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Welcome to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show!

Whether you’re here for the very first time or you’ve been coming for years, we’re so glad you’re here.

This year’s theme, Whimsical & Wild, is an invitation to celebrate creativity in all its forms. It’s about taking chances, trying something new, following your imagination, and finding joy in the unexpected. As you wander through town on Quilt Show Day, I think you’ll see that spirit everywhere — in the colors, the patterns, the stories, and the incredible artistry hanging throughout Sisters.

Last year, we celebrated 50 years of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. We spent time looking back at the people, quilts, and moments that brought us here. This year feels a little different. We’re looking ahead.

Over the past year, our Board of Directors has spent time thinking about the future of the show and what the next decade—and beyond—can look like. While we don’t know exactly what the future holds, we do know this: the creativity, generosity, and sense of community that built this show are as strong as ever.

In many ways, Whimsical & Wild feels like the perfect theme for this moment. The best ideas often begin with curiosity. The most memorable quilts often start with a leap of faith. And some of the most wonderful things happen when we’re willing to explore

new possibilities while staying true to what matters most.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the people who make the show happen. To our quilters, thank you for sharing your talent, vision, and beautiful work. To our volunteers, sponsors, and community partners, thank you for the countless hours and support you give throughout the year. And to the Sisters community, thank you for once again welcoming thousands of visitors with the warmth and hospitality that make this event so special.

As you enjoy the show, I hope you’ll take your time. Look closely at the quilts. Meet a maker. Have a conversation. Discover something that surprises you. Most of all, I hope you leave inspired—not only by what you see hanging on the walls, but by the creativity and connection that make this gathering unlike any other.

Thank you for being part of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. Together, we’re carrying forward a remarkable tradition while embracing whatever comes next. Some of it may be whimsical. Some of it may be wild. All of it will be stitched together by the creativity, generosity, and community that have always been at the heart of this show.

Enjoy the day, Dawn Boyd, Executive Director

Sat., July 11, 2026

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Always the second Saturday in July

Located throughout Sisters No tickets required • No cost to attend

9 a.m. Start of 51st Annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

Whimsical& Wild

Over 1,000 quilts on display throughout the town of Sisters Whimsical & Wild walkabout Sisters: As you wander through Sisters on Quilt Show Day, step into the whimsical and wild world of quilting — where color, design, pattern, and beauty are waiting around every corner. Take your time. Snap photos. Make a new friend. Celebrate the creativity of quilters at every level, from first-time exhibitors to seasoned artists. Let the streets inspire you, the quilts surprise you, and the shared joy of this day remind you why the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show continues to bring us together.

4 p.m. End of Quilt Show Day

Live-feed raffle of the 2026 SOQS Raffle Quilt at the SOQS Office: 220 S. Ash St.

Virtual Show-Day Activities on Facebook Live:

7:30 a.m. Welcome to SOQS: Quilt Hanging at Stitchin’ Post Throughout the Day: Special Exhibits • Quilts on Display Quilt Block Challenge Quilts of Valor Presentation Teacher’s Pavilion WISH Cards • Raffle Quilt

For the most up-to-date information, follow us: Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show SistersOutdoorQuiltShow For additional information, or if you miss something, visit www.soqs.org.

Additional happenings during Quilt Show Week:

Quilter’s Affair: Classes held at Sisters High School Monday-Friday leading up to Quilt Show Day. Brought to you by Stitchin’ Post, www.stitchinpost.com.

“An Evening of Whimsical Design” Friday, July 10, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Fundraiser at Sisters High School 1700 W. McKinney Butte Rd., Sisters. Tickets at www.soqs.org.

Sunday, July 12 • Save It For Sunday Quilts on display at FivePine Lodge.

Community Thank Yous

Citizens for Community

City of Sisters

Corndog Company of Central Oregon

Deschutes County Board of Commissioners

Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office

Deschutes Cultural Coalition

Earthwood

Timberframe Homes

Explore Sisters

Kiwanis of Sisters

Martin Cascade LLC

Molasses Bakery

The Nugget Newspaper

Oregon Department of Transportation

The Roundhouse Foundation

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church

Sisters Astronomy Club

Sisters Business Association

Sisters Rotary Club

Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District

Stitchin’ Post AND THANKS TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS AND VOLUNTEERS

Local traffic on Quilt Show Day

Businesses are accessible in Three Wind Shopping Center on the west end of Sisters. Bi-Mart, Takoda’s Restaurant, and other businesses can all be accessed from Hwy 20 eastbound. Westbound traffic can access these businesses via Hood Avenue.

Traffic Flow

Cascade Avenue will be open to east-west traffic on Quilt Show Day. All northsouth cross streets will also be open. Please be mindful of pedestrians when driving through town.

The Quilt Show will be creating a car-free corridor on Hood Avenue for all residents and visitors to explore and enjoy all day. Hood Avenue will be closed from Larch Street on the east to Pine Street on the west side of Hood Avenue. Oak Street will also be closed between Cascade Avenue and Hood Avenue.

Quilts will be hung on Main Avenue, Cascade Avenue, and Hood Avenue, and all cross streets from Oak Street through Larch Street.

Pedestrian Crossing: We encourage pedestrians to cross Cascade Avenue at Pine Street, Elm Street, and Fir Street, where deputies with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office will be assisting at these crossings.

Parking and Shuttle Information

Parking is available on all city streets in the business district and residential areas in Sisters. Please be considerate of residents and DO NOT park in or block private driveways or alleyways. Where parking spaces are unmarked, we encourage head-in parking to accommodate more cars. Please do not park on the highway. It is unsafe, and there is plenty of parking in downtown Sisters.

Parking and Shuttle Service are available at the Sisters High School Parking Lot. Shuttle Vans are provided in partnership with Stagecoach Adventures (tips are welcome). Shuttle services will run starting at 8:30 a.m. with the final pick ups at 4 p.m. Shuttle maps are available at the Info booths, and at SOQS.org/traffic.

Accessible parking is available at all designated accessible parking spaces throughout town. There is also accessible parking on the west side of Locust Street in the lots between the school administration building and Sisters City Hall.

Rising artist showcased at SOQS

By Susan Cobb Correspondent

Chyan Nuttall came from Alabama to Oregon’s coast in 2018 and, after getting settled, she started looking for a creative outlet. That year a local friend, Sue, gave her a “jelly roll.” After one YouTube video on how to make a quilt, Chyan made her first quilt of strips. She smiled and said, “It’s really simple but I had the best time.”

Chyan moved to Sisters in 2019 and was making quilts for family and friends when she found the courage to enter one quilt into the 2022 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS). Chyan shared that it was a “big leap to put something out there.” It was a Halloween-themed quilt and she was pleased to see her quilt shown with other holiday quilts.

In 2023 she joined the East of the Cascade Quilters (EOCQ) which meets regularly at Stitchin’ Post. Chyan thought she was too new at quilting to join a guild but she pressed on. She found EOCQ are “great people who are very encouraging.”

The EOCQ had a challenge in April 2025 for their members to make a list of their Projects Half Done (PHDs) and get them done by the end of the year. Chyan produced a list of 10 and completed all but one. In December, she showed her works

to the EOCQ. After that, Dawn Boyd, EOCQ member and director of the SOQS, invited Chyan to be highlighted as a new quilter during the 2026 SOQS. Chyan agreed and since then created and completed eight quilts to a total of 16 she will be showing, of which five will be for sale.

