Memories of Sisters, Part 1. . .

by Dawn Posted on July 17, 2012

I hardly know where to begin to tell you about my week in Sisters, Oregon, home of the largest outdoor quilt show in the world. This year the unthinkable happened on Saturday, July 14, the day of the show: a BIG rainstorm in the middle of the afternoon! This is the first time in the 37-year history of the show that rain has forced an early closure.

It was midafternoon before menacing clouds rolled in and the first few drops spattered on the ground. By the time the rain was falling in earnest, thousands of people in the streets had taken cover inside shops or bolted for their cars, and scores of volunteers had already taken down the quilts that were not under cover. Luckily, quilt lovers had most of the day to enjoy the 1400 or so quilts hanging outside buildings in this charming little town in Central Oregon.

One thing I really liked about the show this year was the mix of traditional and contemporary quilts. Here, in no particular order, is a sampling of the quilts that caught my eye.

New Directions, 40 x 54, by Vivienne Moore of Salem OR

 

Heirloom Stars, 84 x 84, by Frances Jagodzinski of Salem OR

 

Fall Colors, 74 x 96, by Kitty Amaral of Napa CA

 

Diamond Lil, 84 x 104, by Mary Parsons of Milwaukie OR

 

Cercles de Soleil, 55 x 70, by Barbara Cook of Yakima WA

 

Orange Delight, 73 x 73, by Susan Denton of Redmond OR

 

Friendship Village, 39 x 38, by Deb Soren of Salem OR

 

Touch of Green, 67 x 81, by Lillian Walter of Redwood City CA

 

Random Crossroads II, 60 x 70, by Patty Six of Santa Barbara CA

 

Red Wine in a Floral Arrangement, 65 x 85, by Nancy Fischer of Sunriver OR

 

Bird Bath, 46 x 60, by Michelle McMicken of Bend OR

 

Bird Bath, 54 x 60, by Ruth Fidino of Kennewick WA

 

Lady Liberty Does Laundry, 50 x 50, by Tammy Mac Arthur of Redmond OR

 

Ultra Veggie, 54 x 75, by Barbara Lowery of Bend OR

 

Fantastic, 60 x 77, by Lynn Christensen of Livingston TX

 

 

Deep Blue Seas, 69 x 88, by Terry Potter of Eugene OR

 

It started to rain just as I came upon the display of quilts by Portland Modern Quilt Guild members. I was able to snap just a few photos, including this one by Linda:

Reflections, 60 x 70, by Linda Nussbaum of Portland OR

. . . and this one by Gail:

Villa Villa Kula Quilt, 63 x 84, by Gail Weiss of Portland OR

 

The employees of the Stitchin’ Post had their own display, and here are two of my favorites:

Patchwork Sisters by Terri Kirchart of Sisters OR

 

Quilt Show in the Village by La Cressa Sherrer

 

In my next post, I’ll tell you a bit about the excellent class on creating quilting motifs that I took from Janet Fogg and show you some amazing machine quilting on quilts at the show. I’ll finish up the report of my wonderful week in Sisters with a recap of what I did (and didn’t) get accomplished. Thanks for visiting, and please check back!

 

This entry was posted in Sisters OR Outdoor Quilt Show, update. Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to Memories of Sisters, Part 1. . .

  1. Thelma says:
    July 18, 2012 at 3:09 am

    I’ve wondered what happened if it rained during that quilt show, sounds like they had a plan. I’m glad you’re home and happier still you had a wonderful time. Will be eager to read all about it in the coming days. Love all the quilts, I think Quilt Show in the Village is my favorite.

    • Dawn says:
      July 18, 2012 at 8:14 am

      A quilt along those lines is definitely in my future, Thelma! I’ve been collecting pictures of house blocks for about a year now.

  2. Linda says:
    July 21, 2012 at 8:32 am

    Glad you were still able to make your way around and enjoy many of the quilts before the deluge! Thanks for sharing photos – I was especially drawn to “Friendship Village” and “Random Crossroads” but can see why you chose to remember so many of these! (And thanks for posting mine!)

Comments are closed.