Do you attend quilt, craft or art shows? While attending these show do to you take WAY too many photos…of like EVERYTHING that catches you eye?
Once again this was my situation when I attended the 2018 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS), as it is ever year that I attend.
This year I’ve decided instead doing a series of posts on photos from the show, I am going to share my favorites from the show in ONE POST. This post is about quilts that captured my eye or captured my heart.
If you would like a more extensive virtual tour of the 2018 SOQS, there are three (3) Central Oregon bloggers that have extensive photos, stories from SOQS and even videos of SOQS – check out their sites:
- Facetfully – a quilting journey (facetfully.com)
- Kristin Shields Artist & Quiltmaker (kristinshieldsart.com)
- Anna Bates (of Woolie Mammoth) – Quilt Roadies YouTube Channel
They have excellent high quality photos and/or video on their sites above and I recommend you visit their sites for a deeper feel for the 2018 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

Now onto my favorites from the 2018 SOQS show…
Blogging Buddy at Quilt Show
It is so awesome to see in person a quilt made by a quilter whose blogs I follow. In 2016, I got to see a modern quilt by Claire of knitnkwilt.wordpress.com at the SOQS (see the 07/17/16 post Return to Sisters). This year I got to see in person an amazing quilt by Becca of Pretty Piney:
The quilt is titled: “I Didn’t Want to Make This Quilt” and above I share an image of the tag on the quilt from the show so you can appreciate the story behind it!
If you stand back a slight distance from the quilt, the illusion of movement and depth was very impressive. Plus there was a slight breeze gently moving the quilt so the rippling effect was more pronounced. It was fun to stand near it while I took photos and listen to all the great comments by onlookers. I told them that I knew the quilter and several onlookers said to tell the quilter: “She did an awesome job!”.
Ode to Beloved Retrievers
This quilt absolutely captured my heart and the woman who made it was standing nearby talking to her friend about her quilt so I got to chat with her about her inspiration.
She had many retrievers throughout her life – yellow, black and brown labs and golden retrievers. She honored all her retrievers with this quilt filled with images of her beloved dogs. She pointed to some specific retrievers in the quilt and told some stories.
It was very touching and I wanted to hear more of her stories but I needed to move on as I was showing my Sister-in-Laws visiting from NY around SOQS.
The Quilts I am Really Going to Make Someday
At the show were several quilts that I either have the patterns for, have already started the blocks or just really want to make someday. Below are images of some of those quilts:
The first image is a Farm Girl Vintage Quilt and you can check out my series of post Farm Girl Vintage Blocks to see the blocks I have completed so far.
Perhaps seeing images of these completed quilts will inspire me to finish making them someday…perhaps…
Quilts with Words
I love quilts with words/messages and the SOQS had many on display. The ones below were my favorites:
Teachers’ Tent
Each year at the SOQS internationally renown quilt teachers teach classes at the show. It is rare you get a opportunity to take classes from Master quilt makers during the Quilters’ Affair the week before the show all in one place.
Instructors and presenters at the 2018 SOQS Quilters’ Affair included:
- Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company
- Rob Appell of Man Sewing
- Violet Craft (queen of modern paper piecing)
- Kathy Doughty from Australia of Material Obsession
- Sue Spargo (queen of appliqué)
- Resident nationally known instructors such as Jean Wells Keenan and Valori Wells (owners of the Stichin’ Post); and Anna Bates of Quilt Roadies
- Joe Cunningham
- Rosalie Dace from South Africa (amazing art quilter!)
As well as many more big names in quilting. In previous years Tula Pink has taught classes at the show (I tried to take one last year but did not register in time) as has Angela Walters. If there is a big name in quilting, then likely they’ve been an instructor at SOQS!
Living in Central Oregon, I do have the opportunity during the year to take classes from the big names in quilting during the year when they visit the area. Someday I am going to take advantage of this! The classes are not cheap but I think they would be worth it!
The visiting instructors show their work in the Teachers Tent at SOQS. Here are images of a couple of my favorite pieces on display in the Teachers Tent:





The Threads that Bind
The Central Oregon SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) group has an annual exhibit at SOQS. In several previous post I’ve discussed the evolution of my piece Recycled Love which is part of this exhibit.
Here is is at the Threads that Bind Special Exhibit at SOQS:
Please check out Kristin Shields’ post Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Part 7 for high quality images of the entire exhibit (Kristin is an excellent photographer in addition to being a very talented art and modern quilters).
