Baby talk: On Halloween morning, Mount Vernon welcomed its first Milking Red Devon calf of the season—a heifer aptly named Boo (pictured below); a second calf arrived on November 3, a bull, named Thackeray Binx. According to Livestock Manager Lisa Pregent, “Both moms, Crimson and Clover, delivered without assistance.” The Milking Red Devon breed originated in Britain and arrived in the Plymouth Colony in the 17th century as draft animals.

Birthday freebies: George Washington’s Mount Vernon continued its annual tradition of opening to the public for free on Washington’s Birthday Observed (February 15, Presidents’ Day), as well as George Washington’s actual birthday, February 22. The presidential wreath-laying ceremony was not available to the public in person but was live-streamed on Mount Vernon’s website, Facebook, and YouTube channel.

Needling Martha: Last year, an expert investigation team took on the challenge of reverse engineering one of the most demanding types of needlework: whitework, white-on-white embroidery requiring dexterity and keen eyesight to execute the complex array of stitches. The volunteer team (consisting of Doreen Arnold, Michele Chavez, Ruth Franconeri, and Cheryl Sharp) re-created a set of neoclassical embroidered panels attributed to Martha Washington. In the process, they discovered more than a dozen distinct and unusual stitches. They also profiled several individuals who would have worked on the panels, including a right-handed expert, a left-handed sewer, and a child or extreme novice. This project sheds new light on Mrs. Washington’s ambition and social circle. In the 1790s, even as she took on the mantle of the leading lady of the United States, Mrs. Washington designed and directed the creation of major household furnishings, often inviting female friends and family members to contribute to multiyear projects. An online exhibition of this work is forthcoming. The four reproduction pieces will be available for display in the Museum and for use as educational pieces by collections staff and the Martha Washington character interpreter.