Interestingly, the name "Lemon Star" is actually a misnomer that resulted from English speakers misinterpreting the French-inspired name, "LeMoyne Star". But no judgment, mispronunciations happen, and it’s funny.
This was my first attempt at sewing it, and I found it wasn’t that challenging when I followed the process in order and avoided sewing into the Y-seam allowance.
Moving onto the process of sewing the LeMoyne Star quilt block, let's explore its history. Named after the French brothers Jean Baptiste and Pierre LeMoyne, who founded New Orleans in 1718, this classic pattern features eight-pointed stars created with spinning diamonds.
The LeMoyne Star sets itself apart from other 8-point star patterns by using diamonds for each of its points, whereas others are typically constructed with Half-Square Triangles. This unique use of diamonds contributes to the LeMoyne Star's distinct and elegant appearance. However, it also means you'll encounter Y-seams when piecing it together, providing a fun challenge for quilters who enjoy testing their skills and precision.
You’ll notice I’m using linen (in a rainbow of natural dyes!), and since linen can be shifty, I stabilized the fabric with paper (and tear the paper out after the block is completely sewn together). This technique helps achieve a cleaner design, but feel free to go wild and omit the paper—just show me, please, because I bet the result is gloriously abstract!
Head to Substack for a detailed tutorial including a video demonstrating sewing Y seams.
