Keeping trendy always a time for creativeness
A trend is defined as a general movement, and most of what we buy is dependent on the trend at the time. Trends usually trickle down. In December, the color of the year is announced and by January designers have already selected a few materials that fit the country’s mood and can make a strong impact with a simple change of color. They accessorize and modify using these colors. These are referred to as micro-trends.
On the other hand, some designers/manufacturers already made designs that they have been using and plan to continue using. These long-term designs are called macro trends and tend to occupy a 10-year lifespan. For example, the macro trend right now is “green,” earth consciousness without your house looking like it’s made of recycled plastic. To keep with that purpose, designers are simplifying things, using materials that are renewable. We know that “green” is staying because simplicity is less expensive. Renewing furniture is affordable. And we know the financial challenges our country is experiencing.
The color of the year for 2023 is Viva Magenta, but it will be more of an accent to what manufacturers already have in stock. The financial challenges affecting our country have slowed spending. If you have a hobby, you probably already feel the pinch and are limited as to what you can buy no matter how much you “need it.”
Despite all the negative financial news, I know that creatives will find this time to be a good experience. It is as if we were drafted to a creative challenge. The years 2023 and 2024 are the years of the SCRAP! While the quilting world has already started naming a lot of their patterns and QAL’s “Scrappy,” the sewing world is repurposing, the knitting world is steeking to modify (meaning they are cutting a section of a knit object and then picking up the stitches to add to the area you have cut out), those that embroider are adding beads and floss from their stashes to adorn pieces to make them more elegant, cover a moth hole or two, and paper fanatics are taking advantage of their scraps to use collage methods and mixing methods.
We all can embrace Viva Magenta. Being creative isn’t just the finished product, it’s also the process by which we get to that finished product. Making something from nothing. And seeing all the new creations is going to be exciting. It is time we circle the wagons and share the potential of our scraps. Be ready to share how you made something or the name of the pattern you used and how you modified it, because those with the least tend to make the very best.
I am also looking forward to next week as we start to talk about color theory. Some of you are naturals and some need a little help, and I hope my article is just what you need to help you coordinate some of your scraps.
