Quilter depicts Lewis & Clark trip

Pat Hastings was a featured quilter at this year's Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, with her series of quilts depicting the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

Hastings makes her home in Stevensville, Montana.

She made her first quilt in 1979 while living in Jacksonville, Vermont, where the focus of activity in the tiny town revolved around the church.

Each week a ladies group would gather together and make quilts.

Pat was interested and asked the women to teach her the special art. She's been quilting ever since.

Pat heard of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show through her good friend, Ursala Searles, who now lives in Hamilton, Montana, but used to work for Jean Wells at the Stitchin' Post.

After contacting Jean, Pat was asked to bring her Lewis and Clark quilts to Sisters.

The idea of depicting the Lewis & Clark Expedition through quilts actually came about through Discovery Writers. Discovery Writers are a team of six women who researched and wrote two books about Lewis and Clark's expedition through the Bitterroot Mountains.

The six novice authors all live in Stevensville and were approached by a local author and publisher to work together to write a book.

They've now written two books, "Lewis and Clark in the Bitterroot," and "Lewis and Clark on the Upper Missouri."

When the first book was completed Pat said, "I thought to myself, I'm a quilter, I'm not really a writer! How can I express the Lewis and Clark story using fabric?"

From there her ideas became reality.

Hastings has completed four categorized silhouette sampler quilts that help tell the story of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

The first quilt, "Corps of Discovery Embarks Westward" gets Lewis and Clark started on their journey. The second, "Lewis and Clark on the Upper Missouri" tells the story of the expedition crossing the state of Montana from Fort Mandan, which today is in North Dakota, to the Lemhi Pass which borders Idaho and Montana.

The third quilt in the series, which is actually the first one Pat pieced, is called, "Lewis and Clark in the Bitterroot."

The fourth and final quilt, "Lewis and Clark to the Pacific," recounts the final leg of the journey from Lolo Pass to the Pacific Ocean.

This quilt was inspired by Hastings after her visit to Fort Clatsop, north of Seaside.

All of Hastings' quilts have been well received and as a result of many requests Pat has compiled pattern books for three of her four quilts.

Pat enjoyed her week in Sisters for the Quilt Show.

"It was just an incredible experience," she said. "I attended two classes so I could participate in the whole event.

"It was just wonderful to meet other quilters and share ideas and inspirations!"