Stained Glass: Lemonade Pitcher

In 2012, I made my first ever stained glass piece for my dad. The fresh squeezed lemonade scene was inspired by trips to Canada when I was little. Often we took trips up the coast to look at local artists. I distinctly remember my dad loving this one piece of stained glass that was lemon yellow & cobalt blue. Using it as inspiration I began my own version as a gift for him for Father’s Day.

Here was all the glass I purchased to make the project. and me laying it out on the floor of my first apartment.

I tried to work on it at home in my spare time. All the patterned pieces fit so nicely.

Stained Glass: Lemons Part One | offthebeatenpress.com

After I cut everything out, I had to grid it. This is the grinding station at the Visual Art Center.. Each piece has to be ground along the edges. These are fast powered circular grinders that work amazingly well to smooth the edges of the glass that you didn't cut quite perfect.

The next step is to foil it. You have a copper foil tape that you line the edges of the glass with. The copper foil makes the solder cling to it when you are putting it all together. While foiling is pretty simple, you have to make sure the foil is adhered perfectly to the edges by running something flat along the sides.

I had to recut all the tiny white pieces that line the exterior of the lemons & re grind them! I failed the first time and cut them all awkwardly.  Luckily, this time was much quicker and the shot here is of the newly positioned lemon fitting together just as I expected it to!

Once the white pieces were cut I had to 'square up the form' - making sure that each side fit to on a straight line!  You have to hammer in these pieces of metal to help you and I broke a few thumb tacks while attempting to get it set up!

Final stages are under way. You solder only a little all over the piece to keep it from wiggling too much! Just a few drops here and there to keep it together on its own - tacking it down.  Soon is final soldering on both sides and cleaning it all up! I can't wait!

I finished foiling my stained glass piece and gave it to my Dad this year for Father's Day! He hung it up in the kitchen of my parents home. I'm so excited about it and it makes me wanted to create some more! The lemonade part looks a little bright in this photo but it has a nice yellow hue that fills up the pitcher.

Here are some of the lemons in detail. I tried to pick a mix of textures that fit the scene and thought the lemon's highlighted that nicely. Seeing the stained glass lemonade in the sunshine really makes me crave lemonade too.