Quilting: "Bargello Christmas Quilt"
January 2002
self-designed
finished size, 41"x58"
assorted cotton Christmas mini-print fabrics, backing fabric, Warm & Natural
cotton batting
Both my first self-designed quilt and my first large quilting project,
I wanted a quilt which showed off the pretty mini-print Christmas fabrics
I managed to find while avoiding an overly country-Christmas look. The
common color theme to the prints lent them well to the bargello style. In
fact, I've since noticed that the seasonal display of prints at the front
of the local fabric store usually features a compatible set of fabrics,
and ideas for a heart-themed quilt based on Valentine's fabrics is starting
to bounce around in my head.
Because I bought the fabrics on sale before finishing the design of the
quilt, I don't have the specific quantities of each fabric needed. I bought
a yard of each of the seven prints and have enough left over for another
small project. I purposefully designed the quilt to be less than 42" across
so that I could use a single width of backing fabric; I ended and bound off
in the same material. I've been using Warm & Natural cotton batting for all
of my quilting projects so far and I like it a lot for wall hangings where
you don't necessarily want the loft or long-term washability of a bed quilt.
For bargellos, this batting is particularly nice because you are piecing
each strip directly onto it as you work, and it doesn't shed to badly and
is thin enough to run under a sewing machine foot smoothly. With the huge
number of seams in this quilt, though, I used up three spools of thread.
I used Marge Edie's Bargello Quilts as a reference in designing this
quilt, and I recommend it as a good step-by-step instruction on the
technique. It is necessary to be extremely organized, particularly once
you've cut your strips apart, and I had to repiece a couple of strips that
I cut open in the wrong place while making this. The narrowest strips were
a huge hassle to work with, but I think it is worth it in the long run to
include them for the overall look. But if you design a quilt like this
yourself, throw in a couple of nice wide strips as well to give yourself
a sense of progress when you hit them.
Below, I am including my chart for this quilt; feel free to borrow it.
