The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is celebrating its 50th year. The annual event, held the second Saturday in July, draws more than 10,000 visitors from around the world. It began in 1975 when the founder of The Stitchin’ Post quilt shop, Jean Wells, hung about a dozen family quilts outside her shop. A tradition was born. Today more than 1,100 quilts are hung throughout Sisters. Organizers say the event has evolved into a living, breathing celebration of creativity, community and tradition.
As part of the 50th anniversary, original quilts from that first day will be on display. There will be several special exhibits this year. Wells will be on hand at her display: “Jean Wells” 50 Years of Quilting,” a retrospective collection. She has written more than 28 books about quilting.
There will also be iconic quilts from past anniversary milestones and t-shirts from past years on display, Dawn Boyd, executive director of SOQS, told the Source. Boyd says invitations went out to Central Oregon Quilt Guilds to make quilts based on one of three themes: golden memories, log cabin, or Sisters. Mt. Bachelor Guild participants created postcard snapshots of Sisters with their quilts, which will be hung outside The Gallery restaurant. East of the Cascades Guild selected the log cabin pattern using the color gold.
The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is internationally recognized as the world’s largest outdoor quilt show. Participants range in age from 10 to 92 years old. “The quilt show is unique,” Boyd says. “It’s free to the public, always has been, always will be. It’s non-juried, welcoming quilters of every level. The placement of the quilts is specifically designed to be pleasing to the eye, selecting colors and designs, no matter the level of the quilter. We are also driven by 400+ volunteers, and it’s a connection of businesses, community and those who love being part of something bigger than themselves.” Some quilts on display come from other countries.
While the outdoor display is a single day on July 12, several events are held leading up to it. The Quilter’s Affair is five days of classes and workshops taught by master quilt makers. It’ll be held at Sisters High School. On Thursday, July 10, the public is invited to an event entitled “Humble Beginnings.” That will focus on stories about the Stitchin’ Post. The next night, July 11, Wells and her daughter, Valori, will share the history of the quilt show’s 50-year journey, which is woven from the dreams of quilters, the hands of volunteers and the hearts of visitors from all over the world and grown into a legendary status. The event will include a Q&A, videos and a silent auction of quilts made by many of the teachers from the Quilter’s Affair. Money raised goes to support SOQS. Raffle tickets are also being sold for a special quilt celebrating the 50th anniversary. Titled “Sisters Scape Reimagined,” the original design was made by Valori Wells. It’s been recreated by her mother, Jean, and longtime quilter, Donna Rice, incorporating elements of the Three Sisters mountains, a field of wildflowers, Ponderosa Pine trees and Whychus Creek full of fish. A team of quilters helped assemble it. Raffle tickets are $5 and sold at participating businesses in Sisters. The winning ticket will be drawn on July 12 at 4pm.
During the outdoor show, Hood Avenue will be closed from Larch Street to Pine Street. Quilts will be hung on Main Avenue, Cascade Avenue, Hood Avenue and all cross streets from Oak Street through Larch Street
Boyd says if someone can’t make the show, the Quilt Walk will continue throughout the month of July with quilts on display inside sponsoring businesses. Boyd says, “Not only are we excited for our iconic 50th Anniversary year, we are already looking ahead to what the next 50 years might bring.”
This article appears in Source Weekly July 3, 2025.
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
