The family and I traveled down to Alexandria this weekend to visit the Woodlawn Needlework Exhibition.  We left on Friday afternoon after the roads had started getting slushy so it was a slow go all the way through New Jersey.  The posted speed on the NJ Turnpike was 35 mph and traffic was traveling that slowly.  By the time we got to Delaware the snow had changed to rain and had stopped entirely once we got through Maryland.  We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Old Town Alexandria along with an untold number of school groups, including several competition cheerleading teams. I’m not sure who were more boisterous – the kids or the chaperones!

Saturday started out quite gray and a bit chilly.  We decided to get to Woodlawn (about 20 minutes from our hotel) about 10:00 a.m. when the exhibit first opened.  My husband insisted it was 50 degrees but I seriously doubted that.  We did decide that it was a big mistake getting there first thing – the line getting into the exhibit actually had to be metered and once in the rooms it was difficult to see the pieces because of the crowds.  I had of course forgotten that ladies of a certain age (I keep thinking back to my mother but of course realize it now means me) generally get up early and like to be places early!

Fortunately, we made a second circuit through the rooms and found that the crowds had actually thinned out so that we could linger a bit more.  This was my/our first visit to the Woodlawn exhibit and I was awestruck at the number of stitched pieces and the beauty of them all.  And the arrangement of the pieces by the organizers was outstanding.  I particularly liked the samplers as did my husband although Nora was not quite as impressed.  She was taken by the fairies and mermaids in several rooms.

I also really liked the Japanese embroideries, including several kimonos.  There was a demonstration of Japanese embroidery (so detailed) as well as goldwork during the time that we visited.

Our jaws dropped when we reached the geometrics and the display of all of our Frankies.  It was really quite a showing! And the fact that there were awards just made it more fun!  I can see a display of A Different View next year!

I was told by two other visitors that this year’s exhibit was not as large as in previous years nor were there as many different states/countries represented as in the past.  It seemed like a goodly number of pieces to me although it is (as one would expect) heavily oriented to Virginia and Maryland.  Maybe next year we can have a larger showing from New Jersey!

On our way out the sun started to shine and the day got warmer.  We did actually see some signs of Spring.

Of course, after visiting the exhibit we had to stop at In Stitches, which is conveniently located just a mile up the road from Woodlawn on the way back to Old Town Alexandria.  They were doing a brisk business and quite a few customers were either coming from or heading to the exhibit.  The shop is heavily stocked with cross stitch charts but also carries needlepoint canvases and charts.  I purchased a few more charts for both cross stitch and needlepoint to add to my collection!  Nora has volunteered to start cataloging my charts over the summer since I have long past the point where I remember whether I already have a chart or just recognize it from various magazines and internet posts.

We did spend Saturday afternoon walking around Old Town Alexandria and visiting the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Nora and I had discovered this gem a few years ago when we were in Alexandria for Spring Break.  It is located on the waterfront and houses more than 75 artists’ studios and galleries.  Dinner last night was at Gadsby’s Tavern, which has been serving meals since 1770.  We thoroughly enjoyed the “historic” experience.  We drove back today which was a more enjoyable experience (if a more than four hour drive can be termed enjoyable) than the trip on Friday.  It was nice to pull into the driveway and see the asphalt surface again.

We are already planning to return to the exhibit next year – at least Mr. Mosch and I will since Nora will be off at college.

By the way, for those who are still planning to attend, I just received a message that the exhibit will be open on Tuesday, March 24 and March 31, since they had to close other days due to snow.

Woodlawn on a Sunny Day

I hardly know where to start and what to leave out. First of all the “Frankies” designed by Michael Boren that were stitched by NJNA were on display on one wall in one room on the second floor. They were spectacular all seen together. There was also another Frankie by someone else on the same wall that completed that set. It was wonderful to hear the comments of visitors as they came in and saw them all in such a variety of colors. We had three winners in our group, Rosie L. took a second place, Linda M. and Sue C. both took an honorable mention in the multi stitch canvaswork. I was told that Michael Boren was told of this display. It is hoped that he will be able to see it.

Looking through the catalogue of stitchers, I saw that Barbara L. had three pieces entered. Two were very pretty pillows displayed in the parlour on a sofa. Barbara's third piece won a third place in the multi stitch canvas work, but I was never able to find it! I had the help of three friends and several docents but no success. Before returning next week, we need Barbara to tell us what we are looking for. Congratulations to all exhibitors from NJNA! In the smocking room is the second piece that Kathy M. exhibited, a lovely dress with a smocked white bodice attached to a taffeta skirt and attached apron. It was so pretty.

You will see several renditions of the Debbie Stiehler's 2013 STOM. One is made into a large flower with beads along two edges standing in a flower pot! Kurdy Biggs has two pieces on display for those of us who like her designs.

For those who will make a visit to Woodlawn this year there were some beautiful pieces with wonderful stories to accompany them. In the parlour is a surface embroidery piece that borders a piece of fabric with Hebrew script on it. I asked the docent if the “story book” had any information on the quote. It came from the book of Proverbs about the role of a woman that is quite heart warming. In the first room off the entry room are a number of miniatures and beadwork (fascinating all). One is a beaded purse with both shells and stones encrusted. The woman who made this missed a family trip to Florida because she stayed home with a son who had mono. She asked her daughter to bring her home shells and stones that she found on the trip. These are what she put on her purse. Each room has stories and the docents have the notebooks of many. When you are in the parlour, ask the docent which is the piece stitched by the lady who is 100 years old! (Oh, to still be stitching 25 years from now!)

