Fiona McGier, EroticRomance Author

Creative Outlets I Enjoy

4/21/2021

Obviously, one of my favorite creative outlets is writing. I've subbed for lots of art classes in high schools over the years, but I tell the kids I don't have any visual arts abilities. I create with words. I always have characters in my head, and whatever I experience or view or read can make my mind race ahead with another story line. I've realized that once I write the end in a book, that group of characters is silent. Then the others start to talk loudly, and I'm off on another writing tear.
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I also like to crochet. My daughter teases me, telling me I'm such a gramma, because I bring my bag o' yarn and my crochet hook where-ever I go. I don't watch TV, I just listen to it, because I'm working on an afghan. When I'm sitting around with family, talking, I'm looking down mostly, because I'm crocheting. This is my second grandson with the baby-sized blanket I made for him. My son and DIL tell me that he's like Linus in the Peanuts cartoon, and his gamma goes with him everywhere. If his is in the wash, he'll settle for the one I made his older brother--but only temporarily. His older brother now has a big boy blanket for his twin bed.

I figure that over the past few years, I've made almost 50 afghans, of varying sizes, for my four kids, as well as their S.O.s. I've also made them for my nieces and nephews, for my sister-in-law, and for my close friends. I tell them all that when they feel blue, they should wrap themselves in the afghan I made for them, and that's me, giving them a hug.
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I've been sewing since I was old enough to thread a needle. Over the years I've made clothing for myself, as well as Halloween costumes for all of my kids when they were young. Lately I've spent months sewing masks for my children and my relatives and friends. These are just a few of the ones I've made. During my college years, I spent two years working at an alterations place. So I can alter clothing, as well as construct it. Mom taught me how to sew, and I still use her 1948 Singer sewing machine. I've got a picture of her smiling at me, right above it.
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And I can't forget about baking. I'm an okay cook, and I can follow recipes to make muffins and cookies. But it's pies that I'm known for. On the tab of my website marked Pies, I give you my never-fail pie crust recipe, along with the fillings for many of my family's favorite pies. There's nothing better than a pie, still warm from the oven, after you've smelled it baking for an hour! Sour cherry pie is my favorite--I just made one for my husband's recent birthday. And yes, it looked this good!

CONTEST!! Visit my Pies page and tell me which kind looks the best to you, or which one you'd like to try to make. I'll draw a couple of names from the comments I get--those two winners will get a coupon for a free download of For the Love of His Life, in which the heroine bakes pies!
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So what kinds of creative outlets do other author's have? Click this link to find out! Enjoy!

Lydia link

4/21/2021 08:43:37 am

Your hobbies are so practical. Someday I'd love to learn to sew and crochet.

My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-creative-outlets-i-enjoy/#comment-54743

Fiona McGier link

4/21/2021 12:32:55 pm

Hi Lydia--thanks for dropping in. The funny thing is I was an at-home mom for much of my kids' early years. In the moms groups I joined, we'd debate whether or not you could still be a feminist, if you were an at-home mom. I said yes, because the difference is in how you view the world--and inculcate that view into your kids. Mine are all feminists--even my sons--but then, so is their dad. But still I enjoy the "domestic arts." Just don't expect me to clean house! Vacuuming is against my religion! LOL.

Michael Mock link

4/21/2021 02:31:13 pm

Those actually sound like fun. I haven't done a lot of sewing - and certainly not recently - but as a teen I used to collect patches and sew them onto the jacket. I still have it, somewhere...

Fiona McGier link

4/21/2021 03:05:13 pm

Thanks for visiting, Michael.

That's so cool that you've done some sewing! I sew patches from places we've camped at on jeans jackets. I've moved my husbands once already, to a new jacket when the first one wore out. I've done that for one of our sons also. But it's tedious work.

Judy Thomas link

4/21/2021 03:24:33 pm

Thanks for stopping by. And, I'm so going to put your never fail pie crust to the test. My grandmama made great pie crusts, but I've never been able to (and my hubby much prefers pies to cakes). And, I hear you about crocheting! re: sewing, I've not done as much recently, but when my youngest daughter was in high school, I made her a Japanese kimono for a class presentation.

Fiona McGier link

4/22/2021 02:55:32 pm

Thanks for stopping by, Judy. My mom made her pie crusts with lard--bleah! I tried butter, margarine, and a combo, before I finally "caved" and asked my MIL what she used for her flaky crusts. She told me Crisco. I was horrified! Trans-fatty acids are in Crisco! She gave me "a look", and said, "You don't eat pie every day, do you?" I realized that yes, it's a treat. Once I read a pastry chef say that his secret was putting a tsp. of baking powder into his crusts, I finalized my never-fail recipe. Hope you like it!

You sewed a Japanese kimono? Way cool!

Patrick Prescott link

4/21/2021 04:07:56 pm

My mother used to crochet.

Fiona McGier link

4/22/2021 02:56:53 pm

Thanks for coming by, Patrick. Mom actually taught me how to both knit and crochet when I was young. But she liked knitting more, and I preferred crocheting. To each their own, right?

Marianne Arkins link

4/21/2021 05:03:35 pm

I have a crocheted afghan my mom made, and it's one of my greatest treasures. It's a lovely hobby!

Fiona McGier link

4/22/2021 02:58:49 pm

Thanks for popping in, Marianne. I have one my mom made for me also--she made it with double yarn, so it's extra warm, because she was always cold. But I'm usually warm, so I don't use it much. Which means it's still new-looking, despite being over 20 years old! My daughter gets it out of the cedar chest every time she visits.

Shari Elder link

4/21/2021 05:45:57 pm

I love how all your creative outlets allow you to do good for people -- making them wonderful things they will treasure and enjoy. Mine are all very internal. You've given me something to think about - how nurturing my creativity can also be a force for good.

Fiona McGier link

4/22/2021 03:01:58 pm

LOL, Shari! Yes, with great creativity, comes great responsibility--or something like that. Thanks for dropping in. I guess I never thought about it, but you're right about my making things to give away. I like to make other people feel special--so they know how much they mean to me. Plus you know that saying, "Idle hands are the devil's playthings." So I crochet when I'm being mentally lazy and watching TV--so I don't feel guilty about it. Husband says I don't know how to just relax. He might be right!

Tanith Davenport link

4/23/2021 02:30:41 am

I'd love to be able to bake. Sadly, I have been known to burn water.

Fiona McGier link

4/25/2021 01:09:28 pm

LOL! Tanith! Thanks for dropping by. Sounds like you need to find a SO who is a chef!

Megan Slayer link

4/23/2021 04:36:51 am

My mom brings her bag o yarn with her everywhere, too, but she's always got gifts to give that are from the heart, so there you go. You're golden.

Fiona McGier link

4/25/2021 01:10:27 pm

Thanks for coming by Megan. And for the kind words. It's something I enjoy doing, and the end products are fun to give away. Win-win for everyone!

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