Last fall the quilters visited Whychus Creek for inspiration for the quilt.

Sisters, Oregon (Feb. 21, 2012) – Outdoors lovers, quilters and anyone with a good idea are invited to enter an upcoming Facebook contest to name a masterpiece-in-progress, the Quilt for Two Rivers.

The Quilt for Two Rivers engages some of the Pacific Northwest’s foremost fabric artists to raise awareness of the stunning waterways that frame the Sisters Country.  A collaboration between the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, the National Forest Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service, the quilt brings together 21 quilters who are combining talents on a single work; a 40-foot quilt with Whychus Creek running through each individual segment.

Fulfilling one aim of NFF’s Treasured Landscapes program, the project is strengthening connections to the outdoors by reaching out to new audiences to get them involved in their own “backyard” National Forests.

Also, proceeds from the sale of each quilt will be split between the quilters and restoration projects on Whychus and the Metolius River.

Pick the Winning Name for the Quilt for Two Rivers and Win $100

“One of our goals is to encourage the public’s interest in natural landscapes and get people outside enjoying them,” notes Maret Pajutee, an ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service in Sisters.  “We’re hosting a Facebook contest in May to introduce a broader audience to a magnificent resource that is often overlooked in Central Oregon, Whychus Creek.”  The contest launches May 7; watch the Quilt for Two Rivers Facebook page for instructions.

The collaborating quilters are also posting stories about their quilt panels at sponsoring organizations’ blogs.  The first post, describing Jean Wells’ quilt panel, will appear Feb. 21 at http://sistersoutdoorquiltshow.wordpress.com and http://stitchinpostinsisters.typepad.com.

Quilt for Two Rivers is a project of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, U.S. Forest Service,  and the National Forest Foundation, funded by US Bank with the participation of the Deschutes County Cultural Coalition, the Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Contacts:

• Ann Richardson, Executive Director, Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, Ann@soqs.org
• Maret Pajutee, Ecologist, U.S. Forest Service, Sisters Ranger District, mpajutee@fs.fed.us
• Karly Hedrick, National Forest Foundation, karly@sisterscountry.com