A couple of patriotic finishes and a magical wedding!

Good morning, all! At least I think it's morning... We've been back from my youngest son's wedding for over a week now and my body and mind still haven't recovered from the effects of jet lag. Just when I think I'm back to normal, a wave of exhaustion hits me at random times during the day. That's what happens when you travel to a time zone six hours ahead of the one you live in! So, where were we? I'll share my stitching finishes with you and then move on to the wedding...

As soon as I saw this sweet design, I knew I had to stitch it! This is "She Stitched the Stars" by Needle Treasures Nook and it is stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen with the suggested colors. I did make a few changes, though. I aligned the stars in the arc to be symmetrical, stitched the dates using a smaller font, and added another little shoe instead of the draped fabric that was charted. 

"She Stitched the Stars" 

This stitched up very quickly and it was nice to have just two colors to keep track of! I debated as to what color of trim to add, but ended up with a simple ecru color cording tied in the corner with a rusty star glued on top of the hanging strands. Simple and sweet, don't you think? And a perfect way to commemorate America's 250th birthday coming up in July.

My second finish is one that has been a long time coming... I'm not quite sure when I actually finished the stitching on this one, but it's been a while. I came across it after we returned from the wedding and decided it was high time I fully finish it. "Grand Olde Flag" by With Thy Needle and Thread is stitched "over" one on 28 ct. black Monaco fabric with the suggested threads. I just love how tiny it came out! The stitched portion is only about 4 inches square. I debated about how to finish it and was leaning toward a pillow with ruched ribbon trim, but decided I would frame it instead.

"Grand Olde Flag" by With Thy Needle and Thread

This is a thrifted frame that I've used for two previous finishes--I just pop out the back checkered board and insert another. A great money saver... And another money saver is how often I repurpose my sons' old flannel shirts for backing a finish. That's what I used behind the stitched portion in this piece. Having had three sons who grew up in the '80s and '90s (when flannel and plaid shirts worn unbuttoned over a white t-shirt was so popular), I have a never ending supply of flannel. In fact I have a whole cupboard full of their old cut-up shirts just waiting to be used for future finishes!

How about my fellow Americans? Are you stitching anything patriotic for the 250th birthday this year? I have a few more tiny things I hope to have all finished up to share with you in July. After that, I'm moving on to fall and Christmas stitching.

   ♥ On to the wedding! ♥

A most special weekend... I had so many of you hoping to see wedding photos that I put together this little recap  for you. The wedding of my youngest son and new daughter-in-law was held in a fairytale setting at a castle in the beautiful hills of Tuscany.

Yes, their wedding took place in Italy!

Oh, my... I don't think any of us have come back down to earth yet. Every little detail was so well done--just perfect, really. I'll share some photos to give you a better idea of what this enchanting weekend entailed... 

Castello Banfi il Borgo was the perfect setting for my youngest son's wedding on June 6th. Some of the interior rooms have been renovated to act as hotel rooms and we were lucky enough to stay in a beautiful suite.

 

What a view! Our room was down on the bottom left of this steep slope--right across from an outdoor breakfast/lunch area.

 

Everywhere you look, the countryside provided picture-perfect views.

 

Me relaxing before the wedding on Saturday. I was, surprisingly, not nervous at all! By then, my attitude was, "What will be, will be."

 

The festivities began with the rehearsal dinner on Friday night which all 80+ guests were invited to. It was a fun pizza party with yummy salads, cheeses, and tiramisu for dessert. There was a three piece jazz ensemble playing background music and, of course, speeches were made toasting the soon-to-be-married couple.

This rustic courtyard was the setting for the rehearsal dinner.

 

The red checkered tablecloths lent a casual, cheerful atmosphere to the party.

 

The fresh tomatoes and white candles were such a fun, quick, and easy centerpiece. My little grandsons loved reaching over and plucking off the juicy tomatoes and popping them into their mouths!

 

The party went on into the evening accompanied by music from a jazz trio and speeches by family and friends. 

 

The wedding day... More perfect weather couldn't have been scheduled for the actual wedding day--puffy white clouds dotted the sunny, blue skies with temperatures in the mid to high-70s.

The bride and groom couldn't have asked for a more idyllic setting in which to exchange their vows 

 

A close-up of the aisle and seating area. Pretty parasols were even provided for sun coverage. Honestly, there were so many thoughtful details sprinkled throughout the day.

 

The newlyweds! What a handsome couple--even with their faces blurred (at their request). And her dress--absolutely stunning! I loved the burgundy calla lilies adorning her bouquet and his boutonniere, too. My husband and I walked our son down the aisle and it wasn't until we kissed him at the end of it that I shed a few tears. 

