Why is it called this and how is it made? I tried doing a search here - and even googled.... I know I'm rather google-impaired, but I couldn't find anything that really explained it.

Hi, have a look at this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bargello_(needlework)
It explains where the patterns come from. Then, from my understanding, they are adapted for quilting.
Hope this helps.
They really look much harder than they actually are, I have only been quilting for 8 months and I have made one, if you can cut straight and sew straight, you can do bargello!

Sorry I forgot to add, use the search option at the top of this page and type in bargello, there are lots of links to free patterns as well as photos and lots of advise.

Hopefully this will help.

I did even do a search here - lots of great pics, but no explanations that I could find. Although checking some of the links (thanks for that Wikpedia link btw - that was interesting to see where it originated!) did mention strips - so is it that the fabric is cut into long strips, cut and re-sewn w/the little blocks offset each row? I'm just trying to wrap my brain around this... and it looks like the strips are cut in different widths...

A mass of confusion. LOL. They are really pretty. I'm glad I made a small wallhanging Bargello and got wanting to try it out of my system.

Yes the fabric are cut in strips...strips sewed together in color order you would like and then subcut to sized need to create your pattern.
I use graft paper to get an idea of what the quilt might look like once I'm finished.

Give me a few minutes and I'll show a picture of how I graft it and color the squares and explain a little about how I do Bargellos.

I will try to explain the process to you. If you look at the design copy you will see that there are eleven fabrics to be in the quilt. further notice that those eleven fabric , are repeated three time in each vertical row.
I do my bargello in sections...if I'm using 6 or 36 fabrics.
You can strip piece all you strips and make a tube, then cut a piece the width you want, then open the tube to the fabric you want to be at the top. You have to continue with this cut and unstitch for each vertical row.....or you can do as I do.

I figure out from my chart how many pieces I need for the whole quilt using fabric #1 on top...so on for all the fabrics that will be used on the top edge of my quilt.

I think this image will see that my color pattern across the width of the quilt is also 11 fabrics.
I arrange my first set of strips with fabrics 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11.
Second set use fabric 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,1
and so on for all eleven strip sets.
Then figure out how many strips you need to cut from each of the sets and how wide they will be.

This is kind of complicated at first but once you get into it, it really isn't hard.

Clear as mud???? need more help, just let me know.

Years ago one of the major quilting magazines (sorry can't remember which) had an article on Bargello and said to sew all your stips together into a tube. Then cut. Then as you start to sew your strips together you simply take your seam ripper to the seam that needs to disconnect. Hope this makes sense. It saves you having to sew many different strip sets in a different order. You just sew the tubes and take apart the tube at the desired intersection after you have cut the second set of strips.

That is so totally awesome!!! Barb_MO, thanks for taking the time to explain it - I need to study that a bit to totally "get" it, but it does make a lot more sense already! The tube concept is another story, it'll take a while for my brain to wrap around that one. But the bargello idea itself is so cool - the effect can be so stunning!

Ok, how many years will it take for me to get through what I've started already to get to this?! Maybe I can squeeze in a smaller one just to play with this....

I'm going to print off your instructions Barb, so I have them in my "quilt file". :-D

I temporarily got excited when I thought that maybe I could do this with some batik I've been collecting for a bed quilt..... but then it dawned on me that it probably won't work when you just have some fq's here and a bit of yardage there.... you pretty much have to have a good amt/same amt of each different fabric, right?

Tina, I'm glad you asked. I'd been wondering, too!
Barb ... thanks for taking the time to do such a great detailed explanation. I am now thinking I may try one ... they really do look hard.

Sharon

Yes, you would need a good amount of fabric to make a bed sized quilt. However, FQs are great if you want to start with something simple, like a table topper.

I do the tube method. It is actually pretty easy. Once you make your sub-cuts, you sew the top and bottom fabric together, which forms the "tube." Then you decide on which color you want to go at the top and simply unpick the seamline at that point. As you move the next strip (which is sewn into a tube) in, decide if you want the color in strip #1 to go up or down a step in the second strip and then unpick the appropriate seam. I hope this makes some sense!

