Image courtesy of Woodlawn
Promotional poster for Woodlawn Needlework Show
From March 1-31, Woodlawn, a historic house in Fairfax County, originally part of George Washington’s historic estate, will host the 61st annual Needlework Show, which is believed to be the largest judged needlework show in the country.
This annual event, which attracts more than 2,200 guests each year, gives locals and out-of-towners alike the opportunity to view 400-plus registered pieces of canvas embroidery from all over the world. Pieces will be on display throughout the month of March. Tickets are $18 for adults and $6 for children ages 5 through 12 (children under 5 are admitted complimentary); can be purchased in person or in advance here. Proceeds from this annual fundraiser account for 25% of the annual contribution to the historic Woodlawn & Pop-Leighey House.
Photo by David Edwards for Fairfax County
Woodlawn exterior
Needlework has been an integral part of the creation of everyday items, both as a form of function and of beauty, for thousands of years. Throughout history, across cultures and social status, people have stitched for need, for enjoyment and in remembrance.
Woodlawn’s 61st Annual Needlework Show explores needlework stitched in everyday life – from mending to restore, renew and reuse, to embellishing often mundane items that otherwise go unnoticed; fine details on clothing, a napkin resting on a lap, a bookmark to remember one’s place, or a blanket for keeping warm.
Photo courtesy of National Trust for Historic Preservation
Pope Leighey House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
More than six decades ago, Adelaide Bolte and Emma “Pinkey” Matheson, co-founders of the Nelly’s Needlers volunteer corps, started the Needlework Show exhibiting work of their own. Since that time, Woodlawn and the Nelly’s Needler’s have worked to grow the show exponentially into the largest judged show of needle arts in the nation. Hundreds of embroidery pieces by artists from all over the world are displayed, which is Woodlawn’s largest fundraiser of the year. Today, Woodlawn’s Needlework Show honors the needlework tradition and recognizes the importance it has had for countless men and women throughout time.
WHEN: March 1-31, every day except Tuesdays. Woodlawn will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tours of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House nearby are available throughout the month.
WHERE: Woodlawn is located at 9000 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, Virginia 22309.
WHY: Woodlawn is a historic 126-acre plantation that was originally part of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. The main Federal-style mansion was designed by the architect of the U.S. Capitol, Dr. William Thornton. It is believed that enslaved people completed construction of Woodlawn by 1805 for Lawrence Lewis and his wife, Eleanor “Nelly” Custis Lewis, Washington’s nephew and step-granddaughter. In 1846, the Lewises’ son sold the property to Quaker families who subdivided it into small farm lots for free Black and anti-slavery families to purchase.