Jean Wells Keenan stopped by Chyan’s one day and upon seeing a recent quilt Chyan had completed said, “Oh! Look at those funky trees.” Chyan decided the quilt had to be named just that, “Funky Trees.” It will be in the SOQS.

Chyan currently creates her own quilt top patterns and opened an Instagram account, @SeamsLikeChyan. She describes her creations as, “whimsical, playful, and girly.” The first quilt top pattern Chyan ever made is called “Garden Party” (see photo). Chyan has made two king-size bed quilts but she prefers to make smaller quilts — twin bed to baby. She gives more than 80 percent of her quilts away because she loves to see a recipient’s joyful reaction. She adds that giving is “really important to me.”

Chyan does all her creating, sewing, and quilting on the big marble island in her kitchen. She loves having a vision and making it into a reality. She looks forward to entering her work into future quilt shows here and elsewhere.

2026 SOQS is the one PHD she had not completed as of last December. It is called “Up, Up, and Away!”

She encourages other young adult quilters to “Do what you enjoy doing; don’t follow trends.”

Chyan’s favorite quilt for the

PHOTO

SOQS to host fashion show fundraiser

One of the most unique aspects of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) is that it is entirely free and open to the public. No ticket, no entry fee — folks in their thousands simply walk the streets of Sisters and take in hundreds of quilts on display.

What that means is that the SOQS organizers have to get creative in their fundraising in order to cover the notinsubstantial costs of staging the annual show. That’s no problem though — quilters are by definition creative folks.

This year, they have turned that creativity in a new direction in honor of the year’s theme: Whimsical and Wild.

“We are doing a fashion show of whimsical wear,” SOQS Executive Director Dawn Boyd explained.

The idea for the show came from a reel someone from the Quilt Show saw where a vest was designed for an entertainer, tossed up on stage, and worn through the performance. The entertainer was intrigued that the vest was made by a quilter — and the quilters were intrigued by the possibilities.

The Quilt Show approached Quilter’s Affair instructors and local quilters to make whimsical and wild wearables, which will be showcased in “An Evening of Whimsical Design” held Friday, July 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Sisters High School, 1700 W. McKinney Butte Rd., Sisters.

Each piece tells its own story through color, texture, and design, blending traditional quilting techniques

with modern flair.

Wear your favorite quilted piece, mingle with fellow quilt enthusiasts, and be inspired by the artistry on display. All of the featured garments will be available for purchase during Quilt Show Day at our Whimsical Wear Boutique — a special booth dedicated to these one-of-a-kind creations.

The artists themselves are encouraged to model their own creations.

The Quilt Show is working in partnership with presenting sponsors Makin’ it Local and High Desert Frameworks!

Quiltsmart is sponsoring the Whimsical Wear Booth on Saturday.

“They have patterns for quilted jackets, quilted tote bags,” Boyd said.

Barbara Fortman of the Mt. Bachelor Quilters’ Guild is one of the creators.

“I made a vest out of one of the Sisters poster logos, then I enhanced it,” she said. “I thought, oh, this would be perfect for the back of a jeans jacket.”

Fortman started quilting in 2019, but she has known Jean Wells Keenan for a long time and has been attending the Sisters Outdoor Quilt

Show for 30 years.

She, like all her fellow creators, is excited and honored to help the show raise funds to keep going for generations to come.

The event is an important source of revenue for the free show — but all of the SOQS events are really about building community.

Boyd describes it as “that whole opportunity of sitting next to someone who is your new quilting best friend. We love how that happens organically at our events.”

Tickets are $25 each, available at www.SOQS.org or www.stitchinpost.com.

Inspirational Instructor – Leslie Tucker Jenison

By Susan Cobb Correspondent

Leslie Jenison first learned about quilting as a young registered nurse in Kansas, learning from a colleague who taught and inspired her. Leslie began making small quilts in the early 1980s which brought to mind her paternal grandmother she had watched sewing or hand stitching as a child. Leslie moved from Kansas to Texas in the late ’90s.

In early 2000s, Leslie found time for creative pursuits. Learning how to dye and print cloth led to a career as an abstract contemporary

artist. For 20 years, Leslie studied with many excellent artists, including many times with Nancy Crow over the last 12 years. Leslie jests that she has “pursued a selfdesigned master’s degree,” in working with textiles.

She is a member of the board of Textile Art Gallery in the Chelsea Arts District of New York City. Her first show there will be held in September 2027.

Leslie added, “I regard my textiles as the paint on a canvas and my rotary cutter as a brush or pencil...I make a painting in cloth.”

See Leslie’s most current work at www.

textileartnyc.com/artists/ leslie-tucker-jenison.

Leslie is a fabric designer with Robert Kaufman Fabrics since 2018 and for three years before that designed for RJR Fabrics. When designing fabric, she works directly on cloth rather than on a computer. She describes textiles as important to humans, since it is, “the second thing that touches us at birth and with which we have intimate contact throughout life.”

Leslie limits her teaching and does one fabric collection per year to have time for her personal creative works. This will be her third year teaching the week of Quilter’s Affair which occurs just before the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS). She also annually conducts a few classes in her studio in Texas Hill Country. She loves teaching a classroom of adults because they are always eager to learn which energizes her.

During Quilter’s Affair she co-teaches with Michele Muska and they “have a blast.” They are instructing two classes having four sessions: a surface design technique on fabric or paper which she

describes as mono-printing on gelatin plates and a unique style of hand stitching. The hand-stitched piece is of lightweight batting layered with hand-dyed silk organza. Leslie carries similar projects to occupy her mind and hands on long flights.

As a teaching team, Leslie and Michele create a safe place for people to have fun, be themselves, and feel comfortable sharing.

Leslie is “very honored to be selected” as the Inspirational Instructor for the 2026 SOQS. She has been juried into a number of shows over the course of her career but “being featured is a new thing.” These days she primarily creates art quilts and, at times, quilts for beds. Leslie is very happy to be able to share a selection of her works from over the past decade in SOQS.

PHOTO PROVIDED

SOQS mobilizes a joyful community

Over more than a halfcentury, the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) has brought joy to thousands of people who love the fabric arts, as well as providing a crucial economic boost to the Sisters community. The nonprofit’s success is founded on that joy — it brings together people whose lives have been enriched by the experience and who want to pay that experience forward.

Volunteers help with the staging of the show, create Wish Cards (see related story, page 18) , or donate pieces for the annual Friday Night Fundraiser Some folks donate annually to support the show — and many contribute in multiple ways, through direct financial support and service.

Kathy Jasper is one such volunteer. She volunteers hundreds of hours to the program, makes Wish Cards, and is generous with her financial support. This year, she has donated a quilt to the Storyteller Book program.

“Once I got to know the show and know the people, it was just something I wanted to be involved in,” Jasper recalled.

It took her a bit to initiate her Quilt Show experience. A friend had repeatedly invited her to attend.

“I always said no, too many people; I don’t like big crowds,” Jasper recalled. “I showed up and thought, ‘Well, this is fun…’”

The company she worked for matched donations and volunteer time as part of its philanthropy program, so

she started volunteering. At first it was just for the show weekend, then she expanded to the whole week before — time that became easier to allocate when she moved to Sunriver.

She started making Wish Cards to support the show, and soon making them became “a happy place to be.”

