Quilt masterpiece on display in Portland

In the tradition of the art form, every quilt tells a story. In the case of the Quilt for Two Rivers project, sponsored by Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, it's more like an entire book.

After debuting at the Sisters Quilt Show, the "Two Rivers, Three Sisters" quilt exhibit is now traveling the Pacific Northwest. It will be on display at the Northwest Quilting Expo, September 20-22. The show is held at the Portland Expo Center. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

A partnership between the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, the National Forest Foundation, and the U.S. Forest Service, "Quilt for Two Rivers" uses the lens of fiber art to raise awareness about both the art of quilting and the need for wilderness protection and restoration. Whychus Creek and the Metolius River, the rivers that frame Sisters Country, flow from the mountains toward their confluence with the Deschutes River, and have been enjoyed by residents and visitors alike for generations.

Many regional groups are working together to restore and protect these treasured resources, but none more beautifully than this collaborative effort of 19 of the Pacific Northwest's foremost fabric artists. These quilters combined their talents to create a 40-foot-long quilt made up of 17 panels with Whychus Creek running through and connecting each individual segment.