Getting A Quilt Fix (Blaine, WA)

While we were in La Conner, I had to visit the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum.  I'm not sure what I enjoy seeing again - the quilt exhibits or this grand old Victorian mansion built in 1891.

I was only allowed to take photos on the first floor which included the old kitchen and a gift/fabric shop.  So, here are a few photos that I was able to take.

The parlor was filled with a weaving exhibit.  Of course, I had to get a photo of the cat.

The rest of the first floor was filled with Colonial Revival Quilts.

Each quilt's story was told by its maker accompanied by a photo of an old quilt that inspired them.

The second and third floor were filled with fiber art and quilts from Japan by Sachiko Yoshida and students using silk from old kimonos.  The fabric does not look easy to work with, but the results are amazing.  Since I could not take a photo, I borrowed photo from Pinterest.  You can find more work by Sachiko Yoshida online.

from Pinterest

One more photo of the couple with a vision for this beautiful home we are still able to enjoy - Mr. and Mrs. Gaches.

Photos of the Gaches and their home

Across the street from the museum, there is a small butterfly garden open to the public.  I did a quick walk through since I had already spent quite a bit of time in the museum.

I am in love with the gardens in the northwest.  So lush and vibrant!  Interesting flower below.  Does anyone know the name of this one?

Walking down the stairs to the main street, I noticed the big cherries on this tree.  Not quite ripe for picking, but a great photo op for a colorful scenic view of La Conner.

On The Cutting Board

Sales have slowed down, so I am getting caught up on my UFOs.  Three more Happy Campers are ready for edging and layering.

I spent one beautiful day basting the Lover's Knot quilt.  It is now in the hoop and getting a little attention each evening.  So nice to be back to hand quilting in a hoop.
Happy Quilting!

Welcome Cats, Quilts, and Museums (La Conner, WA)

I visited La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum yesterday.  The Tudor-style Victorian mansion was fabulous to see by itself, but the old quilts on display along with the Japanese quilt exhibit made the visit perfect!

This mansion was built in 1891 and was known as the Gaches Castle.

The mansion almost did not make it after being gutted and turned into apartments for 30 years.  One of the tenants caused a major fire that took out the roof and third floor.  

There was talk of tearing down the old place, but one man saw a historic site that needed to be saved and started a restoration group.

They did a wonderful job restoring this mansion.

I just love the colors in this quilt!

They even restored the old fireplaces with Italian tile just as Mrs. Gaches would have liked it.

There are two exhibits at the museum from Japan right now.  One is "Ainu Embroidery" and the other is "At Play - Asobi: Quilts from Japan".  The Ainu Embroidery also included reverse appliqué.  I spent a lot of time studying the artwork.  I think I'm going to give reverse appliqué a try sometime soon. The embroidery consisted of "Cord" stitching or what I call couching. The coat in the photo below is all reverse appliqué and cord embroidery.

The quilts were extraordinary and made from silk, loose woven cotton, and hemp.  One quilt had me and another woman with our noses only inches from its work.  The quilt was filled with small scenes of the old life in Japan.  Beautiful gardens, detailed robes, hair, and their faces were just amazing.  I could have spent more time looking and studying all the quilts, but the museum was very busy that day.

No photos allowed, so here's some samples from a post card.

Back to the real world again.....across the street from the museum was a small butterfly garden for the public.  A very serene spot to relax and smell the flowers.

On The Cutting Board
Remember the cat material I bought a while ago?  Well, I decided to make a Welcome wall-hanging.  I used an old photo of Dusty playing on the scratch post as my kitty model.

I want to use large letters so people can see them at a distance.  I'm still working on the size and style I want to use.

 In the meantime, I am making a border using a paper foundation since the border's pattern is very small and there are a lot of pieces.

Prrrrr!

Happy Quilting!

La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum

I could not pass up the opportunity to visit a quilt museum inside the 1891 Tudor-style Victorian Mansion called Gaches Mansion. The exhibits rotate every three months. There were three exhibits: Color Me Wearable and Fiber Quest. The third was of traditional quilts along with many local quilts and aprons. I have added a Webshots folder of the Quilt Museum and some of the quilts.

I also found a quilt shop in Anacortes called Fabric Plus. No surprise there! I fell in love with the Native American design called Raven Salmon. The designer Lisa Moore has a different approach to the Hawaiian designs but with a northwest Native American look. I fell in love with the design as soon as I saw it. I want to use my batik animal shadows in dark blues and purple. I just need to find my stash. hmmm.... I wanted to share this with my quilting friends so here’s the link to Lisa Moore's website: http://www.quiltswithatwist.com/ Enjoy!

We spent one day driving south on Whidbey Island. We visited a few of the State Parks and stopped in Langley for a late lunch. Ft. Casey was very interesting with the 6-inch guns and the old lighthouse with a couple of - you guessed it! - quilts.

There also pictures of La Conner and Whidbey Island in the new WebShots folder. We will be in Hoodsport on Tuesday. We are excited to see the Olympia National Park and the other side of Puget Sound. I will also be on the lookout for more quilt shops.