Kathy Miller first trekked out to the SOQS with a friend from Monterey Bay. She found herself in the midst of downtown Sisters staring about her with “absolute wonderment... Around every corner is a new delight.”

We were all quasi-quilters,” she recalled. “Not into it big time.”

The show changed that.

“One class led to another and another,” she said.

Eventually, she bought property here, and moved here permanently in 2025 — and the Quilt Show was a major part of that life transition.

do with two fabrics. So clever, so inventive. It just astounds me.”

She loves the volunteer community she has joined.

“There is just an amazing group of ladies,” she said. “I’ve never seen such a hard-working group… They don’t make a big deal out of it; it just gets done because they love doing it.”

Miller has crafted hundreds of Wish Cards, and she enjoys seeing what her fellow quilters do with quilt challenges — “to see what people

In conversation with Miller about the Quilt Show, one word keeps coming up again and again: joy. She revels in “the absolute joy it brings people. It warms my heart; it warms my soul.”

The Sisters community-building organization Citizens4Community (C4C) recognizes how potent that joy is, and they have engaged in a growing collaboration with SOQS.

“The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is one of this community’s longest-standing traditions, and arguably its most joyful,” said Executive Director Kellen Klein. “Walk downtown on Quilt Show Day and you can’t help but get wrapped up in the excitement of the quilt-obsessed attendees, the beauty of the craftsmanship, and the feeling that it is a distinctly Sisters experience. Events like this not only help bring people together; they cultivate civic pride, drive economic development,

and elevate the community’s rich cultural heritage. It’s a true communitybuilding event, and we’re honored that SOQS has invited us to join in the fun this year.”

C4C is partnering with SOQS in several new ways this year:

C4C will host SOQS’ Featured Gallery Artist, Cindy O’Neal, at The Hub (291 E. Main Ave.) for a two week “artist in residence” quilt showcase, June 30-July 11. The public is invited to an open house with O’Neal and SOQS leadership on Tuesday, July 7, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Local artist Brooke Kim will host a quilt-themed watercolor workshop at The Hub on Friday, July 10, from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

The Hub will be open for visitors on the day of the Quilt Show, serving as both a cooling station and another opportunity to view O’Neal’s work.

“We’re once again organizing our own volunteer quilt installation team for the morning of the show, and have been encouraging fellow local nonprofits and community groups to also join in the fun,” Klein said. “Longer term, we’re in discussions with SOQS, Explore Sisters, Sisters Business Association, and Roundhouse Foundation about development of a Sisters Barn Quilt Trail, featuring wooden quilt blocks displayed on downtown buildings.”

It’s all part of sharing the joy.

O’Neal featured at the Hub

By Susan Cobb, Correspondent

Cindy O’Neal’s journey into quilting was initially sparked when she would frequently travel from Southern California to visit her grandmother in Illinois. She enjoyed watching her working on quilts. The memory of her grandmother doing handwork had Cindy doing some form of quilting most of her adult life and she primarily creates wall art quilts.

Before she left California to come to Bend, Oregon, the president of the quilt guild Cindy attended told her, “you must go to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.” The week after Cindy arrived in Bend on July 2, 1997, she went to her first SOQS and she never looked back. She annually takes classes at Quilter’s Affair, enters quilts in the SOQS, and volunteers with the Quilt Hanging Crew and hosting special exhibits. Cindy has created and donated quilt art for the Storybook in two SOQS.

When Cindy got a call from SOQS Director Dawn Boyd, she said to herself, “Wow! What a huge honor!” Her quilts will be on display at the Hub in Sisters from June 30 through Saturday, July 11.

Cindy says she loves a challenge and, after researching, will draw her own design or pattern from a collection of various images and photographs and then translate it all into a fabric image that usually has a story. This approach to art quilts was kickstarted in 2008. Cindy was a member of a quilter’s book club who in 2008 formed the Under Cover Quilters (UCQ).

The UCQ group reads one book a month and then annually selects one story to emulate in quilts for a special exhibit during the SOQS.

Cindy was a featured quilter during a show put on by the Mt. Bachelor Quilters’ Guild and she has entered juried and nonjuried shows. In the 2016 Road to California juried show Cindy won the “most humorous” award. Cindy shook her head and said she “wasn’t even trying to be funny.”

Cindy is currently a member of Central Oregon Modern Quilters, Central Oregon Studio Artists Quilters Association, and UCQ. Cindy is continually inspired by challenges from these guilds. She has embarked on selling her wall art quilts on Instagram starting in July @cindyonealartquilts.

Quilt Block Contest a beloved feature of SOQS

By Dani Nichols Correspondent

Every year, the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) has a very special contest for quilters of all skill levels to get a chance to join in the show. The Quilt Block Contest (QBC) sounds

simple: anyone who has seen these amazing works of art know that the entries are anything but!

Upon entry, participants receive a sample packet containing six featured fabrics, and use those to create a unique quilt block. Every packet contains a slightly different assortment of fabrics, and entrants are allowed to add one solid-color fabric as well. What

follows is a wildly creative assortment of quilted art.

“I’m always amazed at what we get,” Valerie Fercho-Tillery, QBC coordinator, said. “People are so creative; it’s incredible.”

“I love the quilt block contest,” said Angie Richcreek, a frequent QBC participant from Newport, Oregon. “It challenges me to step outside my quilt box, and I love seeing all the blocks on quilt show day. It’s fun to see how each person interprets the fabrics.”

This year, the

featured fabrics are from Valori Well’s “The Wisdom Collection.” Everyone whom your correspondent spoke to agreed this is a phenomenal assortment of beautiful and creativity-inviting fabrics. Every entrant will receive some fabric after the show just as a perk of entering the contest. However, the first place winner also receives $50 cash, plus extra yardage of this year’s fabric, and the three honorable mention winners will also receive additional fabric. The first place and honorable mention blocks all also receive recognition ribbons.

Lena Calkins, last year’s first place winner, said, “I’ve never done any art,

but I really enjoy this contest, and it really is an art form.” She shared that the whole weekend is inspiring, with all of the wonderful local shops and talented quilters, but what she truly loves is taking her time to make something beautiful for the QBC. “I think that you should try and enter [the QBC], even if you aren’t a quilter or sewer. It’s

amazing what creativity comes out of you when there’s no pressure, you can take your time and just look at these beautiful fabrics and see what comes to you. I truly enjoy doing it.”

The QBC entries will be displayed on Oak Street, just outside of Beacham’s Clock Shop during the show, and are voted on by the Quilter’s Affair

instructors the Monday before the show. Fercho-Tillery, who has been the QBC coordinator for the last nine years, said that she is very excited for this year’s entrants. Currently, the QBC has 91 entries (already more than last year) and they expect more to come in before the show.

“I can’t wait to see what everyone does,” Calkin said. “[The QBC] is such a fun way to get involved in the quilt show.”

Behind the scenes SOQS support

By Susan Cobb Correspondent

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) is able to continue its annual free-to-thepublic event because of the hundreds of local volunteers who donate time and materials. Also critical are Friends of the Show donations, grants, and the participation of business sponsors during the month of July. These contributory avenues fund over 50 percent of SOQS annual expenses.

The SOQS “has a sizzle about it,” said SOQS Director Dawn Boyd. “It is a full family event that welcomes everyone...the feeling of happiness during the day of the show is palpable.”

