While I was writing yesterday’s post The Horizontal Diaries, January 30, 2023which included a little tour of the Tattered Cover Bookstore, I decided that I needed to add a new “blog post category” Independent bookstores, as I’ve written more than a handful of Independent Bookstore tour blog posts over the years; and adding them to a blog category would make them easier to find.
In order to tie all the previous blog posts about trips to indie bookstores, I needed to search for all my old posts using the WordPress search tools. While searching I came across this post from June 2018 – Beastie Adventures: Sisters, Oregon about a day trip I took with my late husband Terry, Mike the Miniature Schnauzer and the tierneycreates Beastie to Sisters, Oregon. That day trip is a wonderful in a lifetime of wonderful memories of my life with “Terry the Quilting Husband”.
Here is a photo from that blog post from June 2018:
Look at the right side of the photo – there is the SAME kit a wonderful friend recently sent me in the mail as part of a “get well” package (see blog post The Horizontal Diaries, Continued):
I was absolutely floored (I gasped) when I discovered this. It was obvious that I liked this hat kit as I took a photo of the tierneycreates Beastie with it in June 2018 on a wonderful day (and now memory) with my late husband Terry.
Once I realized this serendipitous occurrence, I immediately texted my generous friend who had sent me the kit, to tell her of this magical occurrence along with the blog link and the photo of the tierneycreates Beastie with the kit in June 2018.
Here is what she responded (paraphrased):
Oh my goodness! That is crazy! Well…I think you should consider it a gift from Terry if that isn’t too painful because here is what happened… I went to the yarn shop… I already had the Noro yarn for you and your box was pretty much full so that is all I was going to get. That kit caught my eye from the register and I couldn’t quit thinking about getting it for you. I walked back and forth, brought it to the register and then put it back several times. Finally I just couldn’t leave it there and walked out with it for you…There was the same kit with neutral colors in it and I kept swapping which of the two I was going to get you. I thought the neutral one looked more like you but for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to it it. I had to buy this one!
A little magic from the Universe? Pretty awesome! Now that kit has an additional meaning/significance (beyond a wonderful gift from a friend) and I cannot wait to make this hat!
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:
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.
Main Street (Cascade Ave) closed to traffic and open to SOQS attendees
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:
Violet Craft
Rosalie Dace
Rob Appell
Sue Spargo
Anna Bates
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:
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:
I mentioned in this post that I had two pieces in the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (July 14, 2018) this year. Originally I was only going to have one piece, my 18″ x 40″ quilt for our annual Central Oregon SAQA themed show: The Threads That Bind
The Recycled Love
The Recycled Love (2018)
However a couple weeks ago I got an e-mail from Jeannette Pilak asking for additional quilts for Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) Sponsors. The “Sponsor Quilts” are hung in the local businesses that financially support the show a week before the show. “Sponsor Quilts” help support sponsors by encouraging SOQS attendees to visit their shops and businesses to see additional quilts.
I was honored to be included in the list of those invited to help out, so I decided to also put this quilt in SOQS as a “Sponsor Quilt”:
Additional Conversations
Additional Conversations (2018)
I am listing Additional Conversations for sale as the show as I’ve been invited to create another quilt with the same inspired design for a very special show, that of course is secret and I cannot share information on yet.
Speaking of secret shows, if you are wondering why lately I have not posted photos of any works in progress it is because I am working on a secret quilt for a future Women of Color Quilting Network Show and I cannot share images until the show is announced.
I know several of you have worked or are currently working on secret quilts too for special shows/books/events. It will be fun when we can all reveal them!
Other SOQS Stuff
Terry the Quilting Husband (TTQH) does not have any quilts in the show this year. It is not like 2016 when he had FIVE quilts in the show and SOLD TWO! I also had five quilts in the show and SOLD NONE. He teased me quite a bit about that as he was a very new quilter and I am a long-time quilter. He was in the special Man Made exhibit so that might have given him more exposure (or his quilts were just more appealing than mine).
For this SOQS one of my blogging buddies, Becca @Pretty Piney who lives on the East Coast of the U.S. has a quilt in the show this year and I am going to take photos for her and send them on to her. I met Becca in person in NYC September 2017 while we were both attending Quilters Take Manhattan and we were both trying to photography our mutual blogging buddy, Mary @Zippy Quilts piece! It was one of those “talk about a small world” moments!
