Community Quilt Signals Sisters Values

Summer ‘Tour’ continues at ‘Footloose’ event & Library

The Sisters Community Visioning Quilt last week showcased our local values to a broader Central Oregon audience and, in the process, brought home a blue ribbon. The quilt—which features more than 180 comments written by local residents—garnered a first place award at the Deschutes County Fair.

This spring residents expressed their local values and their hopes for Sisters on quilt squares as part of the local visioning effort, originally titled “Sisters Country Horizons.”

The squares were collected and assembled into the quilt as a "community through arts" project led by Citizens4Community and the East of the Cascades Quilters. Lead quilters on the project were Diane Tolzman and Gilda Hunt.

A section of our C4C website is dedicated to the quilt’s story—HERE. You can read how and why the quilt project began as well as all the comments written on the quilt.

The quilt made its debut at the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show and has been “on tour” this summer. During the fair’s five-day run, the quilt again enjoyed an audience of thousands and earned top honors in the category of quilts created by three or more people.

“I love the fact that people from throughout Central Oregon and beyond have gotten to see what a special place Sisters is by reading the inspiring sentiments on the quilt,” Tolzman said.

Now back home in Sisters, the quilt continues its tour at the Aug. 15 “Footloose at the Fire Hall” dance. The C4C event features free food and group dancing 5:30-8 p.m. at Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St.

The quilt also is set to be on display at other community events and then will be exhibited at the Sisters library in late September through October.

A reflection of Sisters’ values, the quilt is meant to be a true community asset, said Amy Burgstahler of C4C. Area businesses or organizations interested in displaying this grass-roots local project quilt can contact C4C.

Other key quilt project supporters include the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, The Stichin’ Post, Kathy Deggendorfer Designs, Ray’s Food Place, Suttle Tea, Sisters Library, the City and the Nugget.