How I make Chevrons

Thought I would share today how I make chevrons. I'm sure there are other methods, but this is working for me and pretty quick and easy!

First the difference between a chevron and a zig zag (in my humble opinion). This is a chevron ~ the angled stripes are long and skinny, or longer than they are wider.
This is a zig zag ~ the stripes are not as long between the angles and can be made with triangles.
I've been strip piecing my chevrons. Start with a strips that are all the same width or vary in width - doesn't matter. Sew the strips together, off-setting each strip based on the finished size of the strip you're sewing it to. These strips are cut 1" and finish at 1/2". Each strip is off-set 1/2" as they're sewn together. If your strips vary in size the off-set will change based on the size of the top strip.
For each chevron you'll need to make a second set the same way, except that it will "step" in the opposite direction creating a mirror image set.
Find the 45 degree line on you ruler and place it along one of the seam lines of your strip set as close to the off-set edge as possible.
Trim the end - creating a 45 degree angle.
Your chevrons can be any width. In this example they are 1 1/2". Cut your chevron units parallel to the 45 degree edge whatever width you chose. Do the same with the mirror image set.
Sew your sets together alternating the two directions. then trim the top and bottom evenly.
This set was used for the eyeglass case I made.
Here are a few tips:

• Press the seams in one direction on the first set and the opposite direction on the mirror image set. This way the seams will nestle when you sew the units together.
• After you cut your first 45 degree angle, try not to move the strip set if possible. The edge is bias and loses it's shape easily. Think about this as you lay your strip set on your board to make the first cut.
• If you make your first and last strips extra wide, you'll have room to square it up without cutting off any of the chevrons.

Here's how that might look...

And here's the result. You can see too that I alternated the background color in this example. It required 4 strip sets - 2 with color and white and 2 with color and gray.
Remember the pillow I made? The strips were varied in width on this one...
Here's my chevron quilt also. The colored strips were cut 2 1/2" and the white strips 1". Since this was a long quilt, I made the chevrons in sections, by doing about 6 colored strips and 6 white strips at a time. That way the section wasn't any longer than my ruler. Then I sewed the sections together to make long rows.
And this was my first attempt ~ Stella's quilt.
Hope that makes sense! Please feel free to email me or comment if you have any questions!!