Lemon Drop Quilt

Astrid
11 minutes ago
4 min read

Lemons. Some people love them. They are wonderful in desserts, and can make meals taste spectacular. They make us think of summer and lemonade, childhood and fun. They even take us to far away places. I know on my trip to Italy 2 years ago they were in every market, and in every tourist shop. And for years I watched my Dad eat his favorite candy: lemon drops. There is something timeless about lemons, and that is what makes this quilt so special.

The gently washed lemon drop stirs up memories of lemon trees, and soft blue skies.

This quilt was inspired by a summer wedding I attended. The color scheme was pale blue with yellow lemons and a green hillside. It was the quintessential summer refresh, and beautiful enough to make me want to remember it long afterward. So in thinking about making this quilt, I wanted to step away from the look of a repeated grid, and instead give it an organic feel. Each square on this quilt is 5 inches, and although it is simply rows and rows of 5 inch squares, it appears to be clusters of fresh lemons on a tree. I love the way there is a natural feel to the lemon arrangement, and yet this quilt is so straight forward.

Sewing the Curves

Sewing curves is really easier than it looks.

The lemons of this quilt rely on a quarter circle block that, for the new quilter, can be a little intimidating. But if you go slowly, it is a game changer. Moving slowly and accurately through each block is key to making these lemons work. Cut accuratley, and be careful with the fabric since the curves will be stretchy since they are on the bias. It can be very forgiving when you sew. I created a template to use, traced the pieces, and cut, cut, cut. Now, when pinning the arc pieces together, I like to pin in the center and then the two ends. Eventually, you may not need to pin, but the accuracy depends on lining up the curves correctly. I find doing them all together before moving to the next step can make this part easier. The L portion will be wavy, but that disappears when sewn together and pressed. Whew!

Sewing the Squares

Someone taught me once to lay out all the pieces as they will appear in the quilt. Then take a photo. Things show up in a photo that I miss when just looking at the pieces.

I lay out the squares & take a photo before sewing.

Columns

My style of sewing this together was to place column 2 on column 1 with right sides together, the sew down the left side. That joins the 2 columns together, and if I don't cut the thread between pieces, it creates a nice chain. I repeat for the remaining columns.

Column Units

Next, I take my new 1&2 unit along with my new 3&4 unit. I sew them together in the same way as the single columns, right sides together. Unit 3&4 sits on Unit 1&2, and sew them down the left. Continue in this way until all the columns are joined.

Rows

At that point I sew the rows together to finish the quilt. It's the best way I've run across to keep things in order. Of course there are many ways to join pieces, just do what is comfortable for you.

Quilting Motif

The name of this quilting motif is the orange peel. The curve of it complemented the curve of the lemon so nicely. Each arc fit inside a 5" square which made it easy to keep track of the design. I worked this on my longarm using a half circle ruler. My machine is not automated, so all designs are by hand. To make this one work, I used the bottom seam of each row as a guide. I quilted a width of 2 squares at a time, a half circle above, then advanced to the next 2 squares, and quilted a half cricle below that same seam. It looked like an undulating wave. At the end of the row, I headed back 2 squares at a time doing the same thing. There was one catch, I had to offset the pattern by one square so I could get the oval/leaf design. So the first square at each end was offset. Eventually, with a few passes, the pattern emerges.

Binding the Quilt

I use a 2 1/4" width binding that I press in half. These gentle stripes add some clearly defined edges to the quilt.

When it comes to binding the edges of a quilt, I try to think about how the quilt will be used. For this one, I thought the standard binding would be right for creating a frame as well as protecting the edges during use. But if you don't want a frame, you might consider a self-binding method. It creates a more modern feel on the edges because there is no frame. The edges will not have the extra durability, so imagine whether your particular quilt can handle that.

This is the final quilt! Lemon Drop. It measures 55" x 60" which is perfect as a lap quilt. Throw it over the back of your sofa or the foot of your bed. It is just right for watching that movie or sitting a visiting on a cool evening. Thanks for reading!

Happy quilting!

~Astrid

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