Originally Posted by feline fanatic
Problem #1. The darkest color on the end I only have 1/2 yard and pattern calls for 5/8 so I am a good 4" short. Those of you who have made Bargello do you think I can get away with it?
Problem #2. I do not have a photo editor to switch to black and white so not sure I have the needed contrast going from one color gradation to the next.
Please, those of you who have made Bargellos and those that just have great color sense, offer advice, input and opinions. Thanks so much!
Problem 1 - I wouldn't. I usually go a little over what they call for. Call it a "fudge factor". And I fudge a lot :)
Some other observations I made:
From left to right -
fabrics 15 & 17 have too much variation within the fabric. Remember that some of the individual bargello pieces will be VERY tiny (1/4" from the looks of it) so you will have some squares of one color and some of another - in the same place on the color run which will throw the whole scheme off. Try to choose fabrics with either little variation in both color and value, or very tiny print of color/value variation (less than your smallest bargello piece).
Fabric 18 while pretty, looks too orangy/red for this color run. I think it will be a "bump" (see below).
Fabric 19 is blue between an orangy/red and a brown. You have light blue in the middle of your color run. So your color run is going to be light beige, blue, medium to dark brown - with a blue stuck in there by itself, then to darkest brown. So while the value is good in this position, the color is different. Different isn't bad if that's what you want - so just know that what you'll see is not one color "wave" but three "waves" with a "bump". Could be nice ... I've neve tried it :)
When I plan a bargello, especially with as many fabrics as you have, I'll swap out fabrics TONS of times, photograph them, convert to B&W, swap out again, etc. It will take me days. Most of the time I leave my selection laid out on my cutting table where I can see it every time I pass the sewing room. Sometimes different light of day gives me inspiration, sometimes a bleary eyed early morning wake up helps me see an "oops". It's a process - but I think it's one of the of the things I REALLY enjoy about Bargello.
Two examples are below of what can happen when you choose a print that has too much color/value variation within the print. Note the centerpiece in the first photo. Some of the pieces show a lot of black, and some show way too much "light" throwing the whole thing off. So ... I got some black ink and ... see second photo with still a fair amount of gold in one of the pieces, but all the "grey" is gone. Still not perfect, but better. However, note the same fabric is on the outside corners of the bargello as well, but because it's on the corners it doesn't throw it off - so I didn't see the need to ink those in. This was the second Bargello I ever made (and still haven't finished!).
Good luck ... keep auditioning fabrics. It's a process.
Before strips sewn, note light center
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After strips sewn and center inked in
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