Quilters turn out to restore rivers

The Sisters arts community has often rallied to protect and enhance the spectacular rivers that run through Sisters Country. Now, quilters are throwing in a stitch to help the cause.

Twenty quilters from across Central Oregon will participate in Quilt for Two Rivers, creating two quilt installations - one 40-foot long with Whychus Creek running through it and a second piece that will be made up of four panels, each about four feet tall, also representing the creek.

The project is part of the broader Tale of Two Rivers project, a partnership among the Forest Service, the National Forest Foundation (NFF), conservation organizations and members of the community to raise awareness of the vital role of the Metolius River and Whychus Creek watersheds in Sisters Country.

"We're really working to connect with non-traditional partners to bring awareness to public lands," said Sisters Ranger District Ecologist Maret Pajutee. "It's been really interesting getting different people involved with watershed restoration."

On Thursday, the group of quilters went out on a tour of the officially designated Wild & Scenic portion of Whychus Creek to seek inspiration.

Pajutee said the trek "was a little rough, because there's no trail. We didn't lose anybody."

They returned to Sisters City Hall for a lunch provided by Melvin's Fir Street Market and to discuss the nuts and bolts of the project.

The creek is the single, vital connecting element of the quilt installation. The water course has been plotted out across the 40 feet of the installation, so it will be featured in each quilt.

But beyond that, the quilts will vary according to the style of each individual quilter.

"The quilts may or may not be 'pictorial'," Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Executive Director Ann Richardson explained.  "Each quilter selected for the project has a unique style and 'voice'."

Pajutee is excited to bring the Tale of Two Rivers project to a new audience and a new constituency.

"It's another way to reach a new audience - not just quilters but the people who come to the quilt show."

The installation will go on display at Black Butte Ranch next June. It will then be displayed at the Quilt Show - and may travel to be exhibited elsewhere.

"The quilts will be sold with 50 percent of proceeds to quilter, 50 percent to NFF," Richardson said. "There was lots of enthusiasm about keeping the installations together and finding a buyer for the whole thing!"