 

My husband and I were all smiles after the ceremony. I think we clean up pretty well for two 71 year olds :) And almost 6-year-old  Mister B, my oldest grandson, was beaming as the proud ring bearer. After all my agonizing over buying a dress, I ended up with this simple black knit one with a pearl and rhinestone embellished neckline that I found at Nordstrom. (You can see some close-up views of it on their website right here). It was SO comfortable and the only dress of the ten that I tried on that felt like me. Most were either too matronly or too prom-like. This one traveled perfectly and had a simple, but elegant look that I thought suited a black-tie (optional) wedding.

The reception... After the wedding ceremony took place and the photographers finished with the family and bridal party photos, the reception was held in the courtyard of the castle. It began with "aperitivo,"  a traditional Italian pre-dinner cocktail hour with drinks and small bites.  Aperitivo is intended to "open your stomach and stimulate your appetite before the main meal." I don't think I had a single appetizer--I was too busy talking and catching up with family members I hadn't seen in years! We then moved on to the stunningly set dinner table for a feast of veal, eggplant parmesan, or turbot. 

 

One of the most charming scenes of the day was the shape of the table for the reception dinner--so soft and lovely. Can you spot my son and daughter-in-law checking to make sure all the place settings are perfect?

 

Beautiful crystal chandeliers, floral centerpieces, and personalized menus (with our names inscribed on the burgundy ribbons!) added an elegant touch to the table.

 

The meal was delicious and it was so enjoyable just chatting and relaxing as the sun set over the castle.

After the delicious dinner, complete with speeches by the matron of honor and the two best men (my two older sons shared that honor), we moved to a grassy area for cake and a big surprise!

 

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, an Italian Millefoglie cake was served. Oh, my! So scrumptious... My husband actually ate four (yes, four!) pieces of it. It was fun because my son and daughter-in-law got to help make it themselves! The cake consisted of two layers of vanilla cream custard layered between three layers of delicate puff pastry. That part of the cake was waiting for them on the table and then they smothered the top of the cake with fresh berries and sifted powdered sugar over the whole thing. I may just have to try making this at home! 

 

Surprise! Surprise! No one knew fireworks were coming except for the newlyweds and their wedding planner. As the cork popped on the celebratory bottle of champagne, the fireworks began lighting up the sky in the valley below. And yes... I actually gasped (and I wasn't the only one!) It truly felt like something out of a movie!

 

I have to admit, I teared up when the fireworks began. The surprise of them was simply breathtaking!

And finally, the celebration concluded with lots of joyful dancing on the black and white checkered dance floor as my oldest grandson, Mister B, showed us his (very impressive!) moves. A fun trio including a trumpet player, a saxaphonist, and a drummer played along to music chosen by the couple. Baby N missed out on the festivities--he was with two wonderful Italian babysitters who cared for him during the wedding and reception. 

  

Mister B showing all the grown ups how it's done! I think the videographers got more footage of him on the dance floor than anyone else. 

The band, the fireworks, and the entire weekend left us with huge smiles on our faces.

We left the party close to 1:00 AM tired, but fulfilled... The whole weekend couldn't have gone more perfectly. It still amazes me at the amount of planning and decision-making that goes into a wedding and, suddenly, it's all over in 8 or 9 short hours. My son and daughter-in-law went through a lot of ups and downs working with the Italian wedding planner over the past year... There was the time difference to contend with, the language barrier now and then, and different expectations on both sides. Would they do a destination wedding again? I don't know... but, for those of us lucky enough to attend, it was truly a magical experience to remember forever! ♥ I am so happy to have a new daughter-in-law in the family and I wish them many years of love and laughter ahead! ♥

I'm a small-town girl having grown up in a village with just one traffic light in southwestern New York. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined having a son who would some day get married at a castle in Italy. There is something so peaceful and calming about the Tuscany region... My husband and I were blessed to be able to stay on for another week after the wedding and explore many of the small hill towns in the area. I'll be sharing more photos in future posts of our post-wedding travels so I hope you'll come back soon!

 

Until then, I'll leave you with a few final photos taken at the wonderful Castello Banfi il Borgo. Tuscany has captured my heart and I truly hope to return some day!

 

This was the view from our bedroom window at the castle.

The castle: enchanting from every angle

 

 

Thank you, Tuscany, for providing the perfect setting for a magical wedding weekend for all!

