Bill MacKinnon

My brother-in-law Bill MacKinnon left us yesterday, January 9, 2012. While he was here and before he left he made sure of a few things.

He raised with my sister Marg two beautiful daughters: Carla and Mary and one son: Doug.

He showed a granddaughter Jamie and grandson Billy what it was to be loved so unconditionally that he became their best friend. He could have been hardly have been prouder to welcome his great granddaughter Savannah into his life.

He taught them all how to ride, how to drive, how to treat people with respect and how to get the most of every moment.

He rode high into the mountains of Jasper National Park and Willmore Wilderness, and had memorized every horse's name, wrecks he had, trails he rode, peaks he saw and every great spot he camped. He was also known to tie knots in small saplings at the tree line, or so it is rumored. If you find one I would love a picture.

He was the original maker of "witches brew", aka pancakes which were always served with peanut butter and jam. This was washed down with generous cups of black coffee.

There are countless stories of his compassion, fortitude, resourcefulness and generosity that will be told at his memorial service on February 18.

He was so special and such a good friend to me. He is riding with the angels now and I already miss him terribly.

Orca Bay Update

UPDATE: February 6 2012. Top is done. Apologies for the very human fold but Betty was doing her very best.

Thank you Bonnie for your inspiration and leadership. I can hardly wait for the next one.

Imagine the frustration. I was without internet and phone service for the past 9 days. Well I had other things to do, like make the 4 more Ohio Stars that I had somehow miscounted.

In desperation to get my Orca Bay fix I did go round to the public library to get caught up on all the new Mr Linky posts that were happening. I did call my DD after new years (not knowing the next clues were going to be released) and she read the #7 clue to me so that I could get my flying geese made. Those went together amazingly fast.

Then I talked to Cathy Tomm and she explained over the phone (cell) how to contruct the rows. Since I have gone back to work full time now, I make the most of those hours between 5 and 7 am by working on Orca Bay and my other MQ.

The following quilt I did at a LQS Dec 27-30 with my friend Maureen. We give each other the gift of time for Christmas by taking this 4 day class together.

(Near) Completed pictures shall be posted after the weekend.

Wishing you all a very happy and creative new year. Many many thanks to Bonnie for your generosity of spirit and talent.

Orca Bay Step 5

How I do love a mystery. And this Orca Bay offering by Bonnie Hunter (Quiltville.com) is a very good one, albeit my first one. I have also enjoyed going through past mystery patterns. I understand that this is the first time that the Mr. Linky has been used, and I agree it is a wonderful addition. It is a lot of fun seeing the interpretation that everyone around the world is doing.

So now I have cut 350 - 2 3/8 squares re-cut to 700 triangles and have sewn (and sewn and sewn) them onto either side of the 350 hst's. These look great.


the chain of triangles sewn to hst's
Triangle #2 sewn to opposite side...a chain waiting to be pressed and clipped.
Because I know these were stacks of ten...I know that I have 70 still to convert.

Re-stacked in batches of ten, they are easy to keep track of this way. I look forward to using more of the yellow/orange, the blue green and the red/violet. Bring on Step 6, etc etc. This is a lot of fun.

Like the rest of you there are other considerations in our lives and not the least of which was having my granddaughter here on Friday for her 7th birthday cake at Grandma's and a sleepover.



Quilt On!!

Tiny Reindeer

My parents moved with 10 children from Saskatchewan to Alberta the year I was born, 1951. It was to custom growing up in this large family that the Christmas tree did not come into the house until Christmas Eve. We children, from a large range in ages, would spend the afternoon decorating that tree. Mother would bring out the few commercial decorations out and we would make the rest. We would have saved papers to cut these apart and glue into paper ring garlands...by the yard. This may be one of the only surviving commercial decorations. A small bakelite reindeer.

My father, once outside chores were complete, would boil russet potatoes til done, then mash with icing sugar to the desired consistency. These little potato balls were dipped in Bakers Dark Chocolate. The centers with flavored with peppermint, chopped maraschino cherries or crushed candy canes. Dipping those chocolates was made easier by using Mother's metal sock knitting needles.

While all this was going on my mother was making our HUGE Christmas Eve meal. My father would take us kids to evening church service. My mother would use this time for a much needed breather from her task...or get the finishing touches on dinner.

When we came home it was time to sing to the Christmas tree...now aglow with real candles (only on a fresh tree would it be possible) and starting with the youngest child in attendance we all sang the that child's favorite. Then up through the ranks, youngest to oldest, every one got to pick their favorite Christmas carol that we sang. Even if you had to sing the same song more than once (or three times or four). Singing was finished with my mother singing The Lord's Prayer. She had an amazing voice.

Then in turn again starting with the youngest we blew out the candles one at a time. This was the signal it was dinner time. Once that glorious meal was over we got to open one present and play with it before bedtime...when ever that was...sometime around midnight or later.

Orca Bay Step 4

It has been wonderful being in this on-line world-wide retreat with quilters working on their Orca Bay mystery quilts. Their colour choices, 'mq' progress and snippets into their other lives (family, pets, holiday plans, other quilts, etc) has been a wonderful gift.

I loved that I got to bring on the new colour into the mix this week...red/violet.

Add to this a stack of recycled phone book pages cut to 5.5" square (64)

sew them together to get the most delicious string blocks

the variety and scale of prints make for some lovely string blocks ...make a large stack while you are at it...

Starch, press and then pare down to 5 1/8" and cut in half diagonally for the finished stack of triangles which are just lovely.

Done and Done...!

But it was not all quilting this weekend. I also attended a dance recital for two of my granddaughters, Tanea and Odessa. What shining stars they are in my life.

A 3 year old getting her dancing slipper on straight all by herself.

Every dancer deserves the freshest and prettiest roses available.

Wishing you all the very best and bring on Friday December 15 and Part 5!

Orca Bay Step 3

I have made a valiant effort at getting my 350 HSTs done before tomorrow's posting of Step 4. Here are 200 of the 350 needed.

Another 30 that needed their ears trimmed...who comes up with these terms anyway?

I am really enjoying the process and the little gifts to look forward to on Fridays. Something along the lines of an Advent calendars for quilters. Perhaps I ought to set out a little chocolate for myself to go along with the weekly clues.

Orca Bay Up dates

I have decided to participate in the Orca Bay Mystery Quilt after being made aware of it by my friend and fellow quilter Cathy Tomm and I am new to this whole blogging thing.

However, I do LOVE MQ's.

I chosen a triadic harmony of red/violet, blue/green, yellow orange and black/white.


I can read, but not always successful at the counting side of things...I have ended up with more of everything that I need so far. 234QST's and now 75 string blocks!