(Photos by Gary Miller)

In the tradition of the art form, every quilt tells a story. In the case of the Quilt for Two Rivers project in Sisters it’s more like an entire book.

A partnership between the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, the National Forest Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service, Quilt for Two Rivers seeks to raise awareness of the stunning waterways that frame the Sisters Country. Whychus Creek and the Metolius River 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 twenty of the Pacific Northwest’s foremost fabric artists. These quilters have combined their talents to create a masterpiece exhibit: a 40-foot quilt made up of seventeen panels with Whychus Creek running through and connecting each individual segment. Four additional panels feature the waterfalls of Whychus Creek.

In her blog post, Mary Stiewig of Redmond said, “I feel honored to have been asked to participate in this amazing project along with twenty Master Quilters from Central Oregon. This has been an enlightening journey, both in contributing to such a worthy cause, and in enabling me to add to my quilting experience.”

You can read all the quilters blog posts and see their work in progress on the website.

The exhibit will be on display for the month of June at Black Butte Ranch near Sisters, and a special artists’ reception will be held on June 15 at 5pm. Both events are free and open to the public. The installation will exhibit at Clearwater Gallery in Sisters during the month of July and then travel the Northwest for up to a year.

www.SistersOutdoorQuiltShow.org, 541-549-0989.