Help with bargello please
 

I am going to make my first bargello using a pattern I found that is very simple and basic. It uses larger strips than most. I plan to make my own design, using the quilt I saw as a guideline. All the squares are the same size in the original but I want to add more flow using some different widths when cutting the strip tube.
My problem is I am not happy with the fabric layout I have come up with. It's especially the lighter pinks and floral, I am showing two layouts but I'm not really happy with either.
Please help by making suggestions on my fabrics and layout.

Question two is this: Most bargellos I have seen use the blending of one fabric to the next and I like that. I am just wondering whether it's ok to mix the fabrics all up rather than having them from dark to light as it were?
The first photo is of all the fabrics except the very last one. The next two are of the light fabrics area that I am most unhappy with.
Looking forward to suggestions on fabric selection as well as placement. Thanks in advance for all the great help I know will be forthcoming!! :)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]599903[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]599902[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]599901[/ATTACH]

On the top 2 pics switch the beige looking fabric with the light pink multicolored larger floral and on the top pic switch the two fabrics on the left. Then we can see if I made it better or worse.

Hopefully this will help. These are the same pattern, the brown has the fabrics shading from dark to light, while the blue/red has a different blending.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psbtmrgy12.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...pscoqb2epy.jpg

Cathy, your quilts are beautiful and I do think I am more attracted to the brown one. Guess I'll try to stick to the dark to light for now.
Wannabee, I will make those changes and post another photo, probably have to be tomorrow unless I can't sleep. LOL

Well, I had to try the changes and see it. Photos of the 2nd arrangement of the burgundies and the lighter ones. Also, a third change to the lighter pinks I kinda like a little better even.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]599918[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]599919[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]599920[/ATTACH]

better idea might be to lose the peachy one, it just doesn't go with the rest
[ATTACH=CONFIG]599923[/ATTACH]

The 3 fabrics on the far right should be reversed and plopped in just before the light floral if you're doing a light to dark wave. (I'm working up the courage to make my own bargello, so I'm interested in your progress.)

If you want the stark contrast like the brown quilt, you need to make sure you have a large difference in the fabrics you have on the edges. I've found having dark next to dark won't give you as much "Pop" as having dark next to light.

with the brown, it was laid out with the darkest brown one end, and the lightest tan on the other. with the blue/red, it ended up with a mid blue on one end, and a mid red on the other, and the contrast didn't work out like I had hoped.

the lines of most contrast in the red/blue quilt is between the darkest red and the white/red print, which was more in the middle of the pattern so it dilutes the bold look of the design.

Look over your pattern and decide where you want the boldest contrast to be, and then make sure you have your fabric laid out so it matches that. Some bargellos have a wave pattern where you don't really have that. the one I did has a bold diamond shape repeated, and it got "lost" in the red/blue quilt because of the order the colors were laid out to begin with.

I agree, I don't think that peachy color fabric belongs in the mix at all.

My one problem is that the palest "peachy" fabric was a gift from a good friend of the recipient, and she specifically asked if it could be in the quilt. I will look thru the other fabrics gifted to see if I can find one that would work better.

Referring back to the pictures in Post 5. I find myself going to the bottom layout.

Honestly, I think all of your options will work. I'd do a couple of things differently, one is to mix the scale of the prints a bit more. So in the bottom layout, I'd change the first red to the 2nd fabric (larger floral) on the picture before it.

I think the peach is fine where it is :)

But those last three pink fabrics are too close in color and scale for me, depending on your design (for example they could work very well if you build in/emphasis some heart shapes). Although as I understand it, you are going for the "glow" effect of light to dark, I'm not against contrast in such things plus keep in mind that they will relate to the back to the first set so maybe play with them building back up to the first one, try ditching one and replacing it with the rose one or that lovely paisley on the end.

PS: We have a lot of the same/similar fabrics!

I did find this piece with more green but lighter... I could pull out one of the greens that are similar in print.

Also, I'm wondering if I should put the greens at the end and keep all of the burgundy and pinks together.... Dang, I didn't realize this would be so hard. LOL, perhaps I am way overthinking it, and should just start sewing.

The original pattern used 5" squares for all parts of the design. Since I plan to cut my strip sets into different width sections, will 5" squares be too big for a good effect? I am realizing that when cut into 2.5" sections they might look awkward at 5x2.5". Will it matter as long as they are all that way? What would happen if I used different widths in the strips for sewing the tube instead of having them all the same?[ATTACH=CONFIG]599937[/ATTACH]

You can get a interesting look going different widths and lengths, but it's a bear to figure out and keep track of.

While this is not a bargello, it is a design that used varying widths and lengths.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...pssti6gzi2.jpg

macybaby, that quilt is wonderful! I think I am going to add a little of that to my quilt. I'm feeling a little more confident to get it off the wall and on the sewing machine!

You are all so great with help and advice!!!

Linda, I really like the way you have it in the last picture above.

Macybaby, you have a wonderful analytical mind.

I have not made one of these but have always wanted to. If you do a "Cher" on the quilts here in this thread you eye goes to the lightest, or brightest of the fabrics.

A "Cher" is to cover your eyes, then uncover them for one second and what do you see. Cher would then take off the one thing that was drawing the observer's eye. Was it her ear rings? Was it her lipstick? She wanted them to not be distracted by the one thing that caught their eye.

With a Bargello, I like the one thing that catches my eye, the bright or light line.

Sorry for the rambling, I'm so nervous about this biopsy coming back.

Marcia

Marcia, I know what you mean about being nervous. Please know that I am holding you close in my heart that things will go well. Hugs and smiles! Good Luck.
Also, thanks for introducing the Cher! I've always admired her singing and flair! I could never carry it off, but admire people who can and do!
I'm also liking this last layout, so once my flair is over (Fibromyalgia) I will start the cutting and sewing I think.

I made one and it was totally scrappy and the cut strips were all 2 inch - I think or 2 1/2 but the sub cuts were all the way down to like 3/4". It was quite varied. So you do what you want. I've never tried to attach a picture so not sure if I could. I had to sort of remake my moms but hers ended up turning out quite well too; I don't know what happened to it when she passed away.

There are pages of images of Eleanor Burns “Trip Around the World” quilts, if you google TAW quilt images, while they are not bargellos, she does use many fabrics to give you some ideas for color flow. Also, take some photos of your choices and print them, then cut them into strips, lay them bargello style, then you can see what is pleasing to your eye. When you find what you like, tape it down, and use it for your “paste up”.

Try putting the peachy color between the two green with pink flowers as a resting spot for the eye in your last photo. As your eye travels across the quilt, multiprints can get muddy if too close in tone, so you give eye rest places by putting the peachy there.

Look at your strips through a red sheet of plastic, it will show the value of your colors, your light flower/pink shows dark when I look at it with my red plastic. Move it to the left of the pink.

I have found that a good way to see colors from dark to light is line them up the way you THINK they should be, then take a picture of them. Now change the picture to black and white (easily done with cell phones) When you see the colors in black and white it is really easy to tell dark to light

Well, I finally settled on the order and decided to just go for it. I am using wide 6" strips which is unusual I know, but will be a lot easier for me since this is my first one.
I'm pretty happy with the layout and that last fabric I pulled made it! Here is a photo of the layout on the design wall.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]600194[/ATTACH]