Woodlawn Plantation Needlework Exhibit

Washington DC is probably the #1 place on my “where I would love to be if I am not at home” list. I have always loved DC since I was a little girl; my best friend says she know I lived there in another time. There is so much history (past and present) there and it has a diverse art community (there is a museum for just about everything). I don’t know how anyone who lives there can say, “There is nothing to do.” … Buy a Washington Post Friday edition..Week-end section (http://www.washingtonpost.com/) and read it …90% of the stuff is free too. My plug for the Nation’s Capital…

I have been to Woodlawn plantation to see the Needlework exhibit a few times. I think this is one of the oldest judged needlework shows in the country and have always thought maybe someday I would enter. I have always thought of this show as one of the premier shows in the country and they always have hundreds of entries (714 this year.) It’s one of those things you always think about but never do.

I had stitched these two pieces for my guild to teach couching. Both these pieces have identical border patterns; each uses different threads, one is on congress cloth and the other is on 18 count canvas and the center couching is different design I wrote a 45+ page booklet on couching  that I will publish later this year, but I had not framed the pieces. The Celtic knot piece was done with Jean Taggart’s Gaelic Gold in mind…I’m hanging them together in my study.  (http://www.needleart.org/Exemplary02/GaelicGold.php And the shamrock was just a natural companion since I had decided to call the project Celtic Origins.

[ED Note: you might recognize the Celtic Knot centers from a couple back posts…I had stitched these twice before stitching the big piece. ]

But this year I decided to take the leap and cross another one of the “tuit”s off my list. It was the 50th Needlework Exhibit at Woodlawn and just seemed like the right time.  So I had the pieces framed, packaged them up and sent them off. I am so glad I did, I won two ribbons (third and honorable mention) but that was just icing on the cake. What was the biggest honor was winning with other needle artists like Catherine Jordon (http://www.catherinesdesigns.net/), Kurdy Biggs (http://www.threedles.com/06012011/default.htm), and Susan Elliot (http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/)…I have their websites and blogs bookmarked and visit often just to be inspired and drool. I would love to be as free and creative as these ladies.

I would love to have gone and seen the exhibit but time did not allow for it. I am going to have rely on others to post pictures and links to those that are able to put their works online to share with us. Melita posted on her blog about her visit (http://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/woodlawn-roadtrip-2013/) to Woodlawn…I hope she’ll post her pictures soon too. If you have a blog or website and have posted pictures please let me know I will link to you too.

And for those of you in the Washington D.C. area, get out and do something wonderful this week-end…a trip to the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, and museum on the Mall, the cherry trees at Jefferson Monument must be beautiful right now, or just a trip to the zoo…It’s twitter-pated season, so if you go by the zoo, say hello to the Pandas for me. They are my favorites…and don’t forget to be nice to the camels as you pass by…they a jealous of the Panda attention and let you know.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have time to stitch today!
ttfn…sue