Trend Watch | Chevrons
The latest releases of scrapbooking products have shown a huge increase in the use of chevron patterns. A chevron refers to an inverted v, the pattern version being more than one of them strung together. This is often seen repeated to form a graphic looking design. While the design is nothing new, or especially interesting even, it is indeed a hot trend.
When I walked into Target weeks ago, I was assaulted by multiple displays of a limited edition collection by Missoni for Target that featured Chevron-filled sweaters in bold colors, and everything from matching socks to baby apparel to underwear. (In fact, that Misssoni collection was so hot that its launch crashed Target.com and it sold out in hours. Its products are now selling for multiple times original retail price on ebay.) While the wild and bright graphic look applied to clothing is a trend I will happily skip, I like the idea's potential for decor, crafting, and other applications. Indeed, that trip to Target showed me that the chevron pattern is a trend to watch!
I really love the Crafter's Workshop chevron stencil (shown below), and there are also many paper options (often the "B" side of a patterned paper) as well. Looking for more options to recreate this design on my own, I found that searching for "zig-zag" often yields similar results.
Amy Tangerine fabric paper, EK Success zig-zag punch, and The Crafter's Workshop chevron stencil are three great options that are shown above.
Doing it yourself isn't out of the question of course. About a month ago I posted about a fantastic chevron tutorial in my Noteworthy column. Marcy Penner created the beautiful large chevron pattern shown above as a background for her layout on the October Afternoon blog. I love how simple this is - and how easy it would be to customize sizes and a great use of scraps too!
If you take a look around online galleries you will see a lot of this pattern in use - from stamping and stencil use to bits of patterned paper. I believe because it is such a basic design, we may see it become something of a staple for a while, somewhat like polka dots or plaid. Here are some more patterned paper examples:
left to right: Echo Park Holly Jolly (Holiday Wrap), My Minds Eye Lime Twist (Chevron), Authentique Free Bird (Comfort Multi-Color Chevron), and Pebbles Fresh Goods (Simple Joys)
Here is a card I created using the Amy Tangerine chevron patterned fabric paper:
Supplies | Cardstock: Bazzill. Stickers: Basic Grey Green at Heart (micro letters). Ink: Tim Holtz Distress (Forest Moss), Ranger Perfect Pearls Mist (Biscotti). Stamps: Tim Holtz for Stamper's Anonymous (Tattoo Flourish). Die Cut: Tim Holtz Alterations for Sizzix (Tattered Floral). Embellishments: Jenni Bowlin (doily flowers - creme), Pink Paislee Phantom (Brads), thread (unknown). Embossing Powder: embossing powder.
I feel like I'm just starting to give this pattern notice, and I find that I most often use it where a stripe or otherwise graphic pattern would work on my projects. Before you go shopping, check your stash! I found a surprising amount of chevron patterns there already, and I also noticed there are related or substitutable patterns as well.
Some patterns I noticed that have a similar feel include herringbone, repetitive use of arrows, and more casual ric-rack or zig-zag patterns. If you've been crafting with chevrons and have a project posted online, please feel free to share a link in a comment here on this post. This is one pattern I do not think I'll ever tire of being inspired by!
