70 Joinusatwww.todaysquilter.comESSENTIALGUIDE lsewingbargellopatchwork
WHAT IS BARGELLO
PATC H WOR K?
P
atchworkers are highly inventive people and see potential for piecing all
around them, so it’s no surprise that Bargello embroidery has been used as
inspiration for fabulous quilting designs for years. Bargello is a technique
normally associated with 17th-century Florentine needlepoint embroidery, where
flame-like, wavy patterns were created with stitches on canvas. Patchworkers have
interpreted these designs using ‘strip sets’ of squares and rectangles arranged in
rising and falling patterns to create colourful designs full of movement. Careful
colour grading is often a feature of the work.
The piecing of multiple squares and rectangles requires fairly accurate seam
alignments for the best results. Strip piecing is one technique used to achieve this,
but sewing individual patches together is also a common method. Some complicated
and visually stunning designs can be created using Bargello patchwork, and we will
be looking at some techniques in this article. Although Bargello is visually striking
on its own, it can also be embellished and some suggestions are given here for taking
the work in more decorative directions.This wallhanging, called Bargello Schist, appeared in Issue 32 of Today’s Quilter
and shows Bargello being used in a more contemporary way. The method used
to piece the Bargello is slightly different from the normal approach but can lead
to more creative freedom (see Floating Bargello, page 74)FABRIC AND
COLOUR
CHOICES
Fabrics
The fabrics used for Bargello can
be anything you like prints and
solids, matte and silky, smooth
and textured. Bargello is also
a great technique for using up
spare fabrics. Batiks are a good
choice as they usually have many
variations of pattern and colour
in each piece of fabric. Selecting
fabrics for Bargello is fun, but
may take time to achieve a
pleasing balance.Colours
It’s helpful to decide on your
overall colour scheme to begin
with. You could look at your
stash to see what colour you
have most of and then select a
dozen or so fabrics in this colour
range. You will also need to
decide whether you are aiming
for a graded colour scheme,
arranging the fabrics from pale
through to dark. It’s also good
to throw in the odd surprise for
contrast. Once you have learnt
the technique, you can become
more adventurous with your
choices and introduce more than
one range of colours.