As brilliantly designed quilts for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show are hung from buildings throughout town, a smaller project with a big impact is also underway during quilt show week.

The Wish Upon a Card Fundraiser & Fabric Challenge, sponsored by Robert Kaufman Fabrics and now in its thirteenth year, invites anyone to contribute a 4×6” fabric postcard—or a very, very small quilt—for a good cause. Proceeds help to offset the production costs of the quilt show and are also contributed to the SOQS arts scholarship for art students at Sisters High School, continuing the impact of creativity and art that quilting embodies.

“The heart of the project begins with people generously donating their time and talent to create over 200 handmade fabric postcards,” explained Dawn Boyd, director of SOQS.

Once purchased, postcards can be dropped into the mail or brought home to hang as a memory from the quilt show. Some who attend the show annually purchase a postcard each year for their collection.

Selected postcards, including those created by Quilter’s Affair instructors, are matted and framed by High Desert Frameworks for a silent auction that closes on Friday at noon for Quilter’s Affair teachers’ cards and quilt show day at 2 pm for the rest. Other postcards will be available for $10, or $25 if matted, throughout the week at Sisters High School and at Village Green Park on the day of the show.

The project began in 2007 in honor of Wendy S. Huntley, a local quilter, and raises about $15,000 each year. In addition to fabric postcards of any inspiration, the Wish Card Challenge encourages people to sign up for a special project, the Robert Kaufman Wish Card Challenge. Participants receive two fabrics and must include one or both in their postcards. Three winners receive a cash prize and their postcards will be included among those that are framed and auctioned.

Postcards materialize in all colors and designs, with some intricately pieced together through the addition of beads and specialized thread and others offering a simple beauty.

“It gives you an opportunity to do a small project, which is great,” said Ginny Hall, co-chair of the Wish Card committee for three years, alongside Kathy Miller. “It is also challenging, because it is a quick project. You can get it done quickly if you aren’t doing a lot of embroidery or beading, and it gives a lot of people opportunity to show their artistic skills and to have their work seen by many people.”

Hall is part of the Wish Angels Team, the volunteers involved in the fundraising effort. This year Sisters High School students will also contribute their talents and work to the creative endeavor, helping to make wishes come true. •