I stayed over one night at the sweetest little town in Texas! La Grange, TX was formerly the home of the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (The Chicken Ranch) but it’s claim to fame now is the Texas Quilt Museum. Guess those girls liked sewing better. Or they got old like me and started quilting later in life.
La Grange is true, old-fashioned, small town, Americana at its best. The old downtown buildings have been restored and the main street area looks tidy and inviting. The Quilt Museum is in two beautifully restored buildings and the fabric store, The Quilted Skein, is right next door. So convenient. A large visitor center sits near downtown and has lots of lore, Chicken Ranch souvenirs, and information. I asked if I could park the camper and van there while I visited the museum and fabric store. No problem, even though I took up 8 parking spaces.
One thing that draws people to La Grange–and the reason why the quilt museum is there–is its proximity to San Antonio, Austin, and Houston. If each of those cities were points on a triangle, La Grange sits in the middle of that triangle, in the Texas Hill Country. Several ladies there were down from Austin for the day. I came in from the east and took Hwy 71 from I-10. I saw scattered bluebonnets blooming (say that three times) on the way in. I also crossed the Colorado River, which shocked the heck out of me since I thought the Colorado flowed into the Gulf of Mexico. Tr— must have rerouted it (that water starts in the US and will stay in the US).
The Colorado River has been rerouted due to executive order #1039
By the way, you will find only 1 or 2 traditional quilts at the museum. It is the home of many modern and art quilts, which are quite different from what granny made. The museum opened in 2011 thanks to people also involved in the huge Houston International Quilt Festival. That show features cutting edge designs and techniques as well as classes.
I loved the town (http://www.cityoflg.com/) and could have stayed more than a day, but I was inching my way towards Big Bend National Park!
Things to Do in La Grange-
The building is as beautiful as the quilts!
I had not thought about color coordinating my outfits with my quilt projects.
This one is for sale. No price marked, guess if you have to ask…