Boyd is incredibly grateful to the people who make this event happen in so many ways and wanted to shed a little light on the “behind the scenes” supporters.

Annually there are about 150 Friends of the Show who donate small to large amounts of money annually, monthly, randomly, or have left a legacy

donation. The total contributions each year cover about 25 percent of the $250,000 annual expense of the SOQS. About one third of the Friends of the Show reside in Central Oregon and the other contributors are from other cities in other counties or states like Alaska, Connecticut, and South Carolina.

Donors benefit with a tax write off since SOQS is a 501(c)(3) and get a few perks if attending the SOQS, but far more importantly, as one donor noted, “knowing my donation contributes to the joy of literally thousands of people is simply gratifying.”

SOQS also receives grants to support the production and programming of SOQS, and these can come from various sources: The Roundhouse Foundation, Deschutes Cultural Coalition, St. Charles Hospital, the Mid-Valley Guild, the City of Sisters, and a few Oregon State entities.

The business partnership program began with The Gallimaufry & Liquor Store owner Bob Grooney asking how might the family and store

help the SOQS. Grooney recognized the financial advantage of having so many people in town renting accommodations for the week or some overnight, wandering about town buying meals, souvenirs, clothes, art works, and beverages. The week of Quilter’s Affair and the SOQS contributes generously to local businesses’ annual revenues.

Grooney (now deceased) and his grandson Spud Shaw helped hang quilts for years and The Gallimaufry was one of the first stores to sponsor the SOQS with a donation and to hang a quilt within their building. Ever since, upwards of 75 business owners donate from $250 to $1,000 dollars to be a Sponsor of SOQS and hang a quilt in their establishment for the month of July. In return SOQS places them in the Quilt Walk brochure.

The Quilt Walk is a sponsor list for visitors and locals to see quilts throughout town (see flyer about the 2026 Quilt Walk). Boyd noted that this pleases many tourists who missed or did not know about

the SOQS. They will learn about it through the Quilt Walk. Small to large quilts are submitted by local quilt makers to the SOQS office to be

hung in sponsoring businesses. Director Boyd shared that she “loves that SOQS choose the quilt that best suits a business.”

Stitched in Tradition: A Conversation with Bonnie Sullivan

For Bonnie Sullivan, creativity isn’t a career. It’s simply how she exists in the world. The designer behind the beloved Woolies Flannel collections for Maywood Studio and the creative force at All Through the Night Quilting, Bonnie has spent more than two decades translating the warmth of handcraft traditions into fabric designs that resonate with quilters everywhere.

Her journey with Maywood Studio began in 2002, when she attended her first Quilt Market. “At the time I was making penny rugs and using a lot of wool in most of my work,” she recalls. When the studio’s design director proposed capturing that tactile, folk-art quality in cotton, Bonnie embraced the idea immediately. The result was the Woolies Flannel line, a collection that has grown and evolved ever since, with some designs drawn directly from wool swatches she sent to the studio and others rooted in the folk-art motifs of her penny rug work.

Her latest collection, Patchwork Woolies Flannel, revisits the charm of crazy quilt style, a format she has long admired for its flexibility. “You

can add motifs or applique wherever you want,” she says. Her favorite detail is the fly stitch. “What I love about old crazy quilt styles is how flexible they are.” She hints that there is more to explore with the concept: large, appliqued shapes onto Woolies Flannel, perhaps a heart, layered with texture and dimension.

When she’s not designing, Bonnie is likely surrounded

by fellow makers. A weekly “crafternoon” with creative friends has become a cherished ritual, with sessions ranging from decoupage seashells to needle felting, quilling, and even a memorable (if humbling) soldering class. “It looked easier than it was,” she laughs. “I probably won’t try that again.”

Travel has also become a growing passion. She recently

returned from a month driving through Spain, and the year before she walked two Caminos. The Cotswolds may be next, and a teaching trip to France is on the horizon for September. Through it all, she keeps gathering inspiration, from the texture of Spanish hillside towns to shells collected at low tide.

“That kind of detail and texture is something I really

enjoy,” she says. “Maybe we’ll see an ocean-inspired collection one day.”

This July, visitors to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show on July 11 can experience her work firsthand in a special exhibit featuring quilts in both wool and cotton flannel. More of her patterns, fabric collections, and creative world can be found at www. allthroughthenight.com.

1 Teacher’s Pavilion: presented by Stitchin’ Post, located in Village Green Park. A collection of quilts created by the instructors of Quilter’s Affair. This is a do-notmiss exhibit, and it includes a Stitchin’ Post pop-up shop featuring patterns and products of the Pavilion quilts.

2 Wish Fabric Postcards: in partnership with Andover Fabrics and presented by Wildflower Studios, Sisters Gallery & Frame, Bend Picture Framing, Eastlake Framing, and High Desert Frameworks!; located at Village Green Park. This is an annual fundraiser for the SOQS Arts Scholarship for Sisters High School students and the production of the free-to-attend Quilt Show. Fabric postcards, donated from across the country, are sold to raise funds. Custom framing and/or matting is donated by multiple Central Oregon framing and art studios.

3 Kids Activity Center: presented by the Board members of SOQS, located at Village Green Park. The Kid’s Activity Center is a hands-on creative space where young makers can explore the fun of quilting and crafts! Kids can color their own Quilt Show Poster, color barn quilt ornaments, blow bubbles, and more. It’s the perfect spot for families to take a break and let imaginations run wild. All ages welcome — creativity encouraged!

4 Next Generation: presented by The Lodge Retirement Community, located at Village Green Park. Celebrating all quilters under the age of 18, our Next Generation of quilters vary in age and skill. We love to celebrate their creativity and artistry as they share their quilts with our visitors.

5 Stitchin’ Post Employee Challenge Quilts: presented by and located at Stitchin’ Post. Each year, the employees of Stitchin’ Post choose a theme to interpret in each of their own styles. This year, they celebrate the 250th Anniversary of our country with their theme “America the Beautiful.” View all their quilts hung on the outside of Stitchin’ Post on Oak Street.

6 KONA Color of the Year: presented by Makin’ it Local, located in front of Stitchin’ Post. The Robert Kaufman Fabrics Kona Cotton Color of the Year for 2026 is Wander. A rich, calm, and confident forest green that invites curiosity and open-ended possibility.

7 Fortunate Findings Quilt Collection: presented by Sisters Coffee Co., located at Beacham’s Clock Co. The Fortunate Findings Quilt Challenge, sponsored by FreeSpirit Fabrics and inspired by the collections Findings and Grace by Valori Wells, celebrates creativity, color, and personal expression through quilting. Selected quilts from artists around the world showcase imaginative design, storytelling, and the joyful artistry that quilting inspires.

8 A Timeless Quilt Collection: presented by Cascade Antiques and Lonesome Water Books, located inside Beacham’s Clock Co. Step into the history of Central Oregon with this special collection of vintage quilts curated by Jean Wells. Each quilt tells a story of family, tradition, and the enduring art of quilting.

9 Quilt Block Contest 2026: presented by FreeSpirit Fabrics, located on Oak Street next to Beacham’s Clock Co. Thanks to the generous support of Valori Wells and FreeSpirit Fabrics, the annual Quilt Block Contest challenges quilters to create a block using Valori’s newest fabric line, “The Wisdom.” See the variety of designs and talents with 90+ entries, including our winning block and honorable mentions.

