Quilt tour shows Sisters at its best

Besides lovely gardens and luxurious homes, this year's Quilts in the Garden tour on Thursday, July 12, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will surely be remembered for the breathtaking views serving as the common backdrop for all the locations.

The goal of this year's tour was to have the properties in as close proximity to one another as possible. Tour chairman Donna Lipscom exceeded expectations.

Two of the properties are located at the top of McKinney Butte, off Barclay Drive. At the bottom of the butte is the Sisters Community Garden where lunch will be available for purchase from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Right across Camp Polk Road in the light industrial area is the third home. The other two are just on the outskirts of town so there are no long driving distances.

Three of the properties will be fully open, both garden and house. All of the properties will be adorned with exquisite quilts, which will only be seen on the Garden Club-sponsored tour. They are not part of the Saturday, July 14, Outdoor Quilt Show.

A large stone and stucco Mediterranean-style home, perched on the brow of the butte, has a bird's-eye view of downtown Sisters and surrounds, with the added bonus of peekaboo views of Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood, and an unobstructed view of every other mountain between those two.

The couple owning this beauty are from Alaska, and the wife has come to Sisters for 12 years to attend A Quilter's Affair and the Quilt Show. Every year she went home and told her husband, "We're gonna buy a house in Sisters." In 2015 they did.

The interior of the house is faintly reminiscent of a medieval castle as you enter the front door into a two-story entryway, looking like a turret or tower with a massive wood-beam ceiling and small high windows. Either side of the entrance is flanked by a massive antique piece from France that was part of the furnishings purchased with the house.

The entire main floor has expansive mountain views. The light from all the windows cascades onto handsome wide-plank wood floors, along with floor sections incorporating stone from Israel. The entryway and hall walls are crafted from massive Midwest stone which also comprises most of the outside walls.

Downstairs is the workroom where quilts are crafted. All the quilts on display at this stop have been made by the owner, her sister in Boise, and her late sister-in-law, who had a number of quilt tops completed at the time of her death and they have since been finished by the homeowner. There are 39 quilts to choose from for displaying. Her husband says it's the "sisters in Sisters" event.

The view steals the show from the neatly tended garden and lawn areas. The patios on the backside of the house, including a hot tub, encourage visitors to pause and revel in the splendor of Faith, Hope, and Charity, as well as all their neighboring sentinels. Shuttles will provide rides into this property.

On the north side of the butte is an authentic Southwestern adobe home called Camp Dorothy (think red shoes), situated on 10 acres with views from the upper decks of the Three Sisters. The interior of the house has classic Saltillo tile floors, beautifully crafted cabinetry throughout, and large windows that look out to a relaxing patio and beyond to a koi pond, stream, and lower pond often visited by a variety of wildlife.

The landscaping is characteristic Central Oregon xeriscaping, with an exquisite juniper snag covered in lichen beside the front door and reflected in the large stairwell windows. Colorful pots of bright annuals adorn the front porch and back patio.

The linear structure housing both a home and a glass studio sits in the Sun Ranch Business Park and looks squarely at the Three Sisters. Walls of floor-to-ceiling windows bring the view into the greatroom and kitchen.

The artistic flair of the homeowner is evident throughout the house, presenting a visual feast. Her designs are everywhere - the cantilevered patio door crafted of steel, glass, and wood, the shower walls, the fence surrounding the backyard, and all the light fixtures. Artwork of her friends is on display throughout the house and yard.

The yard is just newly planted, and still a work in progress. It was designed using rock and soil from the site and includes an infinity pond and a propane fire feature. Again, the artistic touch of the homeowner can be seen all around the outside, too.

The fashion-illustrator-turned-glass-artist worked with a number of local craftspeople and artisans in completing her home. She admits some of her inspiration came from ideas on Pinterest.

In downsizing from a 3,000-square-foot, three-bedroom home, to a 1,400 square-foot, one-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath house, with a full 1,000-square-foot studio, she ended up with exactly what she wanted.

The other two gardens on the tour are full of lush colorful vegetation and perennials also set against stunning mountain vistas. Attendees at this year's Quilts in the Garden tour will have the opportunity to see the best perennials for growing in Central Oregon and how rocks cleared from a property can be incorporated both as ornament and utility.

The garden tour, in its 21st year, is the Sisters Garden Club's single annual fundraiser. Club President Larry Nelson said, "Proceeds from the tour allow us to fulfill our club's goals and objectives. Those include funding and supporting civic garden projects as well as assisting organizations focused on sustainability of trees, plants, birds, and pollinators."

Tickets for the garden tour are available for $20 at the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce at 291 E. Main Ave. or The Gallimaufry at 111 W. Cascade Ave. Children 12 and under are free.

Please, no dogs allowed on the tour. The lunch at the community garden is $10.