Let's Book It for June

  A small bargello wall hanging was my choice for June's Let Book It project.  It is from the book,  Colorwash Bargello.  I pulled a lot of fabrics out of the closet.....playing with the layout and rearranging them until I was confused and muddled.

 Arranging the fabrics for a bargello is probably the most difficult thing for me.  There are so many ways to create the strata....all darks together blending to all lights, or two or more dark to light runs.  Each layout will create a different effect.    In the book, all of the lights were grouped together as well as the darks.  I decided to lighten it up a bit in my arrangement, and I used more light fabrics and did two runs of dark to light.

  This was the final fabric arrangement.  The important thing to remember is the last piece will also be next to the first piece in the final arrangement.  So it is important that they work well together.



  I used 2" strips of each of 21 fabrics.  The pattern called for 18 fabrics....by adding on 3 more I would end up with a longer wall hanging.   Two stratas of 21" long strips are made, so I could use fat quarter cuts, too.  Sewn and pressed.....one strata has the seams pressed to the darkest, and the second strata seams get pressed to the lightest fabric.  By pressing them in opposite directions, the sub-cuts are alternated when re-assembled.....and the seams nest for easy piecing.

   The sub-cuts are not all the same width....these range from 2 3/4" to 1 1/4".   So it is very important to have a plan and keep things in order.

   The strata are sewn into tubes and the sub-cuts are made.  I pin the cuts in order to the design wall as I go.  And the design emerges.

 

 
   All the rows are sewn together in order.  Really easy sewing, as that pressing trick makes it simple to nest the seams for matching.  And it is time to select the border fabric.......
    I plan on using a 1" strip of the burgundy as the inset border.   The outer border will be wider , probably a 3" strip.  The light purple/cream print is not working for me.   So it is one of the other two fabrics.
 
   This project will get carried over to next month, and that's the great thing about Let's Book It.  You don't have to finish it to participate.   Pick a project, start it and share it.  You might be motivated to even get it finished!
Linking to Vroomans Quilts for Let's Book It.  
Happy stitching.