A Blast From The Past

Way back when, before I started making quilts, I did embroidery and then I got into needlepoint and later, into Bargello. 

This is about an eight inch section of a piece I made in college. Here's the whole thing.

I originally made this to be the seat of a carved side chair, but I parted with the chair years ago. This has been kept in a drawer for close to thirty-five years.

Question is, what do I do with it? I can't seem to just toss it in the trash. Here's another needlepoint piece I made at that time. This was an original pattern I designed.

Blast From The Past

I made this twenty-five years ago, before any "Bargello Quilt" books came out. This is completely original. It is a part of something bigger, and I will show more pictures later, but don't hold your breath. The little dark purple blocks are 1/2" x 1".


I've been busy over the last few days with another "top secret" project, about which I will divulge nothing, except that it is becoming more and more demanding of my creative energies.

And it's not a quilt.

Bargello Vest

Over 25 years ago, when strip-piecing was in its infancy, and nobody but folks who did needlepoint knew anything about bargello, I made this vest for myself. (I loved needlepoint and bargello.)

It is strip pieced, and it was quilt-as-you go.It is made from three pieces, two fronts and a back. They were each made separately. (Meaning I didn't make one big panel and cut it apart.)The quilt is completely reversible, and is made without bulk in the side and shoulder seams.* The fabrics are all cotton and the batting is also 100% cotton.


*My biggest issue with quilted clothing is its bulk. It's hard to make a garment that's flattering when you use a filling and quilt it. I also dislike the bulky seams, so I devised a way of making this vest reversible, but eliminating the bulky areas where the sides meet and the shoulders join. I figured it out by myself, and I'm not telling.


Well, maybe. (Not sure I can remember, actually...)