trend report: check
The vest one is totally Elton from Clueless, am I right?? Pictures are linked with the source. See the whole Pinterest board HERE
When I say check, what do you picture? I’m immediately transformed back to my childhood where I’m trading pogs at recess and trying to keep my gigapet alive. Or arguing with my siblings about which beanie baby is the cutest (obviously Congo the gorilla, which some people are selling for $15,000?!)
Honestly I was a little aghast when I started walking into stores and seeing all of the check. Of all the patterns, check is my least favorite—it assaults my eyes. I’m equally repulsed and intrigued by it. I thought for sure the trend would pass quickly, but years later, it’s still here and dare I say, getting better? All of the photos above have shown up in my feed from accounts that I follow within the past month—three home interior ones just on Monday…and I love it. This is the kind of check I can do!
This change from disgust to allure made me curious so I decided to do a deep dive into check. Turns out, when I hear check, I shouldn’t be picturing Clueless, I should picture cave painters and wooly mammoths. Check is one of the earliest, if not the earliest pattern ever drawn by man.
Crazy, huh? Check even inspired several variations, all of which are considered “check patterns” (something I didn’t know). Gingham, buffalo check, shepherd’s check, houndstooth, plaid, tartan, windowpane check, tattersall, madras, argyle, glen, and pin check are all iterations of check.
Lately there have been a few check quilt pattern releases that have been inspiring. Something about this new infatuation with check is making me want to sew a check quilt with the Emma collection. Like an ode to the checked marble floors in the halls of Pemberley perhaps? I made some quick mock ups below.
Top L: Maggie Pearl by Penelope Handmade Top R: Illusion by Modern Handcraft Bottom L: Dorothy by Penelope Handmade Bottom R: Traditional Irish Chain
So what do you think? Are you now converted to team check? How do you see yourself incorporating check into your designs?
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-Rachel