10 SOQS 2026 Raffle Quilt — Freddy Dot Com: presented by Sisters Bakery, located on Oak Street across from Stitchin’ Post. “Freddy Dot Com” bursts with color, energy, and personality — a joyful celebration of the signature style of beloved artist and quilter Freddy Moran. Featuring her iconic use of red, black, and white and her fearless sense of design, this one-of-a-kind quilt perfectly reflects our 2026 theme, “Whimsical and Wild.” Generously donated by Freddy’s family, it honors her creative spirit, humor, and lasting legacy in the quilting world.

11 SOQS Information Booth: combined with the Raffle Quilt Booth, located on Oak Street, across from Stitchin’ Post. This booth offers an information table and volunteers to answer your questions about Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, location of quilts, and more!

12 Showcase Quilter — Bonnie Sullivan: presented by Les Schwab, and located in the Hood Avenue Art courtyard, 357 W. Hood Ave. Discover the charming and creative world of Bonnie Sullivan, a beloved designer and quiltmaker. Known for her warm, timeless style and popular fabric and pattern designs, Bonnie has inspired quilters and stitchers around the world for decades. This special collection showcases her love of handmade traditions, storytelling through textiles, and enduring creativity — a must-see for quilt lovers and makers alike.

13 Storytellers Book 2026 — Whimsical and Wild Storybook; Quilts for sale by various artists: presented by and located in the courtyard of The Open Door at Rickards Gallery. Quilters and instructors from near and far have created this larger-than-life storybook of quilted pages, each sharing a unique story through fabric and design. Discover the stories behind these one-of-a-kind quilts, all available for purchase, with proceeds supporting the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

14 Central Oregon SAQA — Color in Motion: presented by The Open Door at Rickards Gallery and located in the Open Door courtyard. Central Oregon SAQA artists explore natural and manmade patterns through quilts that use color, contrast, and value to suggest movement and fluidity. A shared size requirement and the use of sky blue create a unifying thread throughout the exhibit.

15 Best of QuiltCon 2026: presented by and located at Paulina Springs Books. This traveling exhibit showcases awardwinning and standout quilts from the QuiltCon show presented by the Modern Quilt Guild. Featuring bold designs, innovative techniques, and fresh perspectives, these quilts represent the forefront of modern quilting. This curated collection offers a dynamic glimpse into the evolving art of quilting across the globe.

16 Up and Coming Artist –Chyan Nuttall: presented by Anvil Sewing and Bernina, located at Sisters Habitat for Humanity Office. Experience Chyan Nuttall’s vibrant quilting journey, from playful piecing to expressive freemotion quilting and original pattern design. Her collection reflects a joyful spirit of creativity, curiosity, and a passion for exploring new possibilities in quilting.

17 Inspirational Instructor — Leslie Jenison Tucker: presented by Gypsy Wind Clothing, and located at the SOQS Office. An inspiring exhibit of contemporary quilts and mixed media work, where photography, dye, paint, and surface design come together in beautifully layered artistry. Leslie Jenison Tucker is an internationally recognized artist, instructor, and fabric designer for Wishwell/ Robert Kaufman.

HIGHWAY

20 / 126 WEST: Metolius Recreation Area, Camp Sherman, Black Butte Ranch, Suttle Lake, Hoodoo, Portland, Eugene, Salem, Albany

HWY 242 WEST: McKenzie Pass To Outlaw Station and Three Wind shopping centers

18 Maywood Makers — Block Quilts: presented by Maywood Fabrics, located at the Volunteers VIP Tent, Ash Street and Hood Avenue. These samplers showcase the work of the annual “Maywood Makers.” The individual mini quilts were created by each maker and assembled to celebrate their year of mentorship, collaboration, and learning through Maywood Studios.

19 East of the Cascades — Oregon Parks and Landmarks: presented by The Jewel, located at Toriizaka Art, Hood Avenue. Explore the East of the Cascades Quilt Guild exhibit celebrating the beauty and spirit of Oregon’s parks and landmarks. Through color, texture, and creativity, these quilts capture the landscapes, places, and memories that make Oregon so beloved.

20 Whimsical Wear Booth: presented by Quiltsmart, located in front of The Hen’s Tooth. Discover the creativity and flair of the Whimsical Wear Booth, featuring one-of-a-kind wearable art handcrafted by local artisans, SOQS board and staff members, and Quilter’s Affair instructors. Every piece — from jackets and pants to bags and hats — was showcased in the Friday Night Whimsical Wear Fashion Show. Proceeds from all sales support SOQS, the nonprofit organization that produces the quilt show, helping continue its mission of celebrating quilting, artistry, and community.

21 SOQS Information and Merch Booth, and Lost & Found: in partnership with Explore Sisters, located at Barclay Park. Stop by this welcoming information booth to get answers to your questions about the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, find quilt locations, and learn how to become a Friend of the Show. Friendly volunteers will be available throughout the day to help you make the most of your visit. You can also browse a selection of small SOQS and Sisters, Oregon merchandise items available for purchase — perfect keepsakes to remember your day at the Show. This booth also serves as the Show’s Lost & Found.

22 Undercover Quilters — When Books Become Quilts: presented by The Gallimaufry, located on the west wall at The Gallery Restaurant. Each year, this group of Central Oregon quilters gathers around a shared book, transforming the stories that move them most into art quilts. Inspired by this year’s selection, “Crow Talk” by Eileen Garvin, the 11 quilts in this collection reflect each artist’s personal interpretation of the book’s most meaningful, impactful, and memorable moments. Measuring 24 by 36 inches, these works celebrate the power of storytelling, creativity, and community through the art of quilting.

PHOTOS BY CODY RHEAULT

23 Mt. Bachelor Quilters’ Guild — A Summer Fruit Salad: presented by Ray’s Food Place and located at The Hen’s Tooth. Discover a vibrant collection of quilts inspired by the colors of fruit! Quilters were randomly assigned a fruit card and challenged to feature that fruit’s dominant color in a unique quilt design. Traditional to modern, these creative pieces celebrate color, imagination, and a touch of fruity fun.

24 In Honor Of: presented by Hen’s Tooth, located at the Hen’s Tooth courtyard. In honor of longtime Sisters quilter Candy Woods, this special exhibit celebrates her creativity, talent, and lasting impact on the quilting community. Enjoy a heartfelt collection of quilts curated by Candy’s family and friends in tribute to her life and artistry.

25 Honor Flight Quilts and Quilts of Valor Info Booth: presented by Oliver Lemons, located at Hood Avenue and Elm Street. Learn about two wonderful programs that support Veterans with quilts to honor their service.

26 Central Oregon Modern Quilt Guild — Flying Colors with Gail Garber: presented by The Quilt Basket, located at the west wall of Candy Corral on Elm Street. Experience the Central Oregon Modern Quilt Guild’s vibrant tribute to the artistry of Gail Garber and her book “Flying Colors.” Inspired by undulating shapes, movement, and flow, these quilts burst with dynamic design and an explosion of color that celebrates creativity and modern quilting.

27 Duo at Play — Creativity Rocks: presented by and located at Bedouin on Hood Avenue. Imagining all that lies hidden beneath layers of compressed sediment beneath our feet — drifting clouds, ancient oceans, quiet walks through the trees — this exhibit celebrates the wonder and imagination inspired by

gazing upon a sliced stone. Each piece reflects the beauty, mystery, and stories we discover within the natural patterns of the earth.

