We're breaking up our Lemonade release blog posts this week to take you all the way back to April of 2025 and our Make of the Month. But don't fret if you are missing the Lemonade content...we'll be back soon to wrap that up, and in the meantime, you can still find our newest pattern, blog posts, and other info here.
Okay, back to April 2025. For our Make of the Month we decided to give some love to a pattern that, for reasons we cannot understand, never seems to get enough love: Rosecity.
The Rosecity Quilt Pattern is an intermediate design that includes 4 sizes. The pattern plays with color and how, by intentionally changing one color's position in a block, you can create a kaleidoscope look. The pattern includes a link to a video tutorial and has fabric cutting labels to stay organized.
For our April make, we used Ruby + Bee Solids to make a happy, springy quilt in eight colors. This was actually a palette we debated making a sample of back when we released Rosecity in 2021, and we were excited to be finally bringing it to life four years later! We named her the Lily Pad Quilt and got to cutting.
The Rosecity pattern requires eight fabrics and with those you will create two sets of groupings: Colors 1 - 4 and Colors 5 - 8. Each color group creates two different blocks and the colors change position within those two blocks. So overall you will create four different blocks that when assembled create a very fun design. In the above photos you can see all of our cuts, and that we have put the included fabric labels to good use in order to stay organized (they are photographed upside down so as to not give away pattern measurements).
Now on to sewing. Above you can see Blocks 1A + 1B which use Colors 1 - 4 in the greens and pinks. Then Blocks 2A + 2B use Colors 5 - 8 in the pinks and blue/gold. In the Rosecity Pattern, every single block is constructed the exact same way with the color placement being the only thing that changes.
If you follow construction the way we have written it in the pattern, you will make all of one block before moving on to the next and so on, so the true magic of Rosecity doesn't actually unfold until you have completed everything and sewn the top together. But because we do what we want, we went ahead and sewed one of each block together first just to make sure we liked the vibes. Obviously you're looking at those above, but take a peek below to see them in their true kaleidoscope form.
Okay, enough breaking the rules. Due to sick kids, Meghan and I were each sewing from home the week this quilt was in progress, so she took the Block 1s and I took the Block 2s and we headed to our home sewing areas and got to work. So we reaaaalllly couldn't see this magical top come together until we were all done.
Naturally, these purrrrrtttyyy purrrtttyy blocks first got their photo shoot (you can totally see the kaleidoscope vibes, right??)...
...then we put the blocks up on the wall before sewing the whole thing together. Also, look how amazing our Heather Ross ironing board cover looks with the Ruby + Bee Solids? SO GOOD. (Side note: RIP to our Oliso iron. We miss her.)
For the kaleidoscope effect to really pop, there is a fair amount of seam matching, so sewing together the top takes a minute, but, as you will see below, it is well worth taking your time.
Didn't she turn out so good?? Lively and bright and just so much fun?? Once we saw her all together, we said she reminded us of all the very best highlighter colors.
After a few months of marinating on our studio shelves, we sent our Lily Pad off to Wild Phil Quilting for her finishing touches, backing her in Kona Candy Pink widleback. She was quilted with a very fun almost neon pink thread in the Zooby Rad pantograph, and once we got her back, we bound her in a solid red, with a pop of gingham.
And there she is, Rosecity Lily Pad, in all of her springy goodness glory! We sure hope you enjoyed this little blast from the past, and if you haven't given the Rosecity pattern a try, please do. We promise you'll love her!
Happy sewing!