Thank you so much for visiting me today! After two weeks away, I'm doing my best to catch up on reading your blogs and seeing what you all have been up to. Enjoy this last bit of June, my friends--another year is passing by way too quickly! Take care of yourselves. Bye for now...

One short of a dozen...

Prairie Schooler oval Santas, that is! I guess I'd better hurry up and stitch one more so I'll have an even dozen. Hello, everyone... hope your month of June is off to a great start. This is the month my family has been counting down to for over a year--the month of my youngest son's wedding! It's amazing all the thought, preparation, and planning (not to mention money!) that goes into a wedding and then it's over in a flash. But, I know that their big day will be so memorable for the young couple--we can't wait to celebrate them and toast to their future!

I was bound and determined to catch up with the #12in26ornamentstitchalong that I host over on Instagram and I've done it! Two easy to stitch, easy to finish PS Santas helped me accomplish my goal. They've now joined their nine brothers who warmly welcomed them into the clan. Aren't they delightful? The gold-robed Santa and the one to his right in the red are my newest ornaments for May and June. 

Eleven jolly gentlemen for my tree

Of course, right after taking the group photo, I noticed something was missing! Can you spot my error? Yes, that new red-robed Santa has no buttons on his coat. Poor guy--without being able to button up his robe, it might get a bit chilly out there as he makes his rounds delivering toys to all the good little boys and girls in December. I thought about taking the easy way out and just gluing on a couple of beads, but I took a deep breath, threaded my needle, and managed to stitch the buttons even after it was fully finished. Not easy to do and not my best looking stitches, but that's okay :)  May's ornament is from PS Book No. 62 called "Kris Kringle." I used the suggested DMC colors and added tiny stems to the pears. The chart said that is supposed to be a partridge resting with the pears in the basket, but to me, it looks more like a quail with that feathery thing coming out from its head. 

A new PS Santa carrying a basket of pears

For June, a new color joins the blues, greens, and reds... Yes, my first gold-robed Santa and I love him! This one is from PS Book No. 43 "Father Christmas" and is stitched on the same 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle that I used for the rest of them. I used the suggested DMC colors except I changed the ecru to white so it would show up better on his beard and also changed the green to DMC 520. Both Santa's eyes and the berries on the wreath are done with Smyrna stitches to make them look rounder. I usually top the ornament with a small gingham bow, but had no ribbon in a gold color that would coordinate so I tore some fabric and used that instead. 

My ornament for June brings my first gold-robed Santa

So, do you have a favorite? I think mine are the two green ones with the goose and the birds. But, honestly, you can't go wrong with any Prairie Schooler Santa, can you?

I try to have my patriotic pieces out and on display for Memorial Day through July, but this year, I'm running a bit behind. I did manage to at least get them out of their storage drawer, but that's about it. Oh well...

My patriotic smalls: out of the storage drawer now, but still not on display

A very un-springlike May... So many of you are sharing photos of your lovely spring flowers, but I can't do that here. You see, our May was dreadful--cool and rainy and everything is running behind. Our peonies are just beginning to bloom, but that's about it! It's finally warming up to the low 70s this week, but our furnace is still coming on in the mornings due to the nights dipping down into the low 50s--crazy for June! And all of my friends in Europe were roasting have been roasting from their unprecedented heat wave! 

Here a tick, there a tick... everywhere a tick tick! What does seem to be here in abundance this spring are the horrible ticks that spread Lyme Disease! My poor husband has found three embedded in his arms in just the past couple weeks. It's honestly getting so bad here in Pennsylvania that I'm afraid to even walk on the grass. This excellent article, written by a professor at Penn State, mentions that Pennsylvania reports the highest number of Lyme Disease cases in the entire country (30% of the reported cases!). My husband got one of his from simply leaning over to pick a bit of lettuce from our garden. I so hope they can come up with a solution soon because this is a serious problem here for both humans and pets. There are currently vaccines in clinical trials, so I'm hopeful that we won't be dealing with them forever. Are Lyme ticks bad in your area?  

One of the teeny ticks, not much bigger than a pin-head, that we pulled from my husband's arm.

Here is a helpful fact sheet from the Pennsylvania Medical Society for anyone concerned about ticks that cause Lyme Disease:  

 

If you have a tick that you would like to have sent in for testing, here is a helpful link for you at TickCheck. My husband has one of the evil little fellows that burrowed into his arm on the way to be tested right now! 

I'm sorry to be going on and on about ticks and Lyme Disease on a cross-stitch blog, but it is very concerning for many of us. My youngest son calls it "Pennsylvania's natural disaster" because we're pretty isolated from the normal disasters such as flooding, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. But, those tiny little ticks have made us all fearful!  If Lyme Disease is not caught and treated early on, the results can be debilitating.