I have a bunch of blog posts on previous Sisters Outdoor Shows and if you would like to read those stories and see some of the amazing quilts people display at the show, check out this series of posts: Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show
And I will likely do a series of posts on this years show. I am especially excited about this years show as my two beloved Sister-in-Laws, who are both quilters, are coming for a visit to see the show and to hang out with TTQH (their brother) and me!
For next year there are rumors that some of my California-based Quilting Sisters might come for a visit during the show! We had a blast a couple of years ago when they visited and I might need to check with them before I share some of the hysterical shenanigans that occurred during their visit…something to do with a quilter’s cutting mat and I can say no more at this time – ha!
For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone. – Audrey Hepburn
After a moderately successful trip to the public library, I figured the tierneycreates Beastie (see Beastie Adventures) and her dog Mikelet were ready to a day trip to Sisters, Oregon.
The annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is approaching (July 14, 2018) and I needed to drop off a Sponsor Quilt for the show.
Terry the Quilting Husband (TTQH) thought we might as well make a day trip out of it and bring Mike our miniature schnauzer. I thought we might as well also bring the tierneycreates Beastie and her miniature schnauzer Mikelet!
(I will have two quilts in the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show this year and I will share more about that in another post.)
The Drive to Sisters
TTQH recently got a new (well, a new used, 2016) car so we got to ride in “air conditioned luxury” to Sisters. No TTQH did not get a luxury car, it is just that his previous car was a 2005 Ford Focus with no air conditioning. We only had manually rolled down windows if we wanted to attempt to cool down in heat!
It got a little crowded in the passenger seat as tierneycreates, Mikelet and Mike all wanted to be in the front passenger area with me. At one point tierneycreates and Mikelet moved to the dashboard for a better view of the road:
Dashboard Beasties
Mike and Mikelet got along well when supervised and Mike shared his view out the window with Mikelet:
Mikelet is to the left of Mike, he sort of blends in with all that gray fur together
The drive to Sisters was beautiful, punctuated by the Three Sisters Mountains:
When you get into Sisters, the mountains are visible everywhere, as shown in the photo below of a Farmstand/Nursery we stopped at for a wander:
And pretty much everywhere you drive/look in the area such as in this neighborhood next to downtown Sisters:
An independent woman, tierneycreates tried to walk Mikelet around Sisters on her own, but at times she agreed to be carried as with her tiny legs she is a bit slow:
Big Mike asking tierneycreates and Mikelet to hurry up
The Stitchin’ Post
I’ve been to the amazing Stitchin’ Post quilt shop a zillion times and since the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show drop off location for quilts was in another building, I was going to skip a visit to the Stitchin’ Post this time.
However I caught tierneycreates peeking into the shop when we walked by it:
So I agreed to take her in and show her around.
Of course, as a Beastie, she couldn’t help being mischievous and before I knew it I was trying to keep up with her and all her wanderings.
I tried to show her around the fabric, such as this beautiful Kaffe Fassett fabric display:
But soon of course I found her in the yarn/knitting section the moment I was not watching her:
When we took this photo, I noticed one of her boots were missing!
I had to backtrack to all the places I’d seen her hanging out and finally we found her boot in the back of this display of yarn:
We talked about her being more careful in the future with her boots!
As we left the Stitchin’ Post, tierneycreates insisted on a photo with the iconic sign:
Paulina Springs Books
After the Stitchin’ Post we wandered over to Paulina Springs Books, a wonderful little indie bookstore (I love Independent Bookstore – check out my 12/23/16 post on Independent Bookstores) off of the main downtown street in Sisters.
Mike and Mikelet checked out the Dog Book Section:
In case you do not see him in the photo, Mikelet is next to the book Unconditional: Older Dogs, Deeper Love by Jane Sobel Klonsky
There were several authors at the bookstore for book signing (I think it was a special event) and tierneycreates and I stopped and visited with writer Julie O’Neil, author of the book Living Without Walls: One Woman’s Journey from Fear to Wonder in the High Sierras.
Julie is a world traveler and on her way next to Honduras to work with children. I got a signed copy of her book for my world traveler friend Michele.
Julie was gracious enough to let tierneycreates be in the photo, though my Beastie friend forgot to look at the camera, I think she was checking out a shelf in the distance to browse.
