January Hand + Soul Block: Bittersweet
About the Block
The Bittersweet block is inspired by the ancient Chinese concept of Yin-Yang (陰陽), a beautiful and practical philosophy that sees the world not in absolutes, but in dynamic, complementary pairs. It teaches us that opposites—light and dark, joy and sorrow, activity and rest—are not at war. Instead, they are two halves of a whole, each giving meaning to the other and forever flowing into one another.
Think of it like your quilt: the dark fabric defines the light, and the light makes the pattern created by the dark pieces shine. One cannot exist without the other, and their interplay is what creates harmony, balance, and a comprehensive overall design.
The Bittersweet block, with its diagonal symmetry of mirrored negatives, symbolizes the importance of embracing both the light and dark in life.
While it is tempting to always choose "sweet" over "bitter, this month’s theme emphasizes embracing the and. It's about finding the strength in softness, the growth in challenge, and the quiet joy that often lives right beside a sense of longing. By exploring this concept, we begin to bring a more accepting, resilient, and holistic perspective into our lives.
Details & Techniques
This first month’s block is the perfect starting block to introduce some fundamental quilting techniques - piecing squares and HSTs! This block is all about the journey, and it walks us through some basic elements of patchwork. This first block is a great introduction to see how our fabric selection comes together, and is a quick make to start off the year after getting through the busy holiday season. We can’t wait to see yours!
Block Tips & Tricks
Trimming HSTs. When trimming your HSTs, be sure to place your ruler so that that the diagonal seam runs directly through the corner of your ruler and the point where the two 4 1/2” lines meet. You may want to use removable tape to mark off a 4 1/2” x 4 1/2” square, or circle this corner of the 4 1/2” square on your ruler to provide a visual guide. Note that your trimmings will be quite narrow!
Color placements. Want to change where colors show up in your block? There is a lot of freedom to move colors around when laying out your units. In order to maintain the same overall design, you will simply want to make sure to keep background squares and triangles where indicated in the pattern.
Pressing. To help with seam alignment, press the rows of your block in alternating directions. This allows seams to nest nicely together when joining our rows, which helps our units line up more precisely and (bonus!) also reduces bulk.
January Partners
Hand + Soul Block of the Month members gain exclusive access to discounts from our monthly partners, as well as a chance to win prizes every month!
Join us for a year of sewing and community!
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