Zzzzz.... My sleep has been even more out of whack than usual as I lie awake night after night and make lists in my head of all that needs to be done for the wedding. I saw this cartoon online and it is so me! I usually fall asleep just fine, but wake around 2 or 3AM and can't get back to sleep no matter what I do. Does anyone have any solutions? How about any of you--are sleeping problems part of your nighttime routine, too?

Me at 3 AM--wide awake while my husband sleeps soundly right next to me!

And so, a new month begins. For me, it will be one of fun family times and new beginnings and adventures. I'll be taking a little blog break, but promise to come back. I'd miss all of you very much if I didn't. I so appreciate each and every comment and email more than you know. Until next time... happy stitching! Bye for now... 

May stitching and celebrations

Gosh... it's been three weeks since my last post! Where has the time gone? May, as always, is a busy month for us. I'm never happier than when I'm with my dear family and we were fortunate to all be together for both Baby N's first birthday and Mother's Day earlier this month. With two of my sons living in the DC area, it's not often that we are lucky enough to see everyone at once, so this month was extra special, indeed. Before I fill you in on our get-togethers, I'll share my tiny bit of stitching/finishing for this month. 

For my April ornament, I stitched this charming Tralala design called "Pluie d'étoiles." Although I had one year of college French, I had no idea what that translated to. It turns out that it means "shower of stars"--a perfect name for this cute design. It is stitched "over one" on 25 ct. black Lugana with a mix of overdyed and DMC threads. I ended up choosing most of my own colors to work better with the black background. For Santa's coat and hat, I used Weeks Dye Works "Blue Jay." That sweet deer is stitched using Gentle Arts "Apple Cider."

My April ornament: Tralala's "Pluie d'étoiles"

To finish this one, I simply added some handmade cording and tied a bow and hanger at the top. The pretty blue wool flannel fabric shown on the left is what I used on the back of the piece. As you can see, I'm still behind on my monthly ornament stitching! Part of the problem lies in the fact that I tend to be drawn toward very "stitch dense" designs... If I ever want to catch up, my next few ornaments will have to be less complicated. I'm bound and determined to catch up by June--bring on the Prairie Schooler Santas!

I also managed to frame Baby N's birth sampler which I shared with you back in this post in 2025. I ordered a dark blue frame from Franken Frames online and am so pleased with how it looks with the finished stitching. I was determined to give it to my grandson for his first birthday and I'm proud to say I got it done! 

The finally framed birth sampler for Baby N! All of those little cars in front were ones I had saved from my sons' childhood years (along with an entire basket full of even more!). Mister B has had a grand time playing with them over the years and I hope Baby N will, too.

This is "Fire Engine" by Historical Sampler Company and is stitched on 40 ct. soft ivory Newcastle using the suggested DMC colors. The font that I used to personalize the sampler with his name, birth date, weight, and length can be found right here. It's called "Child Memory Sampler Alphabet" and is one of my favorites which I use quite often to personalize baby gifts.

Framed "Fire Engine" by Historical Sampler Company

It's not easy to frame pieces with such distinct straight borders, but I feel like this came out quite well. If you remember from when I first shared this finish with you (in this post), I didn't know what to do about the spaces between the train cars. They weren't connected and there was an engine on each end! After a lot of back and forth, I simply decided to insert a stitched x in the middle of each space between the train cars and I think it works well. We were so busy with Baby N's party and Mother's Day that we neglected to get a photo of him with his new sampler--we'll have to make a point of snapping a few pictures very soon!

Framed just in time for Baby N's first birthday

But, I do have some photos of the new one-year-old to share! Still can't believe how quickly the year has passed. He's a huge boy (almost 28 pounds!) and I can barely lift him. He'll stand up in the middle of the floor on his own, but has shown no interest in walking. That will come... He babbles and laughs constantly, loves music, and adores entertaining all of us. He's just such a happy little boy--and the interesting thing is, I could tell from the day of his birth that he would have that easy-going, laid-back personality.  He's been a joy!

"I'm one!!" Baby N celebrating with some of his stuffed animals!

My daughter-in-law cooked a wonderful Mexican feast for all 70 of the party-goers (yes, 70!). She loves to cook and my son has been just a bit spoiled with all of her delicious meals. For the party, she prepared carnitas, beans, rice, and marinated some chicken for tacos. (Well, my husband did grill the chicken so I need to give him some credit!). For the dessert, she ordered a plain white frosted sheet cake from Costco--what a great idea! It saved some money and I had fun decorating it with Mister B. 

