The flowers on the veranda continue to be happy with the high humidity these past days. The geranium keeps giving me gorgeous blooms. The plant is really leggy now, and I need to cut it back, but I want to wait until these blooms fade.
Sunset one day last week after a rainstorm had passed gave an interesting look to the clouds. The section lit by the fading sunlight just glowed.
On the bird feeder, the cardinal pair visited again. The female and male took turns on the perch. I think the one on the right is a female house finch.
The male house finch was hiding around the backside, and didn’t want to pose for me.
Then, in the early morning, this buck came by to munch on my hostas again. His antlers are getting longer. The doe he was with last time was not with him on this day. Or if she was, I didn’t see her.
At our last quilt guild area meeting, the Christmas in July program was making folded fabric stars. I became captivated with this little project. I brought home a few kits left over, and added my own spin to them with a bit of stitching and a button accent.
At home, I pulled out the Christmas prints I had, and cut a few more.
It occurred to me that these might be the perfect little party favor for our upcoming Christmas party for the car club. So, before the last guild meeting, I put out a request for some Christmas print fat quarters and my quilting peeps came through for me big time. Five pounds of Christmas prints, about 15 yards, won’t help my Stashbuster totals this month!
But, these are the perfect take along project for sitting at a table during shop hop. I started by cutting the 4-inch wide strips from several of the prints.
I pressed the folds as instructed. First press in half lengthwise, then fold the raw edges to the center. Press those folds, then fold once more enclosing the raw edges.
I did a stack of them, and put them in a bag with a small pair of scissors to take with me.
When it was my shift to sit at the raffle quilt table to sell tickets during shop hop, I placed a couple of stars in progress out on the table to do a little demo if anyone wanted to see it. I did end up teaching a few ladies this project, and sold them tickets too.
When my shift was over, I had 11 more stars done. Five stars can be made from one yard of fabric, so I have used just over 2 yards this day. That will help. This project will be very easy to do while watching football games this fall.
It has just been so hot here, and this coming week will be no better. The prediction is record high temperatures for the coming week. Time to break out my Chilled Corn and Crab soup for a light meal. Recipe and full step by step tutorial on that post.
My Sulky Mystery Box arrived, so fun to get a package in the mail! It was full of good things. The box was called Slice of Summer, and the project is a zippered bag with a lemon theme. All the stabilizers, threads, fabrics, needles, and a fun zipper were included to make the project. It also had a leather luggage tag project, a quilt binding spool, a spool of neon thread and a roll of lemon washi tape.
The zipper has a lemon slice as a pull. The outside fabrics are felt, and there is a pattern to cut the white part of a lemon slice to fuse to the yellow for the design. A pretty variegated yellow thread is included. But I think I will embroider something with a lemon instead, then use the lemon print lining fabric and the cute zipper on that.
Speaking of lemons, while I was at Beginnings, I checked for the bamboo batting I wanted for Lemon Twist, and they had it in the size I needed. So I got it.
Lemon Twist is now loaded on the longarm, with the backing I found in my stash, and ready to quilt. I’ve decided to do a plumeria pantograph in white thread.
I hope to get it quilted this week so I’ll have plenty of time to get it bound, a label made and sewn on, and a hanging sleeve added for the fair. I should have several days this week to sew, so I am confident this is an achievable goal.
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From My Carolina Home 
Good morning, Carole. The chilled corn and crab soup looks delicious, especially on these extremely hot days. I enjoy seeing what is going on in your area. Thanks for sharing!
Hi do you have the pattern for the folded stars they are beautiful thanks Donna
There are lots online, just do an online search for Folded Fabric Stars. You’ll find videos and blog posts, and several different ideas on how big to cut your strips. Have fun!
Thanks Donna
Your stars are terrific and how cool that you can do them while you sit at the booth or watching tv. I have to get back to my needle felting, which is the same idea. Love all the wildlife in your yard. It’s super humid here too. I’m home for a week and wish I was back at the lake!
The soup looks delicious and definitely something to try in this hot and humid weather. I’ll have to look for the folded star patterns since I have a ton of XMAS fabric I need to use.
I do love your Lemon Twist! Bamboo batting is the perfect choice! Great job on making all those star ornaments during your shift!
Love the Lemon Twist. I’ll definitely try this chilled corn and crab soup! I was wondering if the Sulky Mystery Box is something anyone can subscribe to, sounds like fun.