28 Portland Modern Quilt Guild — Vintage Games: presented by Luckey’s Woodsman, located at 178 S. Elm St. Step back into childhood memories with this exhibit celebrating vintage board games through modern interpretations of classic game boards. Artists were encouraged to incorporate repurposed vintage fabrics, giving new life to treasured textiles while capturing the nostalgia, color, and playful spirit of games from the past.

29 Busy Bees Quilt Group — Celebrating America’s 250th: Honoring Our Heritage Through Quilts: presented by Alpaca by Design, located at The Place, 101 W. Main Ave. Celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, this exhibit honors the enduring spirit of the American farmer and the tradition of barn quilt artistry. Featuring quilts inspired by farms, barns, and the classic barn quilt designs that have become a beloved part of rural America, the collection reflects the values of hard work, resilience, and community that have shaped our nation’s heritage.

30 High Desert Quilt Guild — Forging Quilts, Celebrating 10 years Together: presented by C&T Publishing, located at Sisters Feed. Celebrate the 10th anniversary of High Desert Quilt Guild with this special commemorative exhibit! Quilters created imaginative works using shades of white, gray, or silver, plus a third color of their choice. Each piece also creatively incorporates the number 10 — through 10 blocks, 10 figures, or other inspired interpretations. This anniversary collection highlights the artistry, friendship, and creativity that have flourished over the guild’s first decade.

31 Mountain Meadow Quilters Guild — A Splash of Color: presented by Explore Sisters, located at The Hub, 291 E. Main Ave. Enjoy this striking exhibit by the Mountain Meadow Quilters, featuring quilts created in black, white, and gray with a splash of each quilter’s favorite accent color. From traditional to modern styles, these beautiful works showcase creativity, contrast, and personal expression through color and design.

32 Gallery Artist — Cindy O’Neal: presented by Citizens4Community, located at The Hub, 291 E. Main Ave. Enjoy the vibrant and imaginative work of this Central Oregon quilt artist, whose quilts will be on display and available for purchase during the first two weeks of July. Inspired by books, challenge themes, and the beauty of the outdoors, her creations often feature appliqué and bold, joyful color. An active member of several local quilting groups, Cindy brings creativity, storytelling, and artistic exploration to every piece.

33 Two Rivers, Three Sisters: presented by Ponderosa Lodge, located inside Sisters City Hall. This permanent exhibit, created in 2012, was a joint project of many fiber artists and the National Forest Foundation to raise awareness and funds for the restoration efforts on the Metolius River and Whychus Creek. The 40-foot long, 17-panel quilt depicts the forest and rivers surrounding Sisters. (City Hall will be open Monday through Friday during Quilt Show week.)

34 Showcase Quilter Christine Watkins: presented by Blue Burro Imports, and located inside FivePine Lodge. Christine is honored to share her “Simply Solids” collection, featuring 10 quilts created with solid-color fabrics and a variety of piecing techniques. Each quilt is finished with simple straight-line quilting spaced at half-inch intervals, highlighting the beauty of color and design. Inspired by her vibrant fabric collection and the creativity of fellow Central Oregon quilters, her work celebrates color, simplicity, and modern quilting artistry.

36 Save it for Sunday! –Michelle Wilkie: presented by FivePine Lodge, located at FivePine campus. On Sunday, July 12, walk through the pine trees on the campus of FivePine Lodge and view quilts created by Michelle Wilkie. Join Michelle as she shares her artistic journey through modern quilting, blending traditional techniques with improvisation, minimalism, and bold use of color. Inspired by photography and personal experiences, her quilts tell visual stories filled with emotion and connection. Michelle will share these stories during small-group walking tours and a mid-morning lecture — we invite you to experience one or both presentations. Join us for Save it for Sunday to explore her vibrant world of color and creativity.

35 SOQS Quilt Walk: presented by The Roundhouse Foundation. Be sure to stroll throughout the Quilt Show business sponsors of Sisters and Central Oregon throughout July; each sponsor business will be showing off a sponsor quilt created by an Oregon quilter. The list of our sponsoring businesses is available online and in participating businesses.

Monday, July 6 – Sunday, July 12 or while

Artist gets first exhibit at Quilt Show

By Susan Cobb Correspondent

Christine Watkins was “quite surprised” to get a call from Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) Director Dawn Boyd last fall. Dawn asked Christine if she would be interested in having her own exhibit and Christine was honored by the invite and accepted. Christine will be the featured showcase quilter in the FivePine Lodge during Quilter’s Affair and SOQS.

Christine has shown her quilts in SOQS but never had her own exhibit. She immediately focused her energy on the request and determined she would create a show of 10 quilts made in 2025-26. She decided all her machine quilting would be half-inch spacing of only straight lines and just solid colors from Kona Fabrics. Christine got to work on her “Simply Solids” collection.

Christine first learned sewing from her mother and continued learning during high school in home economics classes. She was in Pennsylvania Dutch country teaching second grade in 1985 when she enrolled in evening quilting classes. “We hand pieced using cardboard templates traced on cereal boxes,” notes Christine. The students would hand piece and hand quilt their small quilts. In time Christine started machine piecing the tops but continued to hand quilt her quilts. She continued making

quilts as she got married, raised four children, and went through many moves of house and home to New Mexico, Texas, Alaska, England, and to Bend, Oregon, in 2016. In Bend, Christine was introduced to modern quilting where she found that although she loves hand quilting, machine quilting allows her to get more quilts done.

Christine has embraced the modern quilting style which commonly uses solids rather than printed fabrics. She does use prints when making fabric bags. When she has overflowing baskets of left over fabric scraps in solids and prints, she’ll make a “scrappy quilt.”

learn by attending retreats or classes offered by the

or the Mountain Meadow Quilters, and during Quilter’s Affair in Sisters. As to the latter, Christine appreciates “having top-notch instructors from around the world teaching a broad range of classes right here in Central Oregon presenting such an amazing opportunity to learn new techniques and perspectives.” She is energized and inspired when looking at quilts on display during SOQS each year.

Christine loves her growing community of quilting friends. Quilting is her creative outlet, making “every day go better.” She has a quilt studio built in 2022 attached to her home that is a “sunny and bright” place in which to create. She has given her quilts to members of her extensive family for years and recently has sold several. She shares her quilt projects on Instagram @cmwatkinsak.

For Christine, “the smaller the scraps the better.” Christine continues to

Central Oregon Modern Quilt Guild

PHOTO PROVIDED

instructors will introduce youngsters to the fabric arts at the Kids Activity Center.

Inspiring the next generation

By Katy Yoder Correspondent

The history of quilting journeys back to antiquity where an ivory carving showed an Egyptian pharaoh wearing a quilted mantle. Quilted fabric was also used as clothing and armor padding in ancient China and North Africa. By the 14th century quilting was transformed from just utilitarian uses to an art form. Today’s quilts are an extension of that ancient beginning.

Looking at the quilts hung throughout Sisters, a continuing evolution is revealed in a myriad of styles and uses. But how do we foster the next generation of quilters? That question is being answered by Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) board members like educator Carol Dixon, who will soon be leaving the board, and her successor Kristy Rawls. Dixon is passing the mission of educating the next generation of quilters onto Rawls. With a background in teaching, Rawls looks forward to offering opportunities to anyone interested in learning more about quilting.

