The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Sisters resident Anna Bates really lives the quilting life. She spreads her prolific quilting know-how around the globe through social media.

“I love to write and talk about quilting as much as I love to quilt,” Bates said.

She has online quilting tutorials, and interacts with quilters every day through Instagram, Facebook and her online blog, “Woolie Mammoth.”

Three years ago, Bates and her husband, Greg, began designing videos for their YouTube channel, “Quilt Roadies.”

She noted, “I’m sharing what I learned about quilting, and my husband shares about our adventures as we travel around the country camping in our trailer. Our passion is encouraging others in many avenues of creativity.”

Bates added, “This is such a blessing because we get the opportunity to see the good in the world, from all over the globe. Greg does all the video editing. He’s also a musician and writes some of the music for our YouTube channel intro.”

Their goal is to connect people over and above all their differences. Their videos range from 15 to 40 minutes, and they have up to 14,000 subscribers.

Bates began quilting in 1993 in Bend during her 25-year nursing career at St. Charles Medical Center.

She noted, “That was the year I needed a hobby, and I took classes in Bend and then later at the Stitchin’ Post in Sisters. All my friends and I, doctors and nurses from the hospital, formed a small quilting group as a stress reliever.”

Since that time Bates continues quilting in her eclectic style and has been an instructor at Quilters Affair intermittently for years.

Quilters Affair is a mix of classes, workshops and events produced by Stichin’ Post that runs Monday through Friday during quilt week in the Sisters High School before Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS).

“I am a smorgasbord quilter,” said Bates. “I like it all and I don’t have just one style, although I probably lean towards traditional.”

Eighty percent of her work is hand-stitching or hand-applique work.

Two years ago, “The Quilt Show” — an online magazine and TV show hosted by Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims, set up an interview with Bates, and their filming crew traveled to her home in Sisters.

Bates noted, “Jean Wells, SOQS founder, arranged this because a lot of my quilts stay in my home. I live with my quilts. The crew set up a whole scaffolding system to hang my quilts, and a cameraman filmed it.”

“I feel like the Kardashian of quilters because I always tend to be in the right place at the right time,” Bates said. “I seem to stumble into these wonderful experiences.”

The hosts then invited Bates to be a guest on The Quilt Show.

Bates now writes a blog, Anna & G on the Road, for The Quilt Show.

“My quilting life is opening up opportunities for me to experience things in life I would not normally get to do.”

This year Bates will be teaching a wool applique class at Quilters Affair and two sit and stitch classes.

Bates noted, “The wool applique class is designed by Stacy West of Buttermilk Basin. She’s from Minnesota and I love her designs. She designed a project for me to teach.”

West produces about 100 designs a year in various mediums, including cotton, wool, and fiber. Each month she releases seven to 10 at her shop, providing her customers with new designs/kits to purchase each month.

Bates was also asked to do the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Storyteller’s auction quilt.

“It’s called ‘Earl’s Truck,’ because my father-in-law, who has since passed away, used to drive his red truck all around Sisters where he lived.”

Recently Bates filmed “Sisters Quilt Show Tips,” which is up and ready on Quilt Roadies on YouTube for folks to learn what to do and where to go on quilt show day.

There will also be a meet-and-greet with Bates for Quilt Roadies fans at 11:30 a.m. at Fika Sisters Coffee.

“One of my quilts is hanging in there — ‘Bipes’ House’ — and we will be meeting people who come from all over the world.”