Third Thursdays Wine & Cheese with the First Ladies: Threads of Legacy

Third Thursdays Wine & Cheese with the First Ladies: Threads of Legacy—How Needlework Connected First Ladies Across Time, War, and Change

🗓️ Thursday, October 16, 2025

🕡 6:30 PM ET

📍In-Person Event | National First Ladies Library & Museum

🎟️ $25.00 (includes wine and cheese reception)

About the Event:Needlework may seem like a quiet pastime – but in the hands of America’s First Ladies, it became a powerful form of self-expression, comfort during wartime, and even subtle political influence.

Join author and needlework researcher Denise Layman for a rich, hands-on presentation exploring the little-known needlework stories of our nation’s First Ladies. From the Revolutionary War to the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ll see how stitching traditions offer intimate insights into the lives and legacies of these First Ladies.

🪡 Stories include:

• Martha Washington requesting handmade contributions for the troops
• Lucy Hayes and her heartfelt mending during the Civil War
• Ida McKinley’s symbolic slippers representing unity after war
• Eleanor Roosevelt’s tireless knitting – even caught on film at the UN
• Pat Nixon’s creative needlework kits to fund White House art
• And more, including Michelle Obama, Angelica Van Buren, Edith Roosevelt, and Frances Cleveland

About the Speaker:Denise Layman is an educator, needlework researcher, and author. A former NFLLM docent and White House holiday decorator, she brings decades of experience and storytelling to her study of First Lady needlework. Denise is currently writing a book on the topic alongside her mother.

This event includes a wine & cheese reception and Q&A with the presenter.

🎟️ Tickets are limited – reserve your spot today!

NOTE: Doors open at 6:00 pm; program begins at 6:30 pm. Free parking is available – learn more at .

Third Thursdays is Generously Sponsored by Employers Health

Host or Publisher First Ladies National Historic Site | National First Ladies' Library