Sisters, Oregon— The Town that Quilting Built

June 4, 2025

In 1975, a young new shop owner and her friend decided to hang a dozen quilts outdoors for everyone to admire. That tiny spark grew into one of the most iconic outdoor shows in the world. Jean Wells, that fledgling quilt shop owner, would become one of the most well-known professionals in the quilting industry. That tiny shop, The Stitchin’ Post, would blossom into a world-renowned source of inspiration and education.

Over the five decades of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, artists, educators, enthusiasts, and the community would come together every year on the second Saturday in July to celebrate the art of quilting and the tiny slice of America that is Sisters, Oregon.

The town, the show, and the community would grow apace and that show now brings tens of thousands of visitors to this idyllic town centered around art and community. Whether you attended the show decades ago, or it’s on your bucket list, immerse yourself in the engaging story of five decades of quilting in America.

In 1975, quilting was on the way to becoming a lost art. Around that time, a young expectant mother took a patchwork class that ignited a passion. From that inspiration, Jean Wells founded The Stitchin’ Post quilt shop. Quilting’s resurgence in popularity is mirrored in the 50 years of Jean Wells’s career, her shop, and the Sisters Outdoor Quilt show. The story of quilting itself is interwoven with the tale of how this tiny impromptu show has grown to become the largest outdoor quilt show in the world. No one could have imagined that two local small town shop owners hosting a small craft fair would become a must-visit for quilters from all corners of the world.

Unlike most other quilt shows, any quilter of any skill level can enter their quilt. No prizes are awarded so first-time quilters can find their creations hung alongside works by master quilters. From the very first Saturday in July, 1975, the show has been a day of sharing and now more than ten thousands of visitors flock to this quilting polestar simply to celebrate quilting and each other. A week of education precedes the show, bringing in master creators from across the world. Instructors and artists leave the area inspired and eager to share their new skills. The art and instruction fostered by The Stitchin’ Post fuels the quilting community across the world and year-round, not just on show day.

Located on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains, the town of Sisters is nestled between Ponderosa pine forests and high desert. Wild west vibe town works perfectly with the dramatic natural setting, and there is perhaps nowhere else in the world that this story could have taken place. Without the support of this engaged community, the show may not have flourished. Were it not for the savvy and insightful development of the show, the town may have dwindled into obscurity as the logging industry waned. The show’s mission, from the very beginning, was to not only celebrate the art, skill, and heritage of quilting, but also to enhance Sisters and Central Oregon. Together, the citizens of sisters and the larger community of quilters have created a magical, vibrant town that celebrates art and one another and welcomes visitors with open arms.

The most wonderful thing happened that Saturday in July of 1975 as people from Sisters came to see what two local shop owners were up to. They asked if they could bring quilts to hang, too. From the very beginning, the show became a day of sharing. The magic that happened that day in July still exists today as the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, which has grown to a show of more than 1,000 quilts. From daybreak to sundown the show seems to magically appear in town and disappear almost as quickly. In between watching the first quilts being hung by firefighters on the side of The Stitchin’ Post to seeing the downtown disappear in your rearview mirror, there are so many people to meet, quilts to admire, and local businesses to visit that you get the sense that you’ll never be able to take it all in. Whether you visited this year, decades ago, or can only attend vicariously, stroll through these pages that bring the show to life.