Making Pillows Talk: Bargello and Embroidery

BARGELLO

When I was young I liked to work on needlepoint, but now I can't get excited by a project that can't be wrapped up in a week or two. Nor do I want to work on anything that comes in a kit where my personal input is not required. When I saw bargello designs for the first time I said, "Wow". Because each stitch covers multiple squares on the needlepoint mesh, bargello can be done in a fraction of the time. Bargello was created in Florence Italy for textiles. You also see these designs incorporated into beautiful quilts. There are different kinds of stitches such as flame stitches, dome designs, wave designs, and many more. This webpage gives you a quick peek as to how some of these designs are done: http://www.fruncesybordados.com.mx/Bargello%20Stitch.htm

Unlike regular needlepoint, bargello will not warp your mesh. So you can use a canvas mesh (as opposed to plastic) and it will be easier to sew a back onto. The fewer holes per inch will make for a larger version of the design and will make the project go faster. All you need is fluffy "fat" yarn so that you cover your holes well (maybe even doubling or tripling your yarn strands. I like to pick out colors I think look cool together, which may or may not be what the design in the book shows. One way to see how the yarn is going to look side by side, hold them up side by side in the store. There's no reason to get anything expensive. This is like a tapestry, so you want some sharpness to your look. Therefore, I avoid yarns that have multiple shades within the same ball. Two of my favorite books are Beautiful Bargello by Joyce Petschek and Four-Way Bargello by Dorothy Kaestner.

I don't assemble my own pillows because I don't own a sewing machine. However, once the needlepoint pattern is finished with a 1 1/2 inch border left uncompleted, you can take this down to a dry clearer that does alterations and just explain what you want. Bring the stuffing, the fabric for the backing, and whatever ruffles or tassels you might have in mind. This will cost about $20 for assembly.

EMBROIDERY

If you were raised in the 60's or 70's, there's a pretty good chance that you embroidered your jeans. I learned how to decorate mine at my mother's knee in junior high, and had lots of flower power cuffs, pockets, you name it. Machine embroidery probably existed on store bought clothes (another thing we didn't have), but it certainly wasn't computerized like it is now. I always liked the handmade look on jeans and decided I could easily pull it off with a pair of cheap used cut-offs at a second hand store. Which I did.

You may not be an embroidery expert, but you really don't need to be with this project. All you need are the cutoffs, the thread, and a hoop. This is something you can do on a plane, watching TV, or at the beach. You are simply building a picture out of little flower stitches. On the picture above, even the rainbow is made out of flower stitches. Here is You Tube video that shows exactly what I do for the petals and leaves. No drawing or planning, just off the top of my head. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiIN2asUvkI This is a daisy stitch. I do the center with a french knot, also on You Tube. The assembly is very easy. You just sew the top closed, zip up the zipper and snap the snap and stuff the shorts. Then sew up the bottoms. If you ever wanted to wash it, you could take undo the seam on the top or bottom, take out the stuffing, wash it, restuff it and resew it. This is a super easy project but takes about a month of spare time to fill up one side (which is all I do.)

FUTURE PROJECTS

I've always wanted to make a bargello piano bench cover and that may be what comes up next. Any needlepoint upholstery cover on a chair seat or bench looks very rich. However, you might not want to start off with a project of dining room seat covers. You won't get much chance to look at it because it's not out in the open. Plus, it's one of those projects that will never get finished.

I've seen some very neat pillow forms at Joanne's, our fabric and crafts store here in Dallas. It's called a pocket pillow, and it has a pocket in the middle of one side. You simply wrap fabric around it and tuck the excess fabric in the pocket where it (we hope) keeps it secure. This looks super easy. If you wanted to get really crazy, they also have lampshade kits that have a sticky lampshade that you stick fabric onto. You could make a pocket pillow and a matching lampshade for a child's room in less than an hour. The lampshade project I have done, and it's very user friendly.

The fun thing about these kinds of projects is that it gives you something to do with your hands while you watch TV rather than snack. I'm a fidgeter, and as long as I'm going to do two things at once, it might as well be something for the beautification of the home!