Sure enough, the moment I turned my head, she headed over to a shelf that caught her attention – books about Oregon.
I understand her curiosity about Oregon. It is her new home after all as she recently moved here from Ireland!
The Biscuit Scam
It was at Paulina Springs Books that Mike learned a very neat trick: be cute inside of shops and you will get dog biscuits. Even though Mike can be a little grumpy (he is territorial with anyone coming near his beloved TTQH) he still charmed the staff at Paulina Spring Books and next thing we knew they were feeding him dog biscuits.
This happened at several more shops, to the point that Mike started pulling TTQH towards the front door of every shop we passed hoping we would go inside and he could score another biscuit.
In Mike’s defense, he is very cute and who would not want to give him a biscuit?
Time for a Break!
After a late morning/early afternoon of wandering around Sisters, it was time to stop for lunch. We found this place:
The staff was very nice and brought water out for Mike and Mikelet while we were waiting for our pizza to be ready.
Mikelet however was a little challenged accessing the water bowl:
But he was absolutely fascinated by the pizza:
A tiny schnauzer vs a giant pizza
We were not too sure about tierneycreates and “adult beverages”. I gave her a little sip of my local microbrew and she started to kick her boots off…
We decided Beasties and alcohol are not the best mix and we had her stick with water.
After lunch, and a stop at the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show quilt drop off warehouse, we headed back home (in glorious air conditioning!)
Postscript
Had to add this one – a random photo of the tierneycreates Beastie on a glass horse outside an art gallery in Sisters, Oregon.
The feature photo was snapped on my phone and is a section of the Three Sisters Mountains – I captured in the photo the “Middle Sister” and the “North Sister” mountain. Below is a snapshot from the information at the Three Sisters Viewpoint (you can stop here for a wonderful view of the Sisters Mountains, part of theCascade Mountain Rangeon your way heading to Sisters or leaving Sisters, Oregon).
REUNITED
Last week in a series of posts I shared my adventures at the 2016 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS), held Saturday July 9, 2016. Friday, I took off from work and returned to Sisters, Oregon to pick up my favorite hat and vest I had left at the Stitchin’ Post during a class I attended at the end of May (see post Adventures in Appliqué).
So now you are thinking: “Tierney, why are you just now picking up your favorite knit hat and vest in the third week of July when the class was the end of May?” You are starting to suspect that the hat and vest are not really that dear to me, right?
Wrong. I did not realize the hat and vest were gone until a couple weeks ago. I did not connect/remember needing a hat and vest at the end of May 2016 (I forgot we had a cold snap at the end of May before it heated up nice and toasty in Central Oregon). When I realized they were gone a couple of weeks ago, I thought I had lost them during the late winter or early Spring, I grieved their lost (the hat was knitted by a friend of mine) and moved on.
While I was at the Men Behind the Quilts: Quilt Auction and Calendar Preview (see postCountdown to Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show) I ran into my teacher from the appliqué class and she asked me if I had picked up the hat and vest I left at the end of May. I was overjoyed!
I tried to pick up the hat and vest on Saturday July 9th when I stopped by the Stitchin’ Post during SOQS, but it was a mad house there and one of the lovely staff members pleaded with me to try back the following week.
When we returned to Sisters on Friday July 15th and I was finally reunited with with my hat and vest (imagine a scene from a Disney or Hallmark movie where the animated hat and vest are running in slow motion into my open arms and I give them a loving embrace – queue sappy music and closing credits…).
A LITTLE MORE ON THE SOQS
I follow a wonderful blog Woolie Mammoth which focuses on “quilting happenings” in Central Oregon. It’s blogger Anna, also has a YouTube channel where she shares her adventures on the road quilting. Recently she posted a video of what it is like to drive down Cascade Ave (Highway 20 as it runs through the town of Sisters) before the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show and then what it is like to walk around the show:
First my blogger buddy Claire of the wonderful blogknitnkwilt.wordpress.comhad one of her modern improv quilts in the show. It was fun to watch the progress of this quilt on her blog:
Without Orange There Would Be No Blue (2016) by Claire of knitnkwilt
Here is another quilt I loved at the show of Our Lady of Guadalupe, it was tucked away in a sweet garden spot at the beginning of the SOQS. I thought the colors were so wonderful:
At the SOQS we parked in one of the neighborhood in Sisters, Oregon and here is a wonderful stained glass insert a Sisters resident had in their fence:
Here are the cute furry creatures we took with us on a day trip to Sisters, Oregon on Friday:
While in Sisters, we stopped at the beautiful Sisters Coffee Company which looks like a mountain lodge. In the Fall and Winter (and in early Spring) it is nice to sit around the roaring fire in the stone fire place, sip your tea or coffee and read a book. They do not care how long you stay!
