Bargello needlepoint was very popular around the 1960s and 1970s. It was chock full of colorful geometric designs that when worked on canvas produced beautiful fabrics that could be used to make hanging art or décor pieces. What I always loved about Bargello is its ability to create interesting patterns on designs that include large open areas. Changes the sometimes monotony of single stitching into a bolder sampler of shapes and patterns.

When you think of Bargello you immediately think of those curved zigzag elongated rows of stitches. Unfortunately in recent years, Bargello has taken a back seat in crafting. Bargello is part of a long time beloved art of needlepoint which needed few materials and for the most part was very portable.

Well the Bargello Sisters, Laura and Lynsey Angell, have decided to update this art by publishing a beautifully photographed book entitled BARGELLO NEEDLEPOINT. Each page has a detailed photo of a worked sample swatch and its corresponding graph outlining the stitches and colors used.  Depending on the size of the yarn or thread you choose there is an appropriate array of canvases with varying hole counts. Actually, any holely fabric could work but needlework canvases have just the right amount of stiffness to accommodate this stitch work.

BARGELLO NEEDLEPOINT shows lots of completed pieces to whet your appetite. What I found most intriguing is BARGELLO NEEDLEPOINT showcased a slew of patterns that could easily be incorporated into my knit and crochet items. I love colorful pieces and at times look for more dramatic use of the multicolored yarns so popular today. In knitting and crocheting, we refer to these zigzag patterns as chevron stitching. BARGELLO NEEDLEPOINT illustrates a huge range of ideas that could very well broaden the designing of chevron stitched projects. Basket-weaves and corner to corner designs are the ones that really caught my eye. It would be such a wondrous project to use one of the designs in BARGELLO NEEDLEPOINT for a C2C – corner to corner – wall art, pillow, or afghan. In knitting and crochet designs are broken up into multiples of stitches. In Bargello, designs are broken up into multiples of holes.

If you are looking for a more intricate pattern for a newer retro piece for your home or as a gift BARGELLO NEEDLEPOINT by Laura and Lynsey Angell can definitely provide the inspiration needed. All you need is a canvas, needle, yarn, and hoop.

BARGELLO NEEDLEPOINT is divided into sections from easy to advanced. The more complicated the design and use of colors the more gorgeous the completed fabric.

Book Summary