I am trying to follow the Bargello instructions and am so confused even with help from others. I am having a hard time making myself understood. I have never chain quilted. Is she telling me to sew the strips together at the ends only or sew down the strips lengthwise? See, I can't even get thru the first steps!

Ok, that's so frustrating, and one reason I've not started one yet myself.
But we have the best advisors on here, and someone will help!
You'll be going great pretty soon. Don't give up, help is on the way very soon!

Post some pictures to get it going.
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There is a tutorial in the virtual section that is really good. If you are just starting with your long strips, you just sew them the length of the strips. You are sewing the sections that you will later cut into smaller strips. When she says chain piecing all she is saying is that instead of sewing one and cutting it and starting again with the same one--you continue with the next two, and so on. Then when you are ready, cut these and continue sewing these in the order of your colors. I hope this makes sense, I am very visual and I want to pick it up and show you. Check out the tutorial though it is really good.

I guess the two and the next two is what is confusing. Why wouldn't you sew them together one after the other?

You probably have up to 20 fabrics. Sew strip 1 to strip 2. Sew strip 3 to strip 4 etc until you have all your strips in pairs.
Then sew 1&2 to 3&4 and 5&6 to 7&8 etc. until you have all your pair in groups of four. Continue until you have the strip sets done. Now you are ready to sub cut into strips of different widths.

Ganny, you can do this.
I would suggest keeping all the questions in the Bargello post you are working from. If you get to a point that you want me to keep my thoughts to myself you may tell me and I promise I will take no offense. I promise. :thumbup:
If Barb is not signed on when you have a question someone else who has made the pattern may be and they will be able to offer a suggestion.
On Edit:
You were also getting good information while I was typing my update.

I may be dense (obviously!) but what is the difference of just going 1, 2, 3, 4, etc?

Read through this page http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-41828-12.htm

I did go 1,2,3,4, making my quilt from the Swish pattern.
It worked out fine for me. To me, the important part was rotating the end I started seaming from.
Let us pretend you have put a sticky note on the top and bottom of each of your strips. The sticky note says 'Top'. The other sticky note says 'bottom'.
Sew strip 1 (top sticky note) to strip 2 (top sticky note).
Flip the quilt top, start seaming strip 3 (bottom sticky note) to strip 2 (bottom sticky note).
Flip the quilt top, start seaming strip 3 (top sticky note) to strip 4 (top sticky note). See where I am going with this?
If you start seaming at the top on each and everyone of your strip seams you will get (waves?) I will look it up and update again. (I can't find what I am looking for.)