And finally, here is another photo of the quilt I shared in my post Adventures in Appliqué. This quilt was made by women in Uganda in collaborations with the Sisters of the Heart Foundation which was run by my appliqué instructor, Janet Storten. This quilt along with other quilts by women in Uganda were hung around the Sisters Coffee Company.
Okay, that is enough on Sisters, Oregon for now. It is a pretty special place to me!
Continuing my series of blog posts of photos and experiences from attending the annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show on Saturday July 9, 2016.
OUR QUILTS
Yesterday I had planned to continue my series of posts on the 2016 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) that I began on Saturday’s post 2016 Sisters Outdoor Show Part I. Then something happened – Sunday sleepiness!
I was so sleepy on Sunday (maybe due to all that walking around the quilt show on Saturday) and I was involved in several spontaneous naps (i.e. falling asleep in a book you are sitting in a chair reading).
It is Monday and I am fully awake so in this post I will begin to share (I think it will take 2 posts) what happened with the quilts Terry the “Quilting Husband” and I put in the SOQS.
Terry the Quilting Husband did sell two quilts at the SOQS (more on that later)! I did not sell any but it was great to have them in the show.
Photos of our quilts in the show will be shared over two posts, starting with the Central Oregon SAQA Door Exhibit.
Central Oregon SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) Doors Exhibit – We were challenged with making an 18″ x 40″ art quilt/wallhanging that represented our interpretation of a door. You can find the story behind my piece Recycled Door in the post Update: Recycled Door.
The exhibit was displayed during the SOQS in the courtyard of The Open Door Restaurant in Sisters (a lovely place to eat with delicious food and excellent service).
My photo montage below does not do justice to the beauty and talent that went into these pieces by my fellow Central Oregon SAQA members:
It was very crowded around this exhibit and I had to take photos whenever there was a break in the crowd so some pieces may only be partially photographed.
Next post will continue “Our Quilts” with photos of Terry the Quilting Husband’s quilts and my other quilts from SOQS.
POSTSCRIPT
I am experimenting with Smilebox, a way to add slide shows to blog posts. I created slideshow of the above photos but could not figure out how to imbed directly into this post. If you would like to see the slideshow (well my attempts at my first Smilebox slideshow) the link is below:
In the next series of blog posts I will share photos and experiences from attending the 2016 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.
Terry the Quilting Husband and I went to the 2016 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show today! We arrived in Sisters, Oregon before the show opened (as traffic gets crazier and crazier towards 9:00 am when the show starts). Once parked, we went to Angeline’s Bakery for a delicious vegan cinnamon roll, coffee and tea. The feature photo on this post is the sign in the backyard dining area of Angeline’s Bakery. Sisters has several awesome bakeries and we selected Angeline’s as it was further away from the entry and figured the tourists wouldn’t find it until later in the show.
Imagine a sweet small town (population around 2500), surrounded by beautiful Cascade Mountains, a downtown area in old Western town style architecture, and lots of friendly and happy people. Now imagine every inch of that downtown area covered with QUILTS! That is what the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is like.
If you are a quilter or love quilts, you should at least once in your life attend the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in Sisters, Oregon. Photos you see online do not do justice to the experience of attending the show.
BUTTON BLISS
While at the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show today we stopped at the used bookstore on Cascade Avenue so Terry could look for a new military history book to add to his collection (at home, our two bookcases side by side are hysterical – one filled with crafting books and the other filled with military history and military strategy/wargaming books).
In addition to used books, the bookstore also sold – BUTTONS! Antique Buttons! I am always on the look out for cool buttons for the miniature kimonos I make for my tierneycreates Etsy shop. I found a rack of “Button Sample Cards” and picked up two cards of antique button samples (that were used by button salesmen to sale to garment makers).
Here it is – “button porn”:
I have button bliss!
More later on the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, I have to return to gazing at my buttons! I am in the mood to make more miniature kimonos now!
So I agreed to take her in and show her around.
tierneycreates 