Where Poppies Grow in July

Getting caught up here I hope.

For July, we had a really interesting looking star that the designer has named "French Star". It is a combination of piecing and applique that I think makes for a really good looking and unusual block.

Significant events in July for Grandpop were his promotion to the rank of Sergeant on July 7, 1917 and his posting to the No. 6 Officer Cadet Battalion in Oxford, England on July 5, 1918.

Although the star is named for France I have photographed it in Italy...and in August. I had the block pieced in July but needed to finish it off with hand applique so decided to take it with me on my vacation to Italy the first week of August. I stayed on a vineyard where I sat on the front terrace and hand stitched the melon shapes down which give the star that circular feeling.  Interestingly the vineyard was in the village of Treiso which was a very strong center for the resistance movement in Italy in WWII.

I'm looking forward to getting back on track and working the August block on a more timely basis.