The folded stars are lovely. I’m sure the car club members will be delighted with them. I have made them too, and as you expressed, they are a great take along project. What nice finds in the Sulky Mystery Box. It will be fun putting things together. The Lemon Twist is looking fabulous.
This is the time of year when my summer plants that are in pots start to get really leggy, too. When it cools down here (99° today, so not today!) I need to cut them back and fertilize. Maybe that will give them a boost for late summer! I agree that’s a female finch – we get lots of those here. They sure missed out on the color! Those folded star ornaments are a great gift idea for your car club friends. I love how you’re stitching them through the middle and adding the button!
You’ve got quite the assembly line going there for folded stars! The last time I staffed the raffle table I brought my travel machine & sewed little 9 patches with 1.5″ squares. You have to have something to do during downtime & it was a slow day. I hope to have 2 more quilts finished this month. One is ready to quilt, the other still needs a back. Better get cracking!
Good morning
my morning chuckle,
asking for bits of Christmas fabric and received 15 yards
have a great day and the stars are lovely
Myrna Watson
What a great week you’ve had, Carole. I captured a photo much like yours, only it was taken in the morning. Butch at Everyday Living did too! Love the Christmas stars! Those are like the soup cozies, and I bet you could sell a lot of those. That soup looks delicious, and I’m loving the lemon twist and your new mystery box. Have a great week. College football is just 5 weeks away!
You have been very busy this week! The heat is oppressive here as well. I love those folded stars and think your extra stitching and buttons add to them. I’m trying to think of something cool for dinner tonight. My kitchen is above 80 in the late afternoon. I look forward to the thunderstorms just for a bit of relief. Love all your photos.
Love the Christmas stars! I always enjoy seeing your bird and animal captures~I hope you get that quilt finished!
Jenna
Your Christmas stars are pretty cute and an inspired little gift for your Car Club members. Clever you for getting a collection of different fabrics from your lady members.
Always enjoy seeing your ‘visitors’ that come to your garden. My Geraniums always grow all leggy for me – must be doing something wrong. I see others that are all flowers and bushy. I’ll keep trying!
The weather people are predicting Northern gales for the next few days for us so it’s inside and hunkering down till the rain passes for me.
Mary :))
Love the pink geranium bloom…so pretty. Fun to see all the critters that come to see you. Love making those ribbon stars. I made some with batiks that I stiffened and it worked well (Dec. 2019 post). I am still using them at Christmas. They have lost a little stiffness, but not much. Lemon Twist is gorgeous, can’t wait to see how it looks all quilted.
Love all the beautiful pictures. Your folded stars look great and I can’t wait to see Lemon Twist finished. Still very hot and humid here as well. I mowed my yard yesterday and today I have been resting. Hope everyone has a great week.
The young stag in velvet is so handsome. 🙂 You have found a great Christmas in July project, and those will be excellent gifts for your car club celebration, and a great way to pass the time while booth sitting. We are cooling down this next week after 3 days in the mid 90’s. Nothing compared to your ultra high humidity, but it makes us all slightly crazy! We are expecting rain again this week, very odd for this time of year, but we will take it. Have a great week!
The sulky mystery box is impressive! The coordinating lemon pouch materials look professionally curated.
The bamboo batting needles especially well and the quilts we’ve done with it have a nice feel…especially soft and cuddly.
Cool soup sounds especially refreshing!
Sending productive energy your way!
Jo Anne
Carole-I love the folded stars. Great idea to use them as party favors! I hope you are able to get more made as you watch the ball games.
The Lemon Twist quilt is looking very nice. I am glad that you will have it ready to enter in the Fair.
We are very hot here too and I am grateful when we get some rain to cool things off. Even the birds in your photos look hot! At least you have a lot of trees to help them shelter.
Have you posted instructions for making the star? If so, I missed the post, can I get it now?
No, I didn’t do a tutorial for the stars, but there are many of them online. If you do an online search for Folded Fabric Stars, you’ll find videos and blog posts, and several different ideas on how big to cut your strips. Have fun!
I always love these check in posts!
I’m really excited to see the lemon twist finished, you have a very special way of transforming the quilt top into a cohesive quilt.
Would you be willing to share your pattern for the folded fabric stars? Marion
I am so glad you showed those folded stars. They are so much fun to make. I now have an idea for Christmas presents. Thank so much.
Hi Carole,
Love your posts. Love your Christmas stars and will definitely try the soup! I also enjoy your nature photos and car club trips. Many thanks for sharing so much of yourself with so many of us. We all appreciate you!
hugs,
Jax