October Hand + Soul Block: Ephemera

BOM

Oct 5

Written By Chelsea Le Bouton

About the Block

Welcome to October and this month's theme of impermanence.

A lot of discussion about beauty treats longevity as the whole point. A diamond is forever, right? At least, according to marketing folks at De Beers. But Japanese tradition holds a completely different perspective. Each spring, cherry blossoms bloom across Japan for barely a week before the wind blows their delicate petals to the ground. Rather than mourning how briefly they last, the centuries-old practice of hanami gathers people together to celebrate this fleeting beauty. It’s a ritual built around a concept called mono no aware, "the pathos of things." The philosopher Motoori Norinaga argued that this awareness, that inner ache of something passing, is what lets us be truly moved by the world at all. The blossoms aren't beautiful in spite of their brevity, but because of it.

This block, pieced as a single giant bloom, is inspired by that same idea. A flower this large doesn't last any longer than a small one, it just makes its passing harder to ignore. I hope working through it gives you a reason to notice something lovely in your own life that won't stay exactly as it is, and to let yourself feel that fully instead of looking away from it—because its beauty and and the gentle sorrow of its transience were never separate to begin with.

Details & Techniques

This month’s block brings together a mix of some new techniques - we are introducing curves (quarter circles and half circles) along with the stitch-and-flip method to create the block’s details. Together, these techniques create a block with plenty of movement and dimension while giving you an opportunity to add new skills to your quilting repertoire.

Block Tips & Tricks

A few small choices will make a big difference with this block:

Take your time with the curves. This is the first block with curves in our block of the month, and maybe it’s your first time ever sewing curves! When sewing curves, focus on your prep and aligning the tick marks to easily piece together. A few pins or clips can help keep everything in place as you sew. Starting with the quarter circles will prepare you for piecing the half circle units.

Use a slow, steady stitch. Curved seams are much easier to control when you aren’t rushing. Consider shortening your stitch length slightly as you sew the curves. This can make it easier to follow the shape and helps prevent small inaccuracies from becoming more noticeable.

Press with care. Give each seam a good press as you go, but avoid stretching the curved edges. Let the iron do the work rather than moving it back and forth across the fabric. Taking a little extra care during pressing will help your curves lie flat and keep the block looking crisp. And, pressing in the direction indicated in the pattern for each step will allow for nested seams at key intersections to help with getting nice alignment and sharp points.

Pay attention to the stitch-and-flip pieces. This technique is a great way to create clean angles and add detail. Before trimming, double-check that your stitched line is in the correct direction and that the resulting triangle will be oriented as intended. It’s a small step that can save you from having to unpick later!

Don’t worry if your curves aren’t perfect. Curved piecing gets easier with practice, and small differences can often be eased into place during sewing and pressing. Focus on accuracy where it matters most—matching the key points and maintaining your seam allowance—and let the rest come together naturally. And luckily for us, the block pattern includes extra allowance for trimming so everything will line up perfect once pieced together!