pic's on Facebook so I can see it in all her glory!

Kat xo

 

That’ll be the day!

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Said John Wayne as Ethan Edwards in “The Searchers” (1956) and that's exactly what I thought when Petticoat Parker asked if I'd seen any John Wayne inspired fabric.

'Whoa, take 'er easy there pilgrim' I thought (John Wayne as Tom Doniphon in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)) I've never seen any John Wayne fabric but I sure was going to see if I could find anything like it for her.

I did! To my wonder and surprise Spoonflower had two designs featuring John Wayne. So therefore, Petticoat Parker's corset, matching reticule and Red River Raider's matching arm bands came to be!

Now if you haven't kept up with what's going on here, in a months time, Winter Range begins and this year the theme is John Wayne movies. So I just had to find fabric appropriate for her gear.

'Slap some bacon on a biscuit and let's go! We're burnin' daylight!' – as Wil Anderson in “The Cowboys” (1972). They are done and already in her hot little hands!

 

Wish I could be there but keep your eye out for these little beauties on the range in Phoenix! Go check out Winter Range, at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility Feb19th-25th, 2018. 700 or more shooters, Fastdraw and Mounted Shooting included.

 

Kat xo

 

Winter Range Wrap Up

Posted on by kathousekelli70

The week began with Sunday being somewhat wet and miserable still with folks hoping it would dry out ready for Winter Range to start last Monday.

Heading out to the range later that day to register and pick up packs, it as sunny but cool and the waddies were desperately trying to create drains around vendor tents and pump water off ranges.

 

Monday and Tuesday were for Wild Bunch. Ten stages were done, along with some long range side match and speed. Our posse for Wild Bunch was Half-A-Hand Henri, Long Swede, Dixie Bell, Constable Nelson, Rooster Cockburn, Medicine Creek Johnny, Big Foot Billy, Deadwood Fred, Wolf Gang, Haole, Paniola Annie, Kid Rich, Shirttail Bess, Mad Dog Mark, Mar-Lynn, Matchlock, Ottercreek Bushwacker, Yellowstone Vic, Flyin' Shootist, Brushy Creek Bill, and Major Pain.

 

Tuesday afternoon was spent helping out with the Doily Gang Clinic, giving some coaching to ladies wanting to improve their transitions. I Posse'd with Dixie Bell and Whirlwind Wendy and we had 10 beautiful ladies to teach. I spoke to a few of them throughout the week and seems all are happy to have taken away something from the clinic and are excited about their matches.

Wednesday, it's warm up, side matches (which we didn't do this year), shopping, eating, catching up with more cowboys and the opening ceremonies. The fly over of 11 war birds lead by Lt. Col Scratch in his Nang Chang was spectacular and I bet those Cowboys that were chosen to go for a ride were absolutely loving it!

 

Thursday, Friday and Saturday were main match days. Four stages each and at the end of the 12, Jack and I were pretty satisfied with how we had shot our matches and would eagerly wait to hear the results. We had a great Posse, Posse 30! Alvira Sullivan Earp and Virgil Earp (our Aussie friends), Bois D'Arc and Tacky Jackie (Oklahoma friends), Chugwater One Shot, Coal Train, High Country, Honest Henry, J.B. Corn (and his lovely wife Aurora who kept all our scores for us), Just Marshall, Kerman Kid, Lazlo Scarr, Little Joe Dalton, Marshal Law, Pill Peddler, Sgt. StroDog, Standpat Steve, Valrico Kid and of course Jack and myself.

 

Friday night was Saloon night and this year they had craps tables, black jack, Texas hold 'em and the infamous Doc Holliday (we saw him when visiting Tombstone a few times) with his Faro table and regaling people with his stories. You handed your chips in, when you were ready to leave, in exchange for prize tickets of which I was lucky enough to win a voucher with Wild West Mercantile!

 

Saturday is of course the day of relief I guess, the match is done and everyone now gets to enjoy the Banquet and side match awards. Costume contest is on and I had the pleasure of being a judge this year. I stepped aside from my judging duties for Pea Patch to step in when a couple of ladies presented in costumes I had made for them. Costume Judges this year were myself, Goodness Grace, Cowtown Scout, Skinny and Capt.

 

The shoot off participants for Wild Bunch and cowboy were announced. Making it into the sweet sixteen with 3 other Lady Wranglers meant it was going to be a close match for us all.

 

This brings us to yesterday, I had one run in the shootout with fellow Lady Wrangler and my main competition Echo Meadows. She shot well and made it through to the next round after I left 3 plates up.

For the Ladies the shootout was won by Molly Magoo and for the Men's, Slick McClade.

So onto the awards and first up the SASS Wild Bunch presented the Wooly Award to the Winter Range Board for their 2016 match.

For Wild Bunch, the overall winners were Captain Sam Evans for Men and Texas Tiger for the Ladies. Jackaroo placed 9th for Wild Bunch Senior Modern and I finished 3rd in Ladies Traditional.

This year's Cowboy match had 111 people from 749 shoot a clean match! That's no misses, no procedurals etc! Outstanding effort and was achieved by three of the Aussie's – Frank James, Renegade Ty and Rooster Cockburn.

Out of the 10 Australians participating, 8 of them (sorry if you did too Renegade Ty but I didn't catch that one) placed in their categories. Constable Nelson, 8th Place in Forty Niners. Frank James, 9th Place in Senior. Alvira Sullivan Earp, 5th Place in Ladies Silver Senior. KC Woody, 7th Place in Senior Gunfighter.

Jackaroo finished 7th Place in Silver Senior and 60th overall! He shot a great match and wasn't too far off me.

I'm ecstatic, I achieved my goal for this match finishing 1st Place Lady Wrangler, 2nd Lady overall and placed 57th overall.


AND the 2017 Winter Range US National Champions overall with a huge congratulations goes to SASS Kicker for the Ladies and Deuce Stevens for the Men.

Here's congratulations to all the competitors who placed at Winter Range and we will see you again somewhere down the road for the next one.

Kat xo

 

All Done and Dusted

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Just a quick one before I get changed up from shooting into Victorian loveliness.

It's been a great week of sunshine and clear skies, we couldn't have asked for more!

 

Around 760 shooters will now be eagerly awaiting the outcome tomorrow. It's been another awesome Winter Range and it will be what it will be. Good luck to all the shooters and hope you have achieved what you came here to do.

To all the new and first time participants I hope you have thoroughly enjoyed your time at Winter Range and for those who haven't been yet – never be afraid to go to a big match!!

Tonight will be side match awards, shindig, costume contest and announcement of Top 16 Mens and Ladies!

Cheers!

Kat xo