Quilters flock to Sisters

Quilters view Japanese quilts.

Crowds of avid quilt enthusiasts arrived early on Saturday, July 13, to beat the heat and stroll through the streets of Sisters, admiring the brilliant array of quilts that adorned the buildings, fences, stairways and balconies from one end of town to the other.

Travelers literally came from all over the world to the 27th annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

Noriko Koyama arranged for 10 women to make the trip from Japan. Several members of the group visited Sisters two years ago, including Miwako Kimuro.

"I got in love with it!" Miwako said. "We forced ourselves to see Jean (Wells, founder of the quilt show and Stitchin' Post owner) right in the middle of her lunch and told her we would love to bring some of our quilts to Sisters.

"She was happy and this year we got to come!"

Quilting away in the midst of the show...

Several of their spectacular and unique quilts graced the courtyard beside the Paulina Springs Book Co.

These quilts were crafted by two Japanese quilt groups and exhibited the diversity of Japanese quilting.

One of the very distinctive works was a sheer quilt made by Junko Homma. The idea for this quilt was influenced by the tradition of patchwork in Korea called pojagi.

Junko said, "In pojagi they patch transparent material, like linen or fine silk, taken from different family members' clothing. This is to show the connection to family."

Junko loved that concept but decided to use a slightly different technique. She pieced together material taken from family members' kimonos and inlaid the pieces into mosquito netting, which is a symbol of the gathering of the family.

The netting is used as protection against the mosquitoes while the family is asleep at night.

Miwako Kimuro was eager to share why she learned to quilt and what she thought about the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

"The reason I started quilting was because I was interested in American quilt making," Miwako said. "It wasn't just because of the hand work that was involved. I loved it that quilting involved other aspects as well, like the handing down of love to your family through the quilt making process, gathering together socially and also the contribution it gives to society.

"In Sisters I felt all those things and enjoyed it so much," she said. "I would love to come back...if Jean allows us."

Edith Sorgen has been showing her quilts at the Quilt Show for the past 18 years.

"When I started I didn't even know how to quilt," she said. "I pieced a top and asked my niece, who I was visiting in Missouri, if she'd quilt it for me."

Edith pieced together 25 quilt tops before she ever learned to quilt. She brought her first quilt to Sisters in 1984 and has been coming back ever since.

Jean Wells bought that first quilt and it is featured in one of her early books.

Edith will turn 84 in December.

Carol Ann Dinghman's husband drove her across country in a Ford pick-up truck so she could be a part of the week long activities.

Carol quilted all the way.

The Dinghmans hail from Fort Plain, New York, just 14 miles from Coopersville, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Carol had read about the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in a variety of quilting magazines which at once piqued her interest.

"It sounded so intriguing," Carol said. "And you know, I never once mentioned actually coming to my husband. He came up with the idea himself and was going to surprise me, but when he saw the list of classes that were offered he knew he'd better let me in on the secret and let me choose the classes myself!"