In 1968 Hudson artists came together to create a remarkable needlepoing rug for the Blair House commissioned by the U.S. Department of State as part of an Ohio Room redesign by Jane Fitch’s firm, Robin Hill, the rug became the room’s stunning centerpiece.

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Designed by Anne Burnham, the 12-foot 4-inch square rug featured a circular woodland scene in 64 hand-stitched squares. Anne mapped the design on graph paper, while Pris Graham helped transfer it square by square. Once complete, Dossie Tasker oversaw the intricate process of joining, blocking, and backing the pieces into a seamless whole.

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Over 100 stitchers contributed to the project, with each 18-inch square requiring about 200 hours of work. The rug used 108 shades of pastel wool and took two years to complete. Extra squares were created as spares in case of damage.

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The Ohio Room also featured crewelwork textiles by Deborah Shepard and handmade period furniture from local craftspeople. From 1970 to 1987, the rug remained at Blair House, witnessing visits from world leaders, royalty, and dignitaries across four presidential administrations.

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In 1994, the rug returned to Hudson and now hangs in the Knight Fine Arts Center at Western Reserve Academy. First Lady Barbara Bush, a passionate needlepointer, fell in love with the rug and asked Dossie Tasker to design a smaller version. Barbara worked on it for eight years—often stitching through her husband’s ambassadorship in China—and added personal touches like family initials and important dates.