Quilting a Bargello

[Anne B.]

Advice needed! I'm working on a bargello. I enlarged the pattern cuz the original seams finished out at 1/4 inch. Now they finish out at 1/2 inch. This thing is gonna be much larger than I anticipated. It already weighs a ton and the piecing is only about three fourths complete. So--how the heck do I quilt it?? I always hand quilt but there seem to be nothing but seams on this thing. Is it a good idea to omit the batting? It'll be my best work to date when I get it finished. Any input woould be greatly appreciated!

[Anne B.]

hi ipquilter...congrats on tackeling a bargello!! since the beauty is in the design itself, I would keep the quilting simple...in the ditch or maybe some slightly wavy lines. machine quilting this one will save your hands for prettier hand quilting on something else.
I did a quilt as you go version. had a lined piece of muslin on top of the batting and backing, then starting with the center strip, basically put it together foundation piecing style.

[Anne B.]

Good morning. Can you do some diagonal quilting that will follow the flowing lines of the bargello but avoid the intersections?

Sally in MO

[Anne B.]

Thanx for the suggestions! I still have some time to think about it. Hand quilting does seem out of the question. The pieces finish out at 1/2 in x 2 inches, so there are lots of intersections.
Thanx again-Sherry

[Anne B.]

Sherry, for a quilt that big & heavy, you may want to consider taking it to a longarm quilter. A simple all-over stipple or pano may be all it needs and the money well spent considering it'll save you the wrestling match of doing it on your DSM.

Jorja

[Anne B.]

Thanx Jorja--"wrestling match" perfectly describes it! Already! How do professionals price their work? I see "reasonable prices" advertised but have no reference point. I guess the range of prices is pretty wide considering the variety of quilts out there. Do they layer and baste, or do I do it before shipping? I'm a bundle of inexperience and questions!
Thanx-Sherry

[Anne B.]

Sherry, yes, the pricing depends on the type and amount of quilting you want, from a simple edge to edge to high-end custom. Most longarm quilters charge by the square inch, and that generally starts around .015 & goes up from there.

Do not baste; your top, batting and backing all get loaded on the machine in a very specfic way, and the quilter will stabilize as needed, as he/she quilts.

I would advise you to start with a LQS and inquire about LA quilters in your area. Ask to see examples of their work, the pricing structure, turn around time, etc. - many shops have their own, in-house machine.

Some longarmers also sell the batting and backing so all you have to supply is the top, or you can send your own batt & backing to meet the quilter's requirements, generally both will need to be about 8" bigger than your top, both long & wide.

Jorja

[Anne B.]

Jorja--Thanx much!! I'll start looking. After investing so much of myself into this quilt I want the finishing to be right.
Sherry

[Anne B.]

I finished one for a customer a few weeks ago. It took days.

I'll try to post one on my profile page...basically I stitched corner to corner, following the bend in the design to enhance the design.

Cynthia Willard[/img]

[Anne B.]

Hey Cynthia! Thanx for the post and for the pic on your profile. The quilt is lovely and the quilting is just right. My bargello is trying to kick my butt but I will prevail! :wink: I've been working on it for over a year. Wow. My oldest son saw the pattern in a library book right after I started quilting and decided that was the one he wanted. I told him to let me get some experience under my belt and I'd tackle it. If I'd known what I was getting into I might not have! It's 5 ft wide so far and probly about 6 ft long. I'll post a picture when I get the top finished and wait for suggestions for quilting.
Thanx again! Sherry

[Anne B.]

Wow Cynthia, your bargello is stunning! How did you not lose your balance while quilting that? :lol: It's just beautiful.

BTW, there's someone just below on 'This & That' asking about T-shirt quilts & it looks like you've got those perfected too, maybe you could give her some tips.

Jorja

[Anne B.]

I just finished one today. Bargello Blues from Quilt University class. I Machine quilted it with two colors of thread to match the colorways. Kinda planned as I went. Used a double wavy stencil, maked with chalk pounce pad and chalk wheel marker. and angled it to follow the design. Sometimes I drew in lines free hand where it was difficult to angle the stencil. It went quickly and I am pleased with it. Will post it as soon as I figure out how to do it. I do plan to post it with Ruth Blanchet at Quilt University.com.
Barbara

[Anne B.]

IP -- You can do it! My first quilt was a triple irish chain 90x90, with lots of 1.25 inch pieces. I machine quilted it on the diagonal on my DSM using the walking foot. The junctions of the little squares made a simple path to follow diagonally across the squares, so no marking was necessary. I even quilted the rope border's gentle curves using the walking foot. The white spaces were freemotion quilted. I am a new quilter and this was my first quilt. Check it out on my profile. If I can do it, you can do it. Heavy yes! Wrestling with it, especially on the diagonal, yes! But I made it all my self and that feels so good.

[Anne B.]

Hey Ruth! Thanx so much for the encouragement! Your quilts are lovely. I especially like the one you made for your sister. I really would like to quilt the bargello myself. I 've never "sent one out before". I don't think my machine I use for piecing could handle it, but I have a very old Pfaff that probably could. I'll just need to get a tune-up and clean-up done on it.
Thanx again! Sherry

[Anne B.]

Another question: I'm about 3/4 done with the bargello top. The back has a go-zillion long raw edges. Because of all the handling and wrestling with it so long the back is full of unraveled threads. Is there an easy way to remove them? Should I even worry about it? BTW, the "background" fabric is black.--Sherry