I love making Bargello quilts. Even more so, I love teaching others to make them. I have several online classes that are very popular, from beginners to advanced quilting. Today I wanted to share a little bit of bargello history with you and show you where I began my bargello journey.
Bargello Quilts originated from needlepoint. History shows bargello needlepoint designs as far back as the 16th century, which was known as Florentine, Flame or Hungarian point. In more recent years, it has been adapted into a quilting technique with endless possibilities for designs.
The following photo shows my very first experience with Bargello needlepoint. It is a small makeup purse that I stitched as a teenager during a course I was taking in embroidery. I certainly enjoyed the technique back then, but who would have thought it would be the starting point of a wonderful experience in creating bargello quilts?
Makeup purse I stitched in bargello needlepoint design
After learning in needlepoint, I moved onto bargello quilting. My first bargello design (in fact, one of my very first quilt designs) which was the first bargello quilt I made was Bargello Blues. I designed this in the early 1990's, the quilt sold and later I developed the design into an online class and pattern. They both are still extremely popular today.
Since Bargello Blues, I have made a number of bargellos including four seasons and Cherry Blossoms which was part of the 2004 Hoffman Challenge. I had an amazing experience working with Sandy at Hoffman Fabrics who sponsored the fabrics for both Bargello Swirl and Reflections. There are others I have made too - you can check out all out here: Bargello Patterns. One of my favorites though is Color Connections.
I do have a couple of designs in progress, including one half made!
Now just to find the time to finish it and get the other designs from paper to quilt!
