HELP !!! Designing a backing for a Bargello Quilt
 

I am NOT sure if I can explain what I want to do with this backing but I thought it would be fun to do something similar to the front of this quilt. My first concern is that the strips in the middle of the quilt are 1/2" finished so there is a bit of bulk due to tightly packed seam allowances in that particular area. I pressed all of the seams going out from the center out so they don't overlap. I am thinking of using 2" finished width of the fabrics with the length being about 10" to form the Bargello design (10" x 7 fabrics = 70"). Thus I could work a larger simpler Bargello design on the back of the quilt. I think the quilt will be about 68" on all sides. I have the light yellow and the peach. I have the light blue and the next one but NOT the third but I have over a yard of the bluish turquoise Also I have the two dark fabrics and the blue with snowflakes. I thought of using the number 5 dark blue green (counting from the light blue plus this fabric would be the border on the quilt top and binding) as a slightly wider strip maybe 3" thus the blue & yellow pieced stripes of the colors running as a Bargello design between the darker blue green fabric 3" stripes. Or should I have the Bargello design be the 3" stripe and the darker fabric being the 2"?? I have been thinking of NOTHING else but this for at least 7 days. ANY SUGGESTION ???? I hope to have the borders on during the next two days and then I will need to start piecing the back. THANKS for any suggestions you can send my way. It seems like the creativity part of my brain is on Christmas vacation without me !!! NOT FAIR !!!

I wish you luck. Your Bargello is beautiful.

How about ... use the bargello design as the borders and a plain center. You can even make the borders uneven to show the up/down of the bargello. It will certainly take some math to get it right, but it sounds like your in for a math equation anyway!

Your bargello is stunning. What you have explained for the backing sounds good, if you use the larger strips. My question is: How are you going to quilt it? Are you sending it out to an experienced Long-Armer, quilting it yourself on a domestic machine or hand quilting it? The reason I ask, is because I am afraid you will have alot of bulk with a bargello on both sides, along with alot of stretch potential. I am not trying to rain on your parade, because your quilt is truly gorgeous, but these questions came to mind as I was admiring your work.