You will recognize Susan H.'s sheep on two pillows in your wanders. There is a canvas work clock using beautiful buttons in place of the numbers. There are several pieces of animals and birds that must be Charlie Harper canvases. There is an original land grant document for land in Alabama signed by James Monroe framed with a reproduction of a sampler from the family. These have stayed within the family from the mid 1820's!

I could go on, but I want to tell you that lunch in Nelly's Tea Room is a worthwhile visit. The food is good; any money made (including tips) supports the Woodlawn Plantation.

The Menu

Three of us ready to order

I am so glad that I will be returning next week!

Sue C.

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On Friday I had the opportunity to take an embellishment class with Julia Snyder.  You may know Julia from her wonderful stitch books – Just Stitches I Use, iBargello, and Have Stitch Will Travel to name just a few.  I had been told that taking a class with Julia is not to be missed so I ventured to The Enriched Stitch in Wilton, CT, for this class.  I did drive up on Thursday night so that I would not have to contend with Friday morning rush hour traffic between New Jersey and Connecticut. Fortunately there were no major traffic problems and the only slowdown was the last four miles on the Merritt Parkway.

I chose a canvas from Ewe and Eye and Friends, Funky Flowers, for this class.  I wanted something small since I have so many other projects in the works, yet with enough variety to experiment.  The actual design size is about 8″ x 10″ on 12″ x 14″ stretcher bars so it is a nice size.

In this class format Julia spends time with each student going over the canvas, discussing the areas that should be emphasized, and selecting threads and stitches.  Half the fun of the class is wandering around the shop (which, by the way, has a terrific selection of threads) picking out threads – like a candy store without the calories!  As you can see, I have a lot of Weeks Dye Works threads for this canvas.  I am also using Silk Wrapped Purl, a new thread for me, for the very light flowers as well as the ribbon around the flower stems.  This “thread” is silk wrapped over copper wire so it can be formed into shapes.

Julia suggested a few new stitches that are just fabulous (at least I think so) for this piece.  The brown leaves are Raised Closed Herringbone and the light orange flowers are French Basketweave which is a row of basketweave with a row of French knots.  I did not stitch the French knots quite right so I will probably restitch that one flower.  The green flowers are Rhodes Within a Jessica Within a Jessica and the Burnt Orange Flowers are Staggered Crosses.  The stems will alternate Palestrina Knot, Peruvian Loop, and Wrapped Chain.  There are more stitches for the other flowers but I’ll leave that for another post!

So at the end of the class, this is what I had accomplished.

The class was thoroughly enjoyable and Julia is a sweetheart with a wealth of knowledge.  I would definitely take another class with her if given the opportunity.  You can follow her at Have Stitch Will Travel.

I did come home with one of her books to add to my library.

And, I would be remiss in not saying “Thanks” to Suzie Vallerie and the wonderful women at The Enriched Stitch for hosting and facilitating this class.  It was a fun day with a good mix of canvases.  I think we all learned so much from Julia and from each other.

Happy Stitching!

I went with a friend to Morven Museum in Princeton on Sunday to see the exhibit of schoolgirl needlework of New Jersey from 1726 to 1860. This exhibit ends on March 29th. If you live near Princeton, it is well worth a visit. The exhibit is divided by counties into several rooms. Although it is poorly lit to protect the fibers, you can get close to most of them. Extra lighting such as a flashlight is not permitted, but magnifiers are. Since I knew very little about schoolgirl samplers, I did not realize that one of the ways that the history of a piece can be determined is by the design. Schoolgirls who learned under the same teacher had certain of the same elements in their pieces. In one room there were often pieces done by girls who studied together where you could see this. Although most of the pieces were the type we expect of samplers of that time with alphabets and pictures of animals, trees, buildings there were two maps of northern New Jersey with a few towns whose names surprised me, such as Hamburg and “Sicckasinny”, or some such spelling! There was also a small globe that was done with ink and some stitches.

Of course, the stitching was most often done on very fine linen, much smaller count than my favorite 28 count! There were many more stitches than the usual cross stitch including Smyrnas, eyelets, and many queen stitches as well as beautiful satin stitches. Do not look for correct sizes of things. One squirrel in a tree looked more leopard like in size! The most common thread that we saw was silk with some wool and some cotton. There was berlin work done in wool to be seen.

There were two difficulties in the exhibit, the low lighting which was needed as well as the pieces hung so high that those of us using bifocals or readers ended the day with a very sore neck! Unfortunately, as there are no chairs or benches on the rooms for resting, you just need to persevere! It is well worth it. There is parking on the premises as well as a gift shop. If you want to go, check out the website for days and times. http://www.morven.org.

Sue

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Even though I have spent most of the last week at home, it has been productive as I have spent time stitching as I listened to audio books. I was able to complete American Mosaic, a map of the United Stares. It is the class that both Heidi and I took in Chicago this past August. It was a piece I thoroughly enjoyed seeing come to life. Seeing Heidi's completed inspired me to get back to it.

American Mosaic

I also added a couple of rivers that were not on the original which had the Ohio and the Mississippi rivers. I added the Delaware River for New Jersey, my home state, and the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington for a few wonderful vacations spent out there.

That is three completed seminar pieces and two to go!

Sue

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