Quilt Show kicks off with art stroll

The Around the Block Fiber Art Stroll on Saturday afternoon began the countdown to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

Several businesses in town hosted fiber artists, and strollers got a glimpse of what to expect come next Saturday.

According to Kathy Deggendorfer at Sisters Art Works, the afternoon was "amazingly brisk." She had met people from all over the country, some in town for the Fourth of July and some just for the quilt show.

The event was "another well-oiled machine from the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show," she said.

The Wendy's Wish fiber postcards were once again at the Sisters Art Works building, with a display of beautifully framed postcards gracing the entryway. Myrna Dow, from High Desert Gallery, donates the frames and her time each year, and the framed cards are available via bidding in a silent auction that closes on Quilt Show afternoon. Sales of the postcards benefit Wendy's Wish, a non-profit that offers support to cancer patients.

Jeanne Sellgren and Lori Gailey, both from Sisters, are quilters who enjoy having the festivities in their area. They began their stroll at Poppies, browsing through the garden and sampling food on offer from the newly opened deli. Garden owner, Janet Zuelke, was sitting at the garden loom where she was weaving plant material - long stemmed daisies and some greenery - and lengths of fabric into a piece of fresh art. When the weavings are done, they hang on the garden fence where birds come to eat the flowers as they dry.

"Well, plants are fiber," said Zulke. "Visitors are welcome to come sit at the loom and weave a bit. It shows that we're all part of the fabric of our community."

Dixie Robbins, of Bend, comes every year with her friends. The laid-back atmosphere of the Fiber Art Stroll appeals to them, and they get a good look at some lovely quilts without the crowds.

High Desert Gallery was full of people enjoying the hospitality. John and Sheryl McKeirnan came from Redmond and said, "We find ourselves in Sisters quite often. It seems there's always something going on."

Bunny Thompson, an employee at Paulina Springs Books, noticed more people in the store than last year. The featured artist was Theresa Coughlan, a charming quilter who communicates using American Sign Language (ASL) with an interpreter. All her quilts have an ASL component in them somewhere.

"It's interesting to have hearing people come in. They're fascinated with the expression of language," she said.