Sisters creates a living quilt

How do you make a living quilt that requires nearly 900 individuals in a town with a total population of just 911?

With a lot of help from people from around the country and an incredible amount of organization and local volunteer work.

Sisters artist Dennis McGregor came up with the idea of an 891-square-yard living quilt as celebration of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show's 25th Anniversary this year.

By 6:30 a.m. Friday morning, July 7, hundreds of volunteers from Sisters, around the country and around the world were in their places on the football field at Sisters High School. They held their rolled up pieces of fabric and stood on their assigned squares on a huge grid laid out on the field by surveyor Fred Ast.

Dozens more volunteers were arriving, pouring out of buses and cars and walking through the high desert morning chill to the football field. Locals and out-of-towners could easily be identified -- the former by their jackets and mittens, the latter in sleeveless blouses and sandals, sporting goose-bumped limbs, cold feet and amazement at the temperature: "It's freezing!"

As new volunteers reached the field, living quilt designer Dennis McGregor urged them to their places.

"Come on," he urged. "We need people down at the other end."

Overhead, a huge crane with a video camera mounted on it gracefully swooped across, up and over the crowd, practicing shots that would allow it to capture the soon-to-be-formed living quilt.

Strata Cranes, owned by the Johnson family of Sisters, donated the crane, which is used for filming around the world. the crane will shoot events at the 2000 Olympics in Australia.

A remote-controlled still camera floated overhead, hanging from a large, helium, blimp-shaped balloon operated by Vern Bartley of Bend's Aerial Images.

Shortly after 7 a.m. and with all the volunteers in place, the quilt still needed about 70 individuals to complete the design.

Ushers, bystanders, husbands, would-be photographers, and at least one local newspaper reporter were drafted into duty.

Still, a few dozen short. Finally, after several forays into the high school to solicit non-participating quilters, enough warm and cold bodies were on hand to begin.

Like a conductor with his orchestra, McGregor called for attention and ordered the cloth panels unfurled and hoisted into place.

For participants, it was kind of cozy. Everyone stood arms overhead, supporting and sheltered by a very low, very large tent that hovered over the more than 800 mostly smiling faces.

McGregor was one of the few people who could see the quilt from above. Watching the monitor that showed the view from the crane-mounted camera, he exclaimed over the microphone, "Oh, I wish you could see this! It looks just like a quilt! You can't even tell that people are under it."

Of course, the only people who could see it were the half dozen or so camera operators and McGregor.

After several minutes of holding arms and panels aloft, the volunteers started to waiver, complaining of weakening arms and the need for rest.

"Just another 30 seconds," McGregor cajoled.

Finally after another minute of whining and moaning, McGregor allowed volunteers to lower their arms and rest for a minute.

"We just need a few more shots," he said.

With blood flow restored, the volunteers once again raised their panels overhead for several more minutes. Then McGregor asked everyone to get ready to flutter the panels and while still holding them overhead, walk off the field and out of camera range.

"Now! Flutter," he called. "Walk away. Keep walking."

At about 7:30 a.m. the human quilt slowly disintegrated.

The volunteers reached the edge of the track surrounding the field, lowered their panels, and then cheered and applauded their participation in this special celebration, this performance art that none of them would see until a picture appeared in the paper.

A happy and smiling Dennis McGregor received thanks and congratulations from grateful participants who appreciated being part of the event.

"It was a lot of work, but it was a lot of fun," said McGregor as the volunteers moved toward their quilting classes and off to work and home. "It is gratifying to see people volunteer.

"I am just amazed."