LaConner: Quilt Museum

Once my mom heard that there was a quilt museum within reach of the tulip festival, she really started looking forward to our tulip trip.

It was a gorgeous day and we were surprised at just how quickly we could drive to La Conner from the tulip fields. The La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum is located in a the 114-year-old Gaches Mansion. I love that their mission statement:

"The mission of the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum is to present exhibitions and educational programs in all fiber arts that enrich and inspire, honor cultural traditions, and celebrate the creative spirit." - La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum

The temporary exhibit on display when we visited all sewn by Donna Hanson Eines. Needless to say, she has an eye for color and pattern. It takes a special kind of person to spend this many hours handcrafting an heirloom.

There were two other quilts that spoke to me as we wandered from floor to floor. The first was a small piece made entirely from the silk ribbons that were wrapped around boxes of cigars in the late 1800's. Someone thought the colors and lettering looked beautiful together and sewed the ribbons into a quilt, of sorts. An early example of upcycling, wouldn't you say?

And this wonderful example of a crazy quilt (below). It was made (prior to her marriage and move out West) by Annie Pickens and her friends in Little Ferry, NJ in 1885. I bet they found hours of delight talking and sewing together. Would have really liked participating in a sewing bee, knowing that for a certain period of time every week I'd be with my friends and neighbors working on a craft together.

The Gaches Mansion was finished in 1891 and has a staircase that I want to show you. 

Each flight of stairs is separated by a wall. The servants used the stairwell on the left. If you look closely, you'll notice that the staircase for the family has smaller, closer steps to accommodate a grateful gait. The servant steps are father apart and are made for hustling up and down in a hurry.

We really enjoyed our time in the La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum. They have a wonderful gift shop (look for the Rebecca Barker Quiltscapes greeting cards - they are beautiful!) and even sell a few old quilts and pieces of lace and piecework. Then walk across the street and admire the Butterfly Garden.

Seattle: A Little Northern Exposure in La Conner

To me, this looks just like the television show, Northern Exposure.  You see it too, right? In reality, it is the popular "weekend getaway" destination La Conner, Washington. As we walked around the town we had the feeling that we had been there before. For my Michigan readers, it is a Suttons Bay of the Pacific Northwest.

A friend in Seattle recommended that since we were heading on a daytrip to the Skagit Tulip Festival, we should see the tulips and then go West on WA20 and drive around the perimeter of Fidalgo Island and then south WA20 through Deception Pass State Park (which has saltwater and freshwater shoreline!), over Deception Pass (the bridge) and across to the Whidbey Island to the Clinton - Mukilteo ferry crossing to head back to Seattle.

Others had mentioned that La Conner was a great little town to have lunch. We combined the two suggestions and found an outside table at La Conner Waterfront Cafe where we could enjoy the sunny day and have some fresh fish and chips.  Truth be told, the cafe was overwhelmed by the "tulip traffic," so it wasn't ideal, but we enjoyed our very very long lunch on this outdoor patio that was right on the Swinomish Channel.

Spring is just beginning to wake up this little town - I can only imagine how picturesque it will be when summer is in full swing.  Be prepared to hold hands and spend an afternoon wandering past the art galleries and resort shops.