The bargello is one of the first quilts I ever made and it's one of the few patterns I have made more then once. Every few years I have to go back and make a new one. It is one of those patterns that sounds & looks more complicated then it really is. And the finished quilt always looks stunning. :D

that's what I need to do.

You could do a small quilt using the tube method, or by making the strip panels of some sets (the ones that you will cut the widest strips from.
I never use fat quarters, so it is hard for me to visualize how many strip you could get from one of the. you might want to through in a piece larger that a half yard and use that fabric twice in the color scheme.
If I can get this to work, I'll show a pic of a smaill bargello wall quilt I made

thanks for explaining the bargello technique. There have been some lovely bargellos posted and i have been wondering how to go about it for a while.
My question though is, on some of the bargellos posted it looks like they have cut their strips narrower in parts and I like the look of that. Would you gradually narrow the strips or would you do most say 2 ins wide and then only do a few rows where they get narrower. i dont know if i am explaining this real well but I hope you understand.

It's not that you aren't explaining it well, my brain just can't visualize it very well. I'd love to actually watch it done.

On a big quilt I use 2 1/2 in strips. and do the sub cuts starting at 3 1/2 then 3 and keep decreasing the size until I get the 1 in.
When you want to make a very steep valley with the colors you could go with the 1 in pieces three time, then start moving the color up with a coupl1 one inch cuts, then start adding 1/2 to each of the cuts.

Draw it out on paper...you don't have to color all the litted spaces, you can see a pattern forming. Just work on the design on paper until you get a pleasing look.

Bargello was originally a needle point design, then it was adapted to quilting.

It's done using strips in various widths. The one I made had strips from 3/4 of an inch up to 1 3/4 of an inch. The narrow strips give it the curve effect in the design.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-2806-1.htm

I did a class in bargello a few years ago and we had to bring about 12 different coloured materials that went with each other that were half a metre each... ranging from dark to light.... there had to be at least two light... pity you couldn't see somebody make one in class or maybe you have a friend who could show you... yes I did the tube thing too... it is not hard but does look it... would love to do another... the shopkeeper where you buy the materials might be able to show you if she is not busy !!! You have to be very particular in the cutting and remember before you cut you straighten the edge of the material by cutting, then put the ruler over the cut to the width you want it, remembering that you have to check two sides to see if they are on the straight of the ruler... it won't work if the cutting isn't right.... "I know"... I wasted some of mine but the teacher came along at the right time before I went further... yes, the cutting starts at 1 inch, then one and a half (or quarter) and so on up to about 2 inches... please have instructions and pictures from a book before you tackle this task otherwise you will waste your material as it can't be used for anything else...

You could probably find a pattern book at your LQS.

I found a few sites with the tube method http://www.ehow.com/way_5832790_inst...technique.html
The next two have pictures so easier to follow

http://www.3dudesquilting.com/documents/Bargello.pdf

http://www.sewingexpressions.com/fil...ablerunner.pdf
And this is the needlework design that quilts were designed after
http://www.cameoroze.com/cameo/01_bargello.htm

Boy that is way over my head! But beautiful!!

Thank you so much. I can visualise the tube method now and feel as though |I can have a go. Can anyone here do a tut for us?

My absolute favorite site for free instructions and free patterns is:
www.about.com
on the Right side of the screen, under Topics, choose quilting.
then you will have hundeds of things to look for - tutorials, blocks, quilt patterns, you name it. And everything is FREE. gotta love it! :thumbup:

Thank you. Just going on it now.....

i hope these open.

i'll try this another way.

http://www.hgtv.com/crafting/bargello-quilt/index.html

http://www.bighornquilts.com/inspira.../bargello.html

these are very good tutorials. very simple with good pictures.

Barb - I love your bargello!! I love browns and neutrals and this is just gorgeous!

Here's a bargello I did for my FIL. He generously allowed me to "borrow" it back so I could put it in a couple of local shows and the state fair. Sadly my FIL passed away and now it hangs in my MILs living room as the focal point for her room. I made the initial cuts at 2.5 inches and once I sewed everything together, I made the subcuts at varying sizes, from 2.5 inches to 3/4 of an inch.

EDIT: Holy smokes! I didn't even realize I was in the picture. Don't look too closely at me, just the quilt! (Geez...)

Beautiful quilt... well done !!!

Thank you Joy!