(Stitchin’ Post, Sisters | Photo courtesy of Stitchin’ Post)
The Stitchin’ Post, a quilt shop that offers educational courses to help advance the art form, was founded back in 1975 by Jean Wells in Sisters. At the time, it was one of the only dedicated quilt shops in the country, but that’s not the only historical accolade the shop claims.
If the name Jean Wells rings a bell, it’s likely because she is also the founder of the internationally recognized Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show; the largest outdoor quilt show on the planet and a time-honored tradition in a community so enveloped in art and creativity.
The Stitchin’ Post was founded with the mission of supporting the art scene in Sisters, and helping spread and share the art form of quilting. “Since its founding, the store has grown and has provided education, inspiration, and a source of creativity for all who visit the shop and our website,” Jean said.
In 2018, Jean’s daughter, Valori Wells, took over most of the day-to-day business in running the shop, but Jean still lends her hand to many classes, projects and future plans.
This family-run business is well established in the Sisters community, not only as the shop that started the world’s biggest outdoor quilt show, but also as a welcome addition to the many studios and creative spaces that call Sisters home.
As a gallery, the Stitchin’ Post features the work of a new artist or group of artists every month. This helps promote the art scene in Sisters and help burgeoning artists make a name for themselves.
In the community, the Stitchin’ Post is primarily focused on education. Aside from supporting the local school system and other community events, they also host the annual Quilter’s Affair, which is a week-long series of workshops and lectures for quilters and all kinds of creatives.
“Quilters, makers, and creatives from all over the world flock to Sisters to take classes from locally, nationally, and internationally known authors, designers and instructors,” Jean said.
Quilting, as an old-fashioned art form, faces a challenge in spreading the art form to new generations. Not all, by any means, but many quilters are of a certain age or mindset where they are not concerned with things like social media or sharing their work online, which can make passing down the art form difficult.
To help promote quilting in a digital age, Valori has made it a point to keep the website fresh, share on social media and utilize the digital tools she has at her disposal. “We are a destination for quilters all over the world that travel to Oregon because of our website, newsletters, videos and education,” Valori said.
After nearly 50 years, the Stitchin’ Post is still going strong in Sisters. With passionate leaders who care about advancing the American art form of quilting through collaboration and education, it is likely that the Stitchin’ Post will remain a key part of the Sisters art community for generations to come.
On the future, both Jean and Valori agreed that, “We will always strive to better our connection to the community, near and far, creating unique classes and workshops for students to attend both in person and virtually. We work hard to create exclusive products and inspirational content that people from all over the world can enjoy. We hope to expand our reach online, and in turn, bring more people to Sisters.”
stitchinpost.com • 311 W Cascade Ave., Sisters
