62nd Annual woodlawn Needlework Show

celebrating 50 years of Nelly’s needlers

saturday, March 1ST - monday, March 31st 2025

(Closed on tuesdays)

Over 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. Woodlawn has a long history of needlework, starting with the first owner, Eleanor “Nelly” Custis Lewis, whose needlework is on display at Woodlawn, and the noted seamstresses she enslaved, including Dolcey, Sukey, Eliza, Polly, Nelly, and Lucinda, who created and mended textiles used in the Lewis household.

The show is from March 1-31st (except Tuesdays) from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm each day. Tours of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House are available throughout the month.

Want to enter a piece into the Show? We welcome all levels of experience! Find out all the details:

Ready to plan your visit to the Show? Click the button below to get all the information and purchase tickets: