Another year almost half over!

Wow! June sure passed by quickly! In just four days, 2025 will be half over--can you believe it? And here I am again, with one lone blog post for an entire month. I'll blame it on my grandsons who came for a weeklong visit and nicely shared their colds with me right before they went back home. So, almost two weeks went by with no stitching, no finishing, and no desire to blog. But, that's okay... I so enjoyed every minute spent with them, especially holding my sweet new baby grandson. Wouldn't trade that time for anything, and yes, it was worth getting sick! I'm happy to report that Baby N is growing like a weed (oh, those sweet chubby thighs and arms!) and Mister B is proving to be one fabulous big brother. Thank you all for your words of congratulations and well wishes that you left on my last post!

I did manage one finish and that is this beautiful summer design by The Scarlett House called "Hannah's Brownstone." Not a huge piece--in fact, on the 40 ct. burch Newcastle linen it ended up being just over 6 inches by 5 1/2 inches. But, I'll tell you--building that stone house sure took a while! I used the suggested overdyed threads along with DMC 935, but did change the blue in the flag to GAST Freedom. Unfortunately, the burch Newcastle seems to no longer be available here in the U.S. Why is it that all the fabrics that I love keep disappearing? So frustrating!

"Hannah's Brownstone" waits to be framed

I love the slate blue in the door, don't you? Such a pretty house with a very historic look to it. I like to think that it holds many memories of happy family times. I plan on framing this piece--hopefully, sooner rather than later. 

Lots of stone and mortar went into building this pretty home.

Speaking of framing, I do have a newly framed piece to share today. I ordered this pretty rustic blue/gray frame from Franken Frames online and was so pleased to see how well it picked up the colors in "Prairie House Sampler" by With Thy Needle and Thread. I finished stitching this sweet design back in 2022--and for me, three years between finishing and framing a piece is actually pretty good :) If you'd like to read about my finish, just click here. It was a bit fiddly to frame and while I got the top and bottom lines reasonably straight, it wasn't until I had it all done that I realized the lines under the alphabet are a wee bit wavy. Oh well--better to have it out and on display rather than hiding away in a drawer, right? 

My newly framed "Prairie House Sampler"

I'm nearly done stitching my baby grandson's birth sampler... I ran out of one of the main DMC colors in the border, though, so I have to make a special trip to Hobby Lobby to pick up a new skein. And I'm almost done with my ornaments for June and July which I'll share with you next month. What are you working on? Summer/patriotic things, Christmas in July pieces, samplers? Or have you moved on to fall stitching in hopes of bringing on cooler temperatures. The 90-95° days that we've had this whole week have been tiring, but I can't imagine how awful it must be for the folks who endure this kind of heat and don't have air conditioning.  I just stay inside and I'm fine, but I know some people don't have that luxury. Hope you're all staying cool!

My European adventure concludes... So, here I am--nine months later--finally concluding my posts on our Rhine River/Switzerland/Italy trip that we took last September. Honestly, I'm so glad to be writing this last one--these travel posts take a lot of time to gather up the information and select and edit the photos.  But, I hope you'll sit back and relax and enjoy my final stop in the city of... 

 Milan, Italy

All I can say is that I'm so thankful that we traveled with my youngest sister and her husband who are very seasoned travelers. They helped us take the train from Como to Milan and without them, we probably would have ended up in Siberia! I have absolutely no sense of direction and my husband isn't a confident traveler either. But, we made it, and although, Milan wasn't my favorite stop on our itinerary, I'm still glad we visited.

 

The heart of the city is the Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral), one of the largest and most visited cathedrals in the world. It's construction took thousands and thousands of workers over six centuries to complete and it can hold up to 40,000 people.

 

Just a few of the over 3400 statues showcased adorning the cathedral. 

The front central door of the cathedral is the largest and features scenes from Mary's life.

My husband and me with my sister and brother-in-law outside the Duomo di Milan

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is actually Italy's oldest shopping arcade and was built in the 1860s. It houses many of Milan's upscale fashion and jewelry stores. And no--we didn't purchase anything :) 

The stunning ceiling at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Although damaged during WWII bombings, it has been refurbished and was absolutely breathtaking.

More scenes from the shopping arcade. Notice the lovely tile mosaic floor in the lower right. 

Castello Sforzesco (Sforza Castle) was built in the 1400s as a medieval fortification. It now houses art collections and several museums. 

The days when we visited Milan happened to fall during Milan Fashion Week 2024 so, of course, we fit right in. NOT!! We are not fashion plates in our family, preferring to dress nicely, but casually--no high heels or designer clothes for us!  The Pinacoteca di Brera (above) was a venue for one of the fashion shows. Do you see all that white stuff that looks like snow? It's simply soft, white floor covering that had been rolled out for the event. Even the benches were covered! They had just started to remove it, as you can see by the darker slate floors in the right corner. Unfortunately, we were unable to see the paintings that are normally displayed there due to the fashion show.

A glimpse into one of the many charming courtyards in Milan.

My sister found this wonderful hotel for us, Hotel Gran Duca di York. The location and rooms were just perfect for easy walking to the main sights of Milan.

The view in the pretty hotel breakfast room. I kept thinking of my mom (who adored wallpaper) each time I sat down to eat one of the scrumptious breakfasts.

The Vertical Forest buildings were fascinating. Each unit has two trees, eight shrubs, and forty plants, which help with shade thus lowering air conditioning costs. If you'd like to read more about this creation of Stefano Baeri, you can do so right here. 

As you can see from the architecture above, Milan is not all about its history. This very futuristic looking building, The Unipol Tower, was just completed two years ago. 

And yes... Milan has canals, too!

For lunch that day, this amazing charcuterie board was a treat to both our eyes and our stomachs.

Of course, we still "forced ourselves" to partake in some of these yummy pastries. And let's not forget the gelatto--Italy had the best I've ever tasted!

  

After dinner, as we strolled around the city, we happened upon the ancient Columns of San Lorenzo. It's speculated that these were moved to this location sometime in the 4th century and are Roman ruins dating back to the 2nd or 3rd century.

 

The Biblioteca Ambrosiana (Ambrosian Library) is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. Begun in 1609, it is open to the public five hours a day. It contains a 12-volume collection of Leonardo da Vinci's writings and drawings in addition to many other rare and historic documents.  

It was the final night in Europe for me and my husband... Our journey had come to its end. In the morning we would fly home and I couldn't wait! Although I loved our travels and the many countries we'd visited and sights we had seen over the previous 2 1/2 weeks, there really is no place like home for me. My sister and her husband were traveling on to Sicily for another week, but for us, it was time to leave. While I was packing up for our flight home, my sister took one last walk around Milan and captured this lovely photo of the Duomo at night.

The stunning Duomo di Milan at night (photographed by my sister)

 

And there you have it--the final post of our Rhine River/Switzerland/Italy adventure from last fall. Did you have a favorite from the destinations that I wrote about? I can't say that I had a favorite place, but rather favorite moments... 

*The feeling of being within miles of the tiny village in Holland from where one of my father's ancestors came to America way back in the 17th century.

*The wonder of climbing the stairs at Anne Frank's hiding spot in Amsterdam--the very same stairs that she and her family descended one final time as they were rounded up by the Gestapo in 1944. 

*I'll never forget the stinging ice pellets of that epic hailstorm we experienced in Strasbourg.

*The awe of exploring one of the underground fortresses along the Maginot Line imagining what life must have been like for those French soldiers in WWII. 

*Memories of our frigid, snowy visit to the top of Mt. Pilatus in Switzerland and the sweet tinkling of the sheep bells as we rode the gondola back down the mountain will always make me smile. 

*I'll remember the honesty of the young woman who returned my brother-in-law's lost cell phone in Lugano.

*And the taste of those sweet jelly-like candies that my sister and I kept helping ourselves to each time we passed the reception desk in our Milan hotel. 

*The realization that we are all just tiny specks in this universe filled with so many spots of beauty and wonder.  

The scenery, the history, the experiences were all so special as was the extended time I got to spend with my youngest sister--probably the most  since we were teenagers living in our childhood home.

If any of you have questions regarding the river cruise itself, I'd be happy to answer them for you. Just leave a comment and include your email address so I can get back to you! 

Hope you all enjoy these last few days of June! Thank you, as always, for taking the time to stop in and say "hi!" I always love to hear from you--your comments mean so much! Take care now and I do hope to return to my normal twice a month blogging schedule in July. Bye for now... 

Still stitching Christmas and a visit to Lucerne and Lugano

Yes! I can feel it--spring is in the air! After almost two solid months of frigid temperatures and snow-covered ground, today we reached 49° and the snow is finally gone. It's been such a long winter for us folks up north--and I think many of you in the southern states received even more snow than we did this year. Yours melted quicker, but still--it's so strange seeing reports of snow in states that are normally snow-free. March weather is usually all over the place, but I'm hoping the worst is over. At least I can see the grass again!

I managed to get not one, but two ornaments stitched and finished this month and I'm so happy with how both turned out! My ornament for February is from one of the Prairie Schooler Mini Cards which has no name so I'm simply calling it "The Leaping Deer." I stitched this design 'over one' on 25ct black Lugana and it turned out so tiny (less than 1.5" square) that I needed to beef it up a bit with my finishing.  In this case I used two pieces of black Lugana and two pieces of coordinating fabric. All you do is sew the pieces into two rectangles and then sew the rectangles together. In this case, I sewed the stitched piece to the stripy piece of red fabric and the polka dot piece to the tiny piece of black fabric and then sewed the two rectangles together. Next I covered the seams with miniature white rick rack (I use just a bit of glue on a toothpick to attach it) and then continued to make a simple pillow finish. This method of finishing is easier than it looks--give it a try! In the lower right black square, I attached a silver snowflake charm for added interest. The cording is made from one 6 thread strand of white DMC and one 6 thread strand of DMC 221. Love how thin it turned out... It is still a very small ornament measuring under 3" square!

My February ornament finish: Prairie Schooler Mini Card

My selection for March brought another ornament stitched "over one"--this time on 25 ct. Victorian Red Lugana. I just fell in love with this design ("Believe" by Erin Elizabeth) the very first time I saw it. Such an easy piece to stitch with just one color! I added a pretty snowflake ribbon which I thought finished it off nicely along with white cording and a white jingle bell. 

"Believe" by Erin Elizabeth--my March ornament

I broke one of my cardinal rules about finishing an ornament though--always take a photo of your stitching before you actually finish it! You see, when you photograph a piece of stitching somehow any missed stitches appear as if by magic. It's strange, but they pop out at you better through a photo than just by using your eyes. Sure enough--I missed a stitch... If you can zoom in on the photo above, in the middle house (under the letter "e"), you'll see that there is a missing top stitch in the roof. Luckily, as the photo below shows--I was able to remedy that even though the ornament was already in a finished state. I used a flexible beading needle to do it and cut the thread close to the fabric. If you tugged on it, it would come right out because the thread isn't anchored, but I think it will be fine. WHEW!

I managed to cross that stitch in the right house underneath the peak using a flexible beading needle even though I had already finished the piece into a round ornament. So happy it worked!

And here are both together... really love each one! 

Two new cuties for my Christmas tree!

I, like many of you, have been using these cold winter months to do some organization. What a great feeling when it's all done! I have four Rubbermaid bins of thrifted frames that I store in my basement (much to my husband's dismay) and decided it was high time to at least go through them and organize them by size. I found a few frames that I brought upstairs to audition for some of my many larger "stitched but not framed pieces" and this one was a perfect fit for a wonderful older Prairie Schooler finish from way back in 2013! Just look at how well the gray in the frame's little swirls picks up the gray fabric color. I actually started jumping up and down when I saw how well it fit! As usual, I followed the framing tutorial from Brenda Gervais on her old blog which you can find right here.

I'm not sure how long this $3.00 thrifted frame had been buried in my frame bins, but I'm thrilled that it fit this finish so well!

"Home For Christmas" was stitched on 40 ct. pearl gray Newcastle with the suggested colors except for the reds which I changed to DMC 221. I'm thrilled to have this charming piece all ready for next Christmas. It reminds me so very much of the small western New York town where I grew up. I wrote about my original finish and my love for my home town in this post if you are interested in reading more about it. No matter where I live, I'll always be a small-town girl :)

There's nothing like a classic Prairie Schooler Christmas finish!

So, my great European travelogue continues! Today we will visit two wonderful destinations--hope you enjoy! Our first stop is the lovely...

Lucerne, Switzerland 

Oh, my--what a gorgeous stop! Definitely one of my favorites in our entire 2 1/2 week trip. 

The lovely  Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke)  is one of two medieval foot bridges in the city.  Built in the 14th century (around 1332), it is considered to be the oldest covered bridge in Europe.  Containers overflowing with blooms of pink, green, and white flowers are showcased along the railings.

As you walk through the bridge, look upward and you'll see fascinating triangular painted murals such as the one above. These were added in the 17th century and highlight both the history of Switzerland and Lucerne. Sadly, there was a fire on the bridge back in 1993 which destroyed over 2/3 of the original paintings. Today only 30 have been fully restored and re-installed.

This octagonal water tower  stands at 113 feet high and was built around 1300 (before the bridge was constructed) as part of the city wall. It was once used as a prison and torture chamber.

