Bargello? Batik? Jelly Roll? HELLLLLLLLLP!!

[Musical_Starling]

Okay, so I'm FINALLY going to make my first quilt! I know, it's taken me long enough, right? lol Anyway, I bought Eileen Wright's book "Twist-and-Turn Bargello Quilts" and I'm going to make "Surf Song" from this book, which is a queen and is as seen here:



I know. I'm insane. Let's keep moving.

So I'm not necessarily tied to these colours, but I need 24 fabrics. 8 of one colour (the blue/green in the original) and 16 of another (the blue/purple) and I need 7 2.5" (jelly roll) strips of each colour.

So here's my dilemma. I'm not that great at matching fabrics. I've been at this for a week ever since I got the book in the mail, and I'm ready to tear out my hair! I DON'T want solids. I'm thinking batiks, but they're pretty expensive ($17.95 a meter here). Also, I only need 17.5", which would be half a yard (or even half a meter) but it doesn't give me much leeway for straightening the fabric (even with the half meter at 19.5"). So what would you do? Would you be looking at jelly rolls, fat quarter bundles, yardage? I'm thinking yardage, but trying to find 24 colours that all blend well is doing my brain in! I may have to just go to the LQS and do this:



and get them to pick it out for me

So, again, what would YOU do??

[Doloris]

no help here, bargello's scare me Just wanted to say good luck. Sometimes it works out making something hard first, cause you don't really know it's supposed to be hard. Makes everything else a piece of cake.

[bkthomas]

Sorry, I'm no help - but Dee, You Go Girl!!!!!

[Musical_Starling]

no help here, bargello's scare me Just wanted to say good luck. Sometimes it works out making something hard first, cause you don't really know it's supposed to be hard. Makes everything else a piece of cake.

Sorry, I'm no help - but Dee, You Go Girl!!!!!

Geesh. Some help you ladies are... lol Just kidding! This particular pattern is NOT HARD! Seriously! You sew 48 strips together lengthwise (2 sets) so it forms a tube, then chop it up as the pattern tells you, rip it apart at the right seam, sew 'er back together and voila! Bargello! Almost makes itself...

[Doloris]

lots of intersections to match. just pin. pin, pin and dont sweat it if some are not perfect. With all the shading it will never show. I've made a trip around the world, and that is the same concept. Just be patient. Thats a big endeavor for a first quilt, but you can do it with patience thrown in.

[Musical_Starling]

lots of intersections to match. just pin. pin, pin and dont sweat it if some are not perfect. With all the shading it will never show. I've made a trip around the world, and that is the same concept. Just be patient. Thats a big endeavor for a first quilt, but you can do it with patience thrown in.

I've actually gotten really good at matching seams, so i'm hoping that at least 90% of them will match lol I don't pin though, slows me down. I'm a stubborn one But I just make sure everything is ironed in the opposite direction and then make sure each seam is nested before it goes under the presser foot, pinching and squeezing as necessary lol

[Doloris]

had to chuckle at your answer cause you sound about as stubborn as me. I hate to pin too, but usually throw a few in here and there to keep things matching.

[Musical_Starling]

had to chuckle at your answer cause you sound about as stubborn as me. I hate to pin too, but usually throw a few in here and there to keep things matching.

Some days I'm not even sure why I bought pins I do use them on occasion, but I've mastered sewing without them for the most part. I did buy the drunkard's path template recently, so when I go to use that I will probably HAVE to pin. Boo. I'm not against pins, I don't think using them or not using them makes you a better/worse quilter, I just personally don't like having to stop in order to take one out lol It's more of a patience issue

[Musical_Starling]

Anyone have any advice as to fabric choices, or should I go throw my money at the LQS guy? lol

[Gayle8675309]

I would use yardage. I did a bargello quilt (still haven't quilted it though), and had to pick out 18 fabrics, 9 of each color family. I just went to a big quilt shop and spent about two hours pulling out fabric, lining them up on the floor and debating which colors went best. They didn't bat an eye at me...I think quilt shop employees are used to having quilters spend a long time picking out fabric.