“Carol is an incredibly amazing teacher. I was honored to be asked to take up the mantle after she steps off the board,” said Rawls. “Education is where I have something to contribute and where my focus will be as a new board member. I remember when my daughter and I took our first quilting class after we moved

to Sisters. Quilting was a great way to be a part of the community.”

Rawls is looking forward to spending time during this year’s quilt show introducing quilting to the next generation of artists. Providing fun activities that spark curiosity about quilting as an art form and as a useful skill will ensure quilting retains a strong base of artists at all levels and ages. Join her at the Kid’s Activity Center at Village Green Park. All materials are provided for attendees.

“The math teacher in me wanted to integrate how math benefits the creative process in a variety of ways,” said Rawls. “But this year we’re focusing on offering a family-friendly event with beginning activities using coloring sheets from the SOQS poster artist Katie Daisy’s proofs. There are four different sheets, and one is the actual poster. It’s a chance to color on different blocks to create a pleasing image. We want elementary school-aged kids to have fun and create something they can take home with them.”

There is a second outdoor classroom welcoming all ages to explore new sewing skills. Qristy Kurtz of Powell Butte is the founder of the nonprofit, Fashion for Everyone. She invites all quilting curious to stop by the Fashion Workshop Mobile Classroom for a free Stop and Sew activity from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Hood Avenue across from Bedouin.

She’s offering a fun sewing project making a little coin purse or credit card holder. Part of Kurtz’s mission is using recycled materials and making things that won’t just get thrown away or left on a shelf.

“When we use quality materials, students are more likely to keep it or share it as a gift. We’re offering a quick activity that usually takes 10 to 15 minutes per person. We’ll have a volunteer set up with a snap press and another with a sewing machine to help people. There’s a separate sewing machine for the quilting setup,” said Kurtz. “We offer an inviting, helpful little art station for people. We’ll have good signage, so people know where our sewing classroom is located.”

A quilter herself, Kurtz has a strong desire to make design and sewing accessible to everyone. Her nonprofit’s mission includes providing affordable resources and learning opportunities for aspiring designers of all ages. Kurtz offers classes all over Central Oregon that invite folks to take classes that use upcycled garments and supplies.

Volunteers with sewing skills are invited to join Kurtz as she offers all kinds of sewing instruction. She’s always looking for fabric and leather donations to restock her supplies. To find out about her upcoming programming and events, or to donate, visit Fashion for Everyone’s website: www. fashionforeveryone.org.

QUILT SHOW

PHOTO PROVIDED

Katie Daisy — wild & whimsical art

Katie Daisy will tell you right off the bat that she’s not a quilter — but her art fits perfectly with the Whimsical & Wild theme of the 2026 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. That’s why she was selected as this year’s poster artist.

“Obviously, it’s such a huge honor,” she said, “because it’s such an iconic event that has been going on forever.”

Katie’s art is inspired by nature, a sensibility she soaked up as she was “raised by the birds and warm breezes of small-town Lindenwood, Illinois, brought up among the other wildflowers with roots planted deeply in the natural world.”

She recalls that she “was playing in my mother’s garden doing art all day long.”

Art was more than a hobby

— and it has been more than a career for Katie Daisy. It is a calling. She graduated from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2009 and embarked on the adventurous — and challenging — life of a freelance illustrator.

“I’ve been doing it full time since 2009,” she said.

And she’s made a success of it. She has a New York Times bestselling book, and operates a small retail shop in Sisters in addition to her online shop at www.katie daisyshop.com. She created a public mural in downtown Sisters with Karen Eland.

“I try to walk the line between being a commercial artist and also doing something handmade,” she said.

She works extensively with a blend of watercolor and acrylic, a medium she says she discovered through experimentation.

Her 2026 SOQS poster

features the Three Sisters mountains looming behind a cozy log cabin, surrounded by Sisters’ wildlife.

“I definitely wanted to make this a love letter to Sisters,” she said. “Every single element of it is something you can find right here in Sisters.”

The poster reflects Katie

Daisy’s love for the place where her artistic journey has taken her.

“I really wanted the cabin to signify home,” she said.

Katie Daisy will be on hand at Stitchin’ Post on Saturday, July 11, 9 a.m. to noon, to sign her poster as a memento of the 51st Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

Wish Cards from here, there, and everywhere!

By Susan Cobb Correspondent

Donated handmade fabric postcards, called “Wish Cards,” help fund the next annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) and provide funding for scholarships to selected Sisters High School Arts graduates. The Wish Cards are viewed and purchased by thousands of visitors to, and participants in, Quilter’s Affair and the SOQS.

The “Wish Upon a Card” project was developed in 2006 connecting SOQS with the Wendy’s Wish Foundation. The foundation had funded cancer treatments and was eventually absorbed by Saint Charles Hospital in Bend. In 2016, the SOQS Board of Directors decided to continue the fabric postcard program with a focus on raising local scholarships for students of the Arts and has now renamed it “Wish Card.” This aligns to the mission of SOQS: “Educate the public about the art, skill, and heritage of traditional and contemporary quilts and fiber arts, while enhancing the cultural vitality of the commu nity of Sisters and Central Oregon.”

Wish Card

Coordinator Robyn Gold is in her fifth year and shared that the Wish Card team of 18 volunteers are a great group who each show initia tive while sustaining strong comradery. They spend hundreds of hours every year to prepare for and com plete the Wish Card program. During the program the team processes cards from around the world and across the United States — more than 500 cards annually. They will show, auction, and sell

wish cards, notify winners of work judged or auctioned, and send notes of gratitude to all postcard makers.

Robyn noted that one of the innovations of the Wish Card team was to track received postcards visually by state. In the SOQS office, the team updates a wall quilt of the map of the USA, identifying participating states. The SOQS has received Wish Cards from fabric postcard makers in Canada, Australia, and Germany.

For 2026 SOQS, Andover Fabrics donated two different bolts of fabric by designer Alison Glass. The Wish Card team cuts the fabric into 4.5by 6.5-inch pieces to build about 200 “Challenge” packets with instructions. Completed “challenge” postcards submitted by May 1 are entered into the juried program.

Challenge participants must use both Andover fabrics and can embellish or add other fabrics. In May, three challenge winners and eight honorable mentions were selected by the SOQS Board of Directors. The 11 Challenge cards and 27 Wish Cards created by 20 teachers

present) comprise the 2026 Wish Card Silent Auction entries.

SOQS is grateful to the five professional framework businesses that framed the 38 postcards for auction. In Bend the framers are Eastlake Framing, High Desert Frameworks, and Bend Picture Framing, and in Sisters Wildflower Studio and Sisters Gallery & Frame. The 2026 Fabric Challenge Winners are listed in order of first through third place: Christine Shimizu (California), Sandra Andrea (Utah), and Karen Hewer (Oregon). The silent auction of the 38 framed cards is open to the public (and to Quilter’s Affair participants) July 6 thru 10, at the Sisters High School, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

During SOQS visit the Wish Card tent to see the 11 Challenge Wish Cards for

auction at the Village Green Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The three winning Challenge and Teacher’s postcards can be purchased outright (first come, first serve) at $500 and the honorable mention Challenge cards at $350.

