I (Teri) have been to a lot of quilt shows. And I've read about the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show for years and always thought it would be wonderful to attend. This summer, I was able to check off that bucket list item during our trip across the US. This show is not just a quilt show. It is an experience that is impossible to describe in words—or pictures—and even begin to do it justice. But I will try to give you a sense of the magic.
Beware—you might be planning a trip to Oregon next July, on the second Saturday!
At this point in our cross-country trip, we had driven nearly 3000 miles, so my husband thought he should get the oil changed in the car while I wandered the quilt show. (Poor him—I know who got the better end of that deal.) He dropped me off and went on his way, and I walked into town. My first stop was City Hall, a fine welcome.
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| Tribute to Sisters, by Jean Wells Keenan |
The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show began 44 years ago, when Jean Wells hung some family quilts outside her quilt shop in town; the following year, she hung over 20 quilts made by her students. A tradition was born and the show has grown, with some 1200 quilts hung throughout the town of Sisters, who welcomes around 10,000 people to see them on the second Saturday of July every year. The quilt above was hanging in the hallway of City Hall—Jean Wells Keenan's depiction of the Three Sisters mountains, which she gifted to the town for their new city hall in 2007.
I was drawn through a doorway to see this magnificent piece of collective art. Seventeen separate panels are hung together, each portraying the beauty of Whychus Creek; the river ties them together to create one masterpiece of fiber art.
From this angle, you can really see the river in one continuous flow.
Two Rivers, Three Sisters is on permanent display in Sisters City Hall. Commissioned by Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, the project draws attention to the campaign to revitalize the two rivers that frame the Sisters Country: Whychus Creek and the Metolius River.
All that, and I was only in City Hall. Sisters is quite a quilty town!
The colors of the quilt are perfectly coordinated with the colors of this tea shop.
The quilts are grouped according to color and style.
There was plenty of room to wander and see the quilts.
Yes, there were a lot of people wandering the streets and viewing the quilts.
Admire some quilts and grab a beverage!
Even this tree trunk was bedecked with a fabric garland!
More than just a clock shop!
An appropriate quilt for the nursery!
Nature's Abundance, by June Jaeger
2019 Raffle Quilt; Sponsored by the Stitchin' Post
The proceeds of the annual raffle quilt are split between the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show and the Kiwanis of Sisters, for programs like the food bank or local scholarships.
The Stitchin' Post quilt shop was an inviting stop.
The 2019 Quilt Show Poster, Bountiful Living, by Kathy Deggendorfer, hung in the window of the Stitchin' Post. I bought a panel of this lovely poster to commemorate my day in Sisters.
The shop was buzzing with busy shoppers.
The town was welcoming, the crowd was friendly, the quilts were fabulous, and the weather was perfect. They say it takes a village, but in this case, the entire village participates in this incredible event. Over 400 volunteers work to organize, hang, and return the quilts—including the volunteer fire department. What a village! Thank you, Sisters!!
WOW your photos are from a different angle/view than most.
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