Advice for me as I start my first bargello quilt?
 

I have decided to "expand my horizons" and make a bargello quilt. I have selected my pattern and have been reading and googling about these quilts. The pattern is from Eileen Wright's book Twist and Turn Bargello Quilts. I am doing this one.

http://quiltinspiration.blogspot.com...bargellos.html

I am just starting to collect/select fabric. Like I said, I have been reading and googling, and I have read enough to know that it is time to get started. But first....any advice for me as I plow ahead? Fabric selection advice or anything else?

Thanks.

Dina

i can only offer my best wishes. i have that book and will make one of these some day. i hope!

I'm at work so can't follow the link, and have only made 2 bargellos so far, but I have 2 tidbits:

Use a digital camera with a black & white setting to take pictures of your fabrics so you can check your gradient.
Press the way they tell you to - it will help nest those corners together.

Have fun! I LOVE bargellos! I need to churn through a few more projects before I can do another one and I can't wait. :)

Okay, thanks! I have been reading more, and I am beginning to get scared of this project. I need to start before I change my mind!!

Dina

Be brave--you can do it. :)

I felt the same as you with my first bargello. I had chosen all my fabric and kept putting it off because I thought it would be really hard. But once I got started it was really not that difficult. The main thing is keeping your strips organized. I made labels for each of the strips that were numbered according to the pattern. As I cut each strip I pinned on its label. Then I laid all of them out in the order they needed to be sewn. And I didn't cut all the strips at the beginning. I cut a few and sewed them together as a test. The hardest part is getting started. Don't be scared. Just dive in. Bet you'll end up with a beautiful quilt.

I'm still collecting fabric. I just can't seem to get my colors right :(

It's a beautiful pattern. I love it in the blues shown. Were you trying to go for the same look? If so, there are a ton of shades of each color at balibatiks.com that would work.

I've made many bargello quilts, and I love both the process and the result! Here's my best advice:

1. Buy a whole lot of thread! (When I first started making Bargello quilts, I wished I'd bought stock in a thread company:-)

2. Wash, dry, and starch your fabrics before you even think about cutting them.

3. When you iron the starched fabrics (before cutting them), be careful to do so along the length rather than the width of fabric.

4. Understand that the first step of the larger process is to create a new fabric. Allow it the time it deserves. The final result is soooooooo worth it!

I hope this helps. Please feel free to PM me if you have further questions.

I totally forgot to say that the first thing you MUST do is cut a tiny piece of each of fabric and glue them to a piece of paper in the order in which you want them to appear on your quilt. Number them on that piece of paper! You'll be referring back to it many times.

quiltsRfun is absolutely correct in recommending that you label each (secondary) strip as you cut it. If you don't, you'll go a bit crazy trying to assemble them in order!