Bargello pincushion

I’ve continued with the abstract Bargello pincushion, mainly in shades of pink, but also made a level edge with mauves and purples at the top (or will it become the bottom?). I had done the longer stitch of pink, following the single stitch row of mauve, before I realised it would make the canvas piece too big for the pre-cut patchwork piece of cotton. I undid the pink, having counted the holes to make it square, but decided the canvas would fold over the three stitches of mauve. I should have counted and set my boundaries before I started with the fun bit, but was too impatient….. more haste, less speed. I did the fuschia pink pattern two stitches wide.

Then I followed that with a double row of yellow, picking up the colour from the variegated thread. Initially I thought it would be too dominant, but it balances out with the rows in the rectangles. For all the yellows I have, it was tricky to find the right shade, but in the end I was happy with the choice.

I continued to fill in the spaces with different shades, textures, matt and shiny threads, totally forgetting to take photos as I worked. I only remembered after I’d put the pale backing fabric behind the canvas (see Abstract Bargello), and machine stitched round following the edge of the canvas stitches, then the darker one for the real back leaving a gap to turn through and trimmed the corners.

I decided not to make the corners really square and left them nicely rounded, which somehow made it feel more cushiony. The top edge is ready to be ladder stitched once I’ve stuffed it.

Then I considered doing a beaded edging, and even sorted out beads, before I saw coral knot stitch being worked on another pincushion, and decided to do that. I tried a couple of thinner perlé threads then settled on two strands of perlé 5 in a dark purple, which tones with the back perfectly. By the time I’d got all the way round I’d got sore fingers. It was tough pulling it through all the layers, but I’ve learnt a new edging stitch and it’s finished, more than two weeks before I need it!

Abstract Bargello

On Monday morning I was trying to sort out my many projects and only take the current one to Alex’s “In the stitch zone” on Monday afternoon. Threads, etc., that were finished with, were put back in the appropriate places, and I could actually travel light with only one bag, and not need to take the several WIP’s I’d taken the last few weeks when I’d just grabbed a bag as I dashed out of the door.

While eating my lunch, I’d even remembered that I’d left my basic sewing kit pouch upstairs when I’d gone up to use the sewing machine (before getting side-tracked on to something else).

Only to get three-quarters of the way there, I realised that the frame with the Bargello was still sitting on the settee, and I had no other project, fabric or threads with me! It wasn’t worth going home to fetch it, nor time. I knew Alex had some canvas and threads that she’d said we could use, and it was the ideal opportunity to make a start on the pincushion for the Seata birthday party at the end of July, something that I’ve known about for months but couldn’t make up my mind what to do. I’d had lots of ideas, but nothing that had really grabbed.

I picked a pretty variegated perlé thread (above) from Alex’s box, knowing I have a card the same at home. These were not colours I would normally work with, especially on natural coloured canvas, but I didn’t want to use white as it would show through too much. I didn’t want to follow a traditional Bargello pattern but to do an abstract Bargello pattern, so started with a zig and a zag before using up the first length of thread. I then started at the edge and worked down first, deliberately not making it a mirror image, and on the up going “underneath” like in Celtic knotwork.

Then I continued across the canvas.

A change of thread and I followed the bottom line, making two stitches level at the new bottom edge, which changed the angles of the zigs and zags. Then I put some long stitches in the right hand rectangle, before doing a single stitch with the mauve perlé. Once again I got so carried away that I forgot to take photos. Some of this was done at home, once I’d sorted out more threads.

Here are possible threads, but leaning towards the pinks and mauves at the moment.

The bottom row is two stitches wide, the same length.

I started putting in a row of pink at the top, but then realised it would be easier to make it the right size if I were to put in the bottom edge, having already decided on the width determined by the pre-cut quilt square of cotton.

Then I had to choose the piece of fabric for the back.

There were several contenders, but the others were too pink, too pale, too patterned, etc.

It’s coming along nicely, and at least I’m not rushing it at the last minute (at least not all of it).