Mister B helping me decorate his brother's birthday cake

Mister B told me where to place the round dollops of frosting on the top and this is the result... What do you think? The cake topper that my daughter-in-law ordered didn't arrive in time, so we just placed a large Number 1 candle in the middle. Simple, but cute!

In addition to this cake, Baby N had a little "smash cake" all of his own on his real birthday on May 6th. We were able to enjoy his glee (and mess) via FaceTime.

Of course, a Mexican themed party had to include a piñata, and all of the kids had such fun whacking away at it trying to get it to open up and shower them with candy. In the end, after the kids took two turns each, my oldest son had to hit it really, really hard to get it to open up. And then came the squeals of delight from the children as they rushed to scoop up the candy treats.

Mister B sure loves piñatas (and especially the candy that pours out of them)!

This photo of my two littlest loves is one of my favorites. My daughter-in-law bought this little ball pit at Aldi (yes, Aldi!) a few months ago and it has turned into Baby N's favorite plaything. He crawls in and out rolling around in the balls, leaning back and falling into them, and throwing them everywhere. Such fun!

My two sweethearts: Mister B who will be 6 in July and our new one-year-old, Baby N

The day after Baby N's first birthday, we celebrated Mother's Day. My sons and husband prepared a wonderful brunch for me and my daughter-in-law complete with scrambled eggs, bacon, blueberry pancakes, fresh fruit, mimosas, and orange juice. I received some beautiful flowers, a cross stitch design for Charleston's "Rainbow Row," gift cards for a local ice cream shop and bakery (which I will not be using until after the wedding so I can manage to still fit into my dress!), and a vintage crock to add to my growing collection (from my middle son).  

Mother's Day flowers from my youngest son

 

Mother's Day flower's from my oldest son and daughter-in-law

It was a very special weekend for all of us and I can't wait 'til we're all together again for my youngest son's wedding next month!

Giveaway winner... Thanks to all who entered the drawing for this cute Lizzie Kate patriotic chart! I enjoyed reading about your favorite patriotic pieces and was happy to hear from readers who are new to my blog. There were quite a few entries and the winner's name picked from the proverbial hat is...

CINDY B! 

 

Congratulations to Cindy B! Please send me your mailing address and I'll get this in the mail to you as soon as I can. I'll be having more giveaways in the future so keep an eye on this space!

Farewell to a wonderful designer and friend... Many of you know that our stitching community recently lost a very special designer. Sadly, Nurdan Kanber of Twin Peak Primitives recently passed away leaving her beloved twin sister, Nursun. Such kind and gentle souls--so very generous in every way. I first got to know Nurdan and Nursun many years ago as Nurdan used to have a blog where she would often share her beautiful work and designs. Not long after, the twins began their own designing business which is now based in The Netherlands. Have any of you stitched a Twin Peak Primitives design? I have to say, I think Nurdan was among the most prolific designers around--simply one beauty after another. Such creativity and talent. My heart goes out to Nursun--I can't imagine losing a sister, let alone a twin and business partner. 

Nurdan will be truly missed by this wonderful stitching community of ours... I thought I'd share some of my favorite Twin Peak Primitive designs that I've stitched over the years in honor of her. (If you would like more information on any of these, just click on the link below each photo). And if you'd like to help support Nursun in her time of grief, please consider making a purchase from her Etsy shop (here) or from many  stitching shops. May you rest in peace dear Nurdan...

Patriotic Olde Truck

 

"Stitcher's Soul Journey"

"Snowman's Joy"

2019 Twin Peak Primitive Santa

When my oldest grandson was born, Nurdan and Nursun sent me this darling knitted monkey to give to him. So very thoughtful and a gesture that meant so much. That's just the sort of person that Nurdan was and that Nursun is...

The sweetest little monkey sent to me by the generous sisters of Twin Peak Primitives, Nurdan and Nursun, to give to my oldest grandson when he was born. 

So, yes... another death. They seem to be coming more and more often as I get older. I know that's to be expected, but it's still difficult to accept.

Ten days left in May... hard to believe. I'm working my hardest to get my Christmas ornaments for May and June all finished up by the end of the month. I know I won't have any stitching time at all in June with my son's upcoming wedding! Yikes... so many little details to still track down: earrings, shawl, etc. It seems never-ending for an event that is over within hours, doesn't it? But, I know the day will be a joyful start to a wonderful life together as husband and wife... We can't wait! Take care now and I hope everyone enjoys the rest of May. Bye for now...