Otherwise, the auctioned postcards go to the highest bidder. The hundreds of Wish Cards are on display in both locations (noted above) during open hours. The unframed postcards sell for $10 each and matted sell for $25 each.

First-place Wish Card by Chris Shimizu of California.

20th Annual Fabric Postcard Exhibit, Sale, and Auction

Thank you to our sponsors, donors, and supporters!

SPONSORS: Andover Fabrics • Eastlake Framing High Desert Frameworks! Bend Framing • Wildflower Studio Sisters Gallery & Frame Shop This program has raised over $200,910 to give back to our community and support the production of Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

Wish Cards crafted by Kathy Jasper. Volunteers often make hundreds of cards to support Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

Storybook Quilts from Wild to Whimsical

By Katy Yoder Correspondent

Eleven talented artists were invited to donate a quilt for the Storybook Quilts project. Started in 2017, the fundraiser has grown in popularity and influence as collectors clamor to acquire creations no larger than 21” wide by 33” high. The smaller size allows the quilts to fit in a handmade, leather storybook with a robust binding holding quilt pages in the 3-foot-by-4-foot book.

The project was inspired by Dan Rickards’ 2017 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) poster, “Storytellers,” that included a giant quilt book in the painting. What began as a whimsical idea came to life through the hands of Rickards and leathersmith Julia Zell. The quilt pages are given to support the SOQS organization. Sales from the Storybook quilts provide funds needed to continue work supporting and enriching the community of artists who look forward to the annual event, inspired by viewing new techniques that might broaden what’s possible in the quilting realm.

This year’s quilt donors are a remarkable group including Naomi Snapp, Tonye Phillips, Kristan Collins, Kelly Acton, Jean Wells, June Jaeger, Susan DeGroat, Kathy Jasper, Linda Weick, Jan Tetzlaff, and Robyn Gold. The artists’ techniques range from abstract images representing time and

space to luscious portrayals of scenes from a galloping horse and rider to ravens catching up with friends in the Central Oregon landscape. Prices are two-tiered; if the artist is a teacher their quilt costs $500; the rest are $400.

The book will be on display during the Quilter’s Affair; folks not attending the Quilter’s Affair can see and purchase a quilt at lunchtime in the Sisters High School commons from July 6–10, then during the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show on July 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Open Door at The Rickard’s Gallery patio on Hood Avenue.

We talked to a few of the artists about their participation, quilting background, and interesting life stories that play into what they created for the Storybook project. A contributor since the beginning, June Jaeger’s quilt, “Evening Chat” reflects her love of the outdoors and the animals that live there. A fifth-generation Central Oregonian, Jaeger spent 40 years training horses and farming in the Willamette Valley and later in Pendleton. After leaving agriculture, Jaeger built a cabin in

June Jaeger is a longtime quilter and a contributor to the Storybook Quilts project.

the Ochoco mountains and lived there with her horses, dogs, and cats. Fascinated by her winged neighbors, she found ravens to be remarkably intelligent and curious.

“The ravens in my quilt are meeting at the end of the day to share their stories,” she said.

Asked about the gold item in the beak of one bird, Jaeger says she’s not sure what the bird found. She invites viewers to complete that part of the story. Now a Sisters resident for several years, sometimes Jaeger yearns for the wilderness and many wild creatures who shared the forest with her. Her quilts allow her to return to a cherished time of

independence, renewal, and empowerment.

Former journalist Jan Tetzlaff has been the coordinator and a contributor to the Storybook project since it began. She’s still amazed at the diversity and creativity of the artists she invites to participate in the fundraiser that brings in around $4,000 each year. She marvels at how each quilter has a unique approach to creating their contributions. Some are handstitched, while others are appliqued and fused.

“The storyteller quilts have become an integral part of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt show and something attendees look

Kelly Acton is donating her second quilt to the Storybook Quilts project.

forward to seeing. We have storytellers turn the pages when the book is on display. They have fun taking artists’ statements and enhancing them with their own take on what the image conveys,” said Tetzlaff. “Through the quilters, and Dan and Julia Rickards’ generosity, we’re able to raise funds for the quilt show. I’m eternally grateful and impressed by the people who do this work each year. It’s an incredibly generous gift.”

Kelly Acton is donating her second quilt to the Storybook. She and her husband moved in 2020 to Sisters. Both are retired after careers in the medical profession. Acton has been sewing her whole life but didn’t get into quilting until about ten years ago. Her husband saw an art quilt that he knew would interest her. He saw how she could take her love of photography and create something with fabric. “We’ve been married for 49 years,” she chuckled. “So, he knows me pretty well!” Her quilt donation reflects her love of butterflies. Entitled, “Metamorphosis 2,” it’s the second iteration of a quilt she gave to a dear friend who was going through a life transition.

All three artists loved their careers and experiences they had along the way. Happily living close to the Stitchin’ Post, and the Cascade Range wilderness, they’re infusing their artistic energy and enjoyment expressing themselves into enriching the community they love. It’s a gift for them and the place they call home.

PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT

Freddie Moran Raffle Quilt entices quilters

There are few names in the world of quilting more potent than that of Freddy Moran.

An internationally recognized, award-winning fabric artist, author, and teacher, she was known for a vivid sense of color, expressed in her quip: “Red is a neutral!”

Moran did not start quilting until she was in her 60s — but she was blessed with a long life and a rich career in the field.

“She lived to 94, and she was still coming to Quilt Show at 92,” recalled Jean Wells Keenan, who knew Moran well. “When she really got command of the sewing machine, she was off and running.”

Jean recalls an enthusiastic artist with a joyful nearcompulsion to be at work. The Quilt Show founder recalls visiting Moran at her home in Orinda, California:

“I’d get up in the morning, and she’d already be in the studio.”

Beyond her work, Moran was an important ambassador for the craft she loved.

“She was a positive person,” Jean said. “She loved the quilting community.”

Freddy’s family has offered up one of her quilts to help raise funds for the free-to-the-public Quilt Show. “Freddy dot com” bursts with color, energy, and personality — a perfect fit for our 2026 Quilt Show theme: Whimsical and Wild. It embodies the joy, spontaneity, and freedom that Freddy brought to the quilting world — and to everyone who knew her work.

Raffle tickets are $5 each with a maximum of 2,000 sold.

Tickets are available at soqs.org, stitchinpost.com, or in person on Quilt Show Day.

Artist pushes boundaries

Michelle Wilkie’s practice is built around focus on everyday details.

Originally from New Zealand, Wilkie now lives in the United States, where quilting is her bridge to connection and community.

“My artistic narrative involves a visual dialogue often shaped by photography, translating moments into textile works that play with texture, light, and form. I blend traditional quilting techniques with a contemporary twist, embracing improvisation, minimalism, and color.

“My current practice pushes the boundaries of what a quilt can be — challenging the perfectionism I once learned and embracing

the possibilities within the form.

“Most of the pieces I’m bringing ... are inspired by everyday items you might see, or things I’ve experienced,” she said.

Michelle will share details of her artistic practice and tell her stories through her quilts during small-group walking tours, and a mid-morning lecture in the Save It For Sunday event on July 12 at FivePine Lodge and Conference Center, 1021 E. Desperado Trail. Tickets to walking tour and lecture have all sold out; people may walk freely through the exhibit from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“I’m hoping in this lecture to get people to slow down and see things and take in details,” she said. She recommends that artists “Start by just taking one photograph of something you see every day and go from there.”