A view of the lovely Lucerne architecture and the zig-zag of the bridge on the right.

The baroque interior of the 17th century Jesuit Church was breathtaking--like a white frosted cake with swirls of pastels and gold decorations! We were encouraged to peek in even though there was a wedding taking place that day... The bride and groom are seated in the red chairs at the front of the church.

There happened to be a folk music festival happening in Lucerne on the day we visited. I enjoyed seeing groups like this in their traditional costumes as they practiced on the streets.

Even though it was a cool, cloudy day, the beauty of Lucerne still shown through.

The 16th century Ritterscher Palace began as a private residence, but today acts as the government building for the Canton of Lucerne. Doesn't the unique facade remind you of chocolate bars?

The clock tower at the Lucerne Town Hall was built in the early 17th century in the Italian Renaissance style and once served as a dungeon.

In Old Town Lucerne, there are many, many colorful frescos on the facades of the buildings. These paintings detail parts of history, advertise businesses or famous people who have visited, and celebrate local folklore. Below are some of my favorites...

This mural (circa 1928) depicts the "Wedding at Cana" to commemorate the Easter plays that took place in the market in the 15th and 16th centuries.

 

Painted houses with both traditional and more modern art surround the square in old town Lucerne.

I don't know how the food tastes at this traditional Swiss restaurant, but the outside of the building is certainly eye-catching.

Love the trompe-l'oeil painting used to realistically create the appearance of cornerstones and window facades on this pretty building.

This ornately decorated building features a couple with their child and a tiny white cat perched on the balcony. And just look at the intricate paintings underneath the roofline!

Another beauty featuring horses, knights, and what appears to be a hunting scene. There is even a pair of fire-breathing dragons above the top left window. The stepped roofline was particularly eye-catching on this building.

This may appear to be the same bridge that I showed you earlier, but it is a smaller footbridge, Spreuerbrücke  (Spreuer Bridge). It contain 56 paintings featuring scenes from the Dance of Death (the Danse Macabre) , dating from the early 17th century. As you travel through the bridge, the murals portray the fact that death comes to everyone eventually, regardless of one's station in life.

A final look at beautiful Lucerne along the Reuss River.

For the next leg of our journey, we'll be stopping to visit...

Lugano, Switzerland

Finally, some warm sunny weather! We hadn't had that since our first couple days in Amsterdam.  Lugano is among the sunniest, warmest locations in all of Switzerland--there are even small palm trees growing down by the water's edge. Located in the south central section of Switzerland, right near the Italian border, 80% of Lugano residents speak Italian.

We took a train from Lucerne to Lugano and I spotted this beautiful scene out the window. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have mountains like that in your back yard?

 

One of my favorite photos of our trip! The magnificent Cattedrale di San Lorenzo  on the right with a glimpse of Lake Lugano and the surrounding mountains.

We didn't climb the 255 steps on the Stairway of Angels (The Scalinata degli Angioli), but I'm sure the view looking down to the lake was magnificent.

The beautiful lake is the top attraction in the Lugano area. Situated on the border between southern Switzerland and northern Italy, Lake Lugano is a glacial lake of about 18 square miles. 63% of it is in Switzerland and 37% in Italy.

We sat by the lake that day to eat our lunch... Very relaxing until we had walked away and my brother-in-law realized he no longer had his phone. Panic set in as we searched everywhere, retracing our steps back to our eating spot, checking the bathroom, etc., but we had no luck. Finally, we tried calling his phone and low and behold--someone answered! A very nice young woman had found it on the table where we had eaten our lunch and met up with us in the square to return it. Thankfully, there are still some kind and honest folks left in the world!

Imagine the glorious view the residents of the homes on the hill are treated to each day.

A wonderfully detailed fresco of the crucifixion (painted in 1529)  in the church of Santa Maria degli Angioli.

I have to admit, I took very few photos in Lugano as I was beginning to feel sicker and sicker by the hour... More on that in the next post! Hope you enjoyed today's travels. I'm so glad I'm putting this down in words and photos as I'm already forgetting many of the facts about the places we visited. For me, it's so special to be able to look back at my blog and recall the many places I've traveled to over the years. Thanks for indulging me! 

So, another month comes to an end... How can that be? I hope February has treated each of you well and that you've enjoyed lots of stitching time. March is not one of my favorite months, but April will follow and the days will surely be warmer. Thank you all for stopping by today--and a special thank you to those of you who take the time to leave such sweet comments! Bye for now...