A Bargello Experiment

To make a quilted Halloween treat bag for Kat I decided to experiment with an idea I had. I wanted to make a bargello patchwork that looks more intricate than it really is (and also hides my inability to match seams) but I'd never seen anyone try this variation of mine. I didn't know if it would work, either, but I had the fabric, so I thought what the heck. I started with these 5 Halloween fat quarters.

I cut all the fat quarters into 3" X 7" rectangles.

I sewed the rectangles into ten strips, staggering the placements diagonally.

I then sewed the strips together -- at which point you can clearly see how I suck at matching seams.

I took the block of patchwork and sewed the long ends together to make a bargello tube.

I cut the tube into fourteen random-width strips, just avoiding the vertical seams that were there from piecing the original rectangles. I then unpicked a seam on each strip counting up or down one seam from the last strip, which creates the bargello effect.

Here's the end result after I sewed those strips together. Turned out even better than I thought it would.

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Valerean

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