March turned out to be an even busier month than I expected so this blog has been languishing in the “Draft” folder for a few weeks. Since today is the last day of the Woodlawn Needlework Show, it seemed appropriate to post it today.

Once again, Mr. M and I traveled down I-95 to Alexandria to visit the 59th Annual Needlework Show at Woodlawn & Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope -Leighey House. We had a glorious day – a perfect Spring preview – for our travels. What a change from our trip in February during which I had to drive through torrential rains and cold!

Our new favorite place to stop for lunch is Matthew’s 1600 in Catonsville, MD. It is an easy drive off the highway and located near several needlework shops. I did not indulge this trip as my project backlog is staggering and I will be attending several Seminars and Workshops this year, which will add to the inventory.

The weather in Alexandria was definitely a harbinger of Spring with temperatures in the mid-50s. We stayed in Old Town Alexandria and were able to comfortably walk down King Street to The Warehouse for dinner, following up with dessert from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams on our walk back to the hotel.

Our tickets for the Woodlawn Show were for 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. I was so happy I decided to reserve in the morning because Mother Nature sure had a nasty surprise waiting for us that day. Temperatures dropped more than 20 degrees overnight and a winter weather advisory was posted for the area. Yes, it actually snowed!

Fortunately, we were still able to view the Show although Woodlawn did close at Noon that day due to the icy conditions. With the timed tickets and the weather, there were only a few of us walking around and admiring the needlework, so it made for a very pleasant experience.

There are approximately 300 pieces on display this year as well as four special exhibits – From the Woodlawn Collections: Needlepoint of Martha Washington and Nelly Custis Lewis, Historic Samplers from Around the World and at Home, Needlework Connections, and Winchester Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America 10th Anniversary Exhibit. There were also four Virtual Programs and two In-Person Programs throughout the month.

NJNA members contributed 25 pieces to the Show – I am thrilled that we were able to support Woodlawn again this year despite only recently starting to meet again in person. I am also happy to report that our members received 13 ribbons – four First Place, two Second Place, three Third Place, and four Honorable Mention. One of our members, Barbara L., received Best in Show for her beautiful execution of Gay Ann Rogers’ Eleanor of Aquitaine and Ellen B.’s monogrammed pillow received a First Place in the Embroidery category, not a category we usually enter. All of the pieces are spectacular so I’m sure the judges had a difficult time deciding on the ribbons.

Woodlawn will be presenting a Virtual Show in April for those who were not able to attend in person. Since we will have a Chapter Meeting to showcase our members’ pieces (either July or August), I’m including photos of just a few pieces to whet your appetite!

Thank you to everyone who supported this year’s Show! We hope to have even more pieces for next year’s 60th Show.