Sleepover in Seattle: Quilt Shops in the Skagit County Area

Blessed with beautiful scenery and fertile soil for growing spectacular flowers and produce, this area (about 60-90 minutes north of Seattle) also caters to quilters with an abundance of charming, well-stocked quilt and fabric stores. I’ll list them alphabetically by city. (That’s five of the Mother's Day Quilters in the photo, ogling fabric in Aunt Mary’s Quilt Shop during my recent visit to this area.) Be sure to call ahead for hours and driving directions if you plan to visit.

Fabrics Plus, Anacortes, WA (360) 293-7641
The Quilt Shop, Anacortes, WA (360) 293-2146
Sewer’s Dream Fabric Outlet, Burlington, WA (360) 757-1812
The Needle & I, Everett, WA (425) 259-3013
Pacific Fabrics & Crafts, Everett, WA (425) 353-8866
Boomer’s Sewing & Vac, Mt. Vernon, WA (360) 336-3127
Calico Creations, Mt. Vernon, WA (360) 336-3241
Aunt Mary’s Quilt Shop, Smokey Point, WA (360) 657-1116
Cotton Pickins’, Stanwood, WA (360) 629-4771

Many thanks to quilter and Mt. Vernon resident Pat Thompson for her help in assembling this list!

Sleepover in Seattle

Last week was the 28th annual retreat for my Georgia quilt group, the eight friends of the Mother's Day Quilters. Since two of us have since moved away from Georgia, we now meet in different locations around the country - this time it was at Pat's home in Mount Vernon, Washington, about an hour north of Seattle. Hitting the weather jackpot with four sunny days in a row, we did some sightseeing in the area, in addition to working on individual projects (and lots of great eating, of course). If you're coming to this area, don't miss the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum, located in La Conner in the Skagit Valley, one of the most scenic areas of Washington state. This charming quilt museum is housed in the Gaches mansion, restored to retain the flavor and decor of the Victorian era in which it was built. Whether your taste in quilts favors the traditional, contemporary, or just eclectic, one of the three exhibits currrently on display through June 28 will capture your heart. Longtime La Conner resident Siddy Knopf made amazing quilts and tops entirely by hand, and they're artistically displayed on the first floor of the museum (see photo). "Visions in Fibers" showcases the work of Arizona quilter Sheila Groman in the main gallery on the second floor. You'll love her fanciful crazy quilts with spectacular embroidery. Textile artist Karin Franzen is the invited artist for the third floor exhibition called Birdscapes, and even though some of her creations can't be technically called quilts, their ethereal beauty is mesmorizing. The museum is open 11-5 Wednesday through Sunday. After visiting the museum, you'll find lots of interesting shops and restaurants just a short walk away.