Vincent Van Gough Quilt Exhibit
Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics has an annual Challenge and Exhibit. This year it was Vincent Van Gough Themed small quilts. The exhibit was mind blowing and below are a couple images of my favorite pieces:
For more photos (and much better photos), see Kristin Shields’ post Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Part 6.
The Stitchin’ Post
No Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show visit is complete without a stop at the shop that started it all the Stitchin’ Post.
I get to visit the shop all year long since I live in Central Oregon, but it is fun to peek inside during the craziness that is the Stitchin’ Post on SOQS Day!
You can barely move in the shop and they convert the classroom in back into an awesome shopping area. Here is an example of some of the treasures to be found:
Finally, let me close this post with an image of a quote, rather than a written quote. It was on the billboard of the local flower nursery in Sisters, Oregon:
Love the Vincent van Gogh inspired ones! So cool.
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Thanks for your comment – yes it was so cool!!!
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Thanks for sharing such a wonderful variety of quilts. It sounds like it would have been a great day. So much inspiration!
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Thanks for visiting and it was an awesome day of overwhelming examples of talent! 🙂
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Thanks for the tour! This is on my bucket list for someday! I really like the retriever quilt!
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Thanks for stopping by and it would be fun to wander around with you at the show when you pull it out of your bucket list 🙂
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Oh man, that Pretty Piney quilt is AMAZING, and I love the dog one, and the bunny and owl one, and…okay I need to stop. I don’t go to many art shows anymore but the ones I did go to discouraged photography. Aw well, I can live vicariously though your terrific shots.
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Thanks for stopping by and there were so many amazing quilts that I did not include as I might have used my whole WordPress image allotment, ha!
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This is why I have to constantly go back and weed out old posts!
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You can never take too many photos (lol)…. though I guess you can delete a few in passing! These quilts are absolutely stunning & must spark some ideas – nice idea to cover the group in one post.
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Thanks and I agree about the photos as my phone camera always being full with verify – ha! Thanks for your comments 🙂
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Such beautiful work and my favorite are the “Ode to the Retriever” Beautiful.
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Mine too! Although there were some incredibly intricate and beautiful quilts, the retriever one and chatting with the maker got me!
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Great highlights post. This year of course I spent 7/14 at my son’s wedding, but maybe next year… 🙂 We’ll see. I LOVED the quilts with words. Thanks for sharing so much of the show.
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Thanks so much and I have been enjoying your awesome photos on IG 🙂
Hope the wedding was fun!
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It was fun, and the best part is, now they are married. 🙂 Jim and I head home on Tuesday. Will be good to settle back into our own routine.
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Oh my gosh! Those are fabulous but my favorite was th guitars….stunning!
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Ha! I love the sign at the end 😄
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I know – I was cracking up laughing when I saw it!
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Wonderful post
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Wow — so many beautiful quilts. Thanks for sharing the show with us 🙂
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Thanks for taking me there — I so enjoyed your descriptions and photographs. (I also love the Retriever quilt of beloved dogs.) Congrats again on having a quilt ont he show
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Thanks so much and I appreciate you stopping by! 🙂
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Wow, gorgeous quilts!
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Glad you enjoyed them 🙂
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Love the quote! How true is that! I’m watching the quilt show on YouTube! Just amazing!! 😊❤️
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Thanks to this post, I get to experience the best of SOQS. 🙂 It is truly marvelous how varied these quilts are – what a limitless and beautiful medium. I absolutely love the black quilt with the bright stars, and I’ve gotten a deep twinge of beauty looking at those blues and indigos on the Van Gogh quilts. An excellent walk through the highlights! Great to see your recycled quilt on display as well!
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Thanks so much it was a great show even though it was very hot outside!
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Ooooh, I have so much cool stuff to catch up on! And this is a great place to start – so much talent all gathered up in one place. I especially loved Becca’s quilt at the beginning – it must have been lovely to see it rippling in the breeze! Hope you enjoyed the day… And didn’t have any fabric-buying regrets afterwards! 😉
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Thank you and I was too distracted with all the beauty in the show to think about fabric purchasing – ha! Plus the main quilt shop in Sisters – the Stitchin Post was wall to wall people and there would have been a very long line to stand in to buy something anyway. Yes Becca’s quilt was very cool!
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Well, at least you’re local, so you can pop into the Stitchin’ Post whenever you like! 😀
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