Plaids and Checks
Ever get confused about the difference between herringbone and houndstooth? Or caught yourself staring at a Huckberry catalog thinking: “is that a Buffalo check or a Gingham”? Well, our friends, this post is for you. On a warm-ish day Mid January we sat down with a yummy cortado from Raleigh’s Morning Times and the endless catalog of patterns that is the website of Durham’s Spoonflower. What emerged was a quick go-to guide for simple learning so you’ll always look like an expert when it is safe to visit furniture stores again!
CHECKERBOARD: typically two tone, like tic-tac-toe & super popular right now
GINGHAM: typically two tone, cross hatched. Buffalo plaid is basically just this but bigger scale
PLAID: cross hatching of various sized lines with overlay showing
TARTAN: just a type of plaid for your kilt or wool scarf (our Allie & Alva both have one of the Campbell variety)
MADRAS: Indian descent, think bright color combinations of all of the above!
WINDOWPANE: solid background, tiny lines forming a grid
PS: Morning Times has been a go-to stop since 2006. They make their own syrups in-house and we *may* have once eaten there next to Elizabeth Warren.
PSS: If you haven’t heard of Spoonflower before, then we highly recommend you be sitting down when you read the next line.
Comfy? Cool.
There’s a site (based here in the Triangle) where you can upload your own artwork, have it printed on virtually anything you’d like from peel and paste wallpaper to pillows, and shipped to your front doorstep anywhere in the whole wide world for a super affordable price. Or you can choose from their endless array of options by designers from all over. Peek this: RGB quilting fabric. #Need!
Annnnnd if you’re still confused on madras vs windowpane, here’s Alison & Jimmy to the rescue:
