Beautiful Bargellos

Bargello patterns create the illusion of movement and depth on the flat surface of the quilt. Here are two stunning bargello quilts from a recent show. Also, check out our Free Pattern Day for Bargello Quilts!

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Mom & Me by Darlene Smith & Shawna Wallis, quilted by Shawna Wallis & Kris Neifeld.

Darlene Smith and Shawna Wallis made this two-fabric bargello quilt based on the method copyrighted by Susie Weaver. "We made two quilts... This one was a joint effort!" For impact, they chose a dramatic black-to-white ombre fabric for the background. 

Goin' Downhill by Susie Weaver, quilted by Kris Neifeld. 

Winner of an Exemplary Piecing award, this design was adapted from a photo of "Surf Song" in Twist & Turn Bargello Quilts by Eileen Wright. Susie Weaver says, "This beauty started with 20 fabrics (based on the border fabric) in each of 6 strata. Then the math took over and the fun began. It took a bit of time and focus to finish with 2496 matching points and the length of 3 football fields of stitching." (WOW!)

 If you're considering a bargello quilt, check out our FREE PATTERN archive (CLICK HERE!)

Image credits: Photos of Mom & Me and Goin' Downhill were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2026 Tucson Quilters Guild show. NOTE: Quilt Inspiration is an Amazon Associate, meaning we earn a small commission if an item is purchased from any Amazon link on this page. (There is no extra charge to you.)  Thank you for your support of Quilt Inspiration. 

Highlights of the 2026 Quilt Fiesta! (5)

In the beautiful Sonoran desert of Arizona, the Tucson Quilters Guild celebrated their 50th anniversary with a spectacular show. The Quilt Fiesta includes a fascinating mix of styles, techniques, and patterns. We hope you enjoy our photos! This is Part 5 of 5.

p.s. Please see our E-Bay shop for great bargains on jewelry, clothing, and collectibles. For more free patterns, please follow us on Twitter. 

Greek Garden Party, made and quilted by Tami Graeber.  

In this original design, the Greek keys were hand drawn.  Tami Graeber says that she needed a project on a cruise, so she packed fabric and a limited color palette of paint.  She machine appliqued the elements to the back and added the Greek key border for a fun thing to do. The giant rick rack completes this whimsical piece.

Firefly Dance by Shawna Wallis, quilted by Kris Neifeld.  

Winner of the Quilt Show Chair's Choice award, this panel "One Block Wonder" quilt was begun with a class by Susie Weaver. [The One Block Wonder technique is by Maxine Rosenfeld.]  Shawna Wallis says, "When I saw this panel I knew if would be perfect for a One Block Wonder.  It exceeded my expectations!"

My Childhood in Wyoming, made and quilted by Julie Hallquist

A variation of Alex Anderson's Sequoia Sampler, this quilt won 1st Place and a blue ribbon in the One Person Small Pieced category. Julie Hallquist says, "This is full of reflections of my childhood on a sheep ranch in Wyoming.  My mother's poppies, my grandmother's Swedish heritage, our log cabin, learning to sew, the ever-present wind, and millions of stars at night."

 

 Purple Pineapple, made and quilted by Ann Weber

Ann Weber says, "We have purple potatoes these days - why not purple pineapples? I had been wanting to make a purple quilt to combine lots of different purple fabrics that I had been collecting. Then for some reason, I was drawn to trying the pineapple block. I had so much fun making this and watching the pineapples appear." The quilt is based on the classic pineapple block.  

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2026 Tucson Quilters Guild show. NOTE: Quilt Inspiration is an Amazon Associate, meaning we earn a small commission if an item is purchased from an Amazon link on this page. (There is no extra charge to you.)  Thank you for your support of Quilt Inspiration.

Beautiful Bargellos

Here are some beautiful Bargello quilts to brighten your day and spark your imagination. The bargello technique can be used to showcase prints, solids, or ombre fabrics, or simply to use up a stash.We hope you enjoy our photos!  (Also, scroll down for the link to dozens of free bargello patterns.)

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on jewelry, patterns, and collectibles ! For continuous free quilt patterns, please follow us on Twitter !    

Night Sky, made by Kris Neifeld & Susie Weaver, quilted by Kris Neifeld

This gorgeous quilt is based on the two-fabric bargello pattern by Susie Weaver. Kris Neifeld says this quilt, made with a dotted ombre fabric, "ended up working out better than I'd hoped." We love it... The dots create the appearance of stars!

Opposing Views, made and quilted by Amy Fitzgerald 

Amy Fitzgerald says, "My husband picked this pattern and helped choose the fabrics. I had never done a Bargello quilt-as-you-go pattern before, and it was very challenging to keep the columns straight and points lined up.  I turned the quilt upside down from the pattern picture."  Opposing Views was based on the published design called Free Fall by Ann Lauer of Grizzly Gulch Gallery. 

A Little Bit of This and That, made and quilted by Joyce Harrison

This lovely wall quilt or table runner uses original 1" squares in a 7x21 grid pattern.  Joyce Harrison says that she mused, "What to do with 1" squares? Lots of ideas. This is a small attempt to use up my stash. [My] summer time plan seemed to turn out well... I'm happy with it. Thank you to my seam ripper too." We love Joyce's original quilting, shown in the closeup photo below.

Double Rainbow by Susie Weaver, quilted by Kris Neifeld.  

Susie Weaver's original pattern, Pattern Two Fab 2.0, was the basis for this stunning quilt with its gently curving waves of color.  Susie says, "Using strip sets from this bargello project as class demos was taking way too long... I finally decided it was time to get 'er done and I'm glad I did."

Note: For more bargello quilt inspiration, please check out our Free Pattern Day for Bargello Quilts (CLICK HERE!)

 

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Quilt Arizona show (Opposing Views); the 2025 Tucson Quilters Guild Show (Double Rainbow and Night Sky); and the Tucson Quilters Guild 2024 show (A Little Bit of This and That.)

Brilliant bargello quilts

Bargello quilts are fascinating patchwork designs made of small squares or rectangles, pieced together so that they create waves of color, often in a zig-zag or "flame" pattern. The name originates from the Bargello palace in Florence, Italy, where the chair seats were done in needlepoint with the flame stitch motif.

Please note: We're continually posting free patterns on Twitter!  Check us out @QuiltInspire

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Spiral Galaxy by Jody Gagnon, Arizona Quilters' Guild

Jodi writes, "I centered a round bargello pieced quilt in a black square, added the leftovers, and voila: Spiral Galaxy. It is longarm quilted, glitzed, and glittered. "

Spiral Galaxy was inspired by Quilts Without Corners by Cheryl Phillips and by photos of outer space.

Southwest by Northwest by Kathy Kutansky, Tucson, Arizona Quilters' Guild

Kathy's pattern source was a photograph of a quilt made in the 1970's. She drafted a pattern based on a strip quilt.  Visual interest is added by the pointed motif which drops down below the bottom border. Her work is machine pieced and hand quilted.

Kathy notes, "These are the colors that surface when I think of a Southwest quilt. Being a "snowbird" (a winter visitor to Tucson) from the Northwest, I just had to put this one on my wall."

Northern Lights 8 by Ann Bird (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)

Ann explains that she was inspired to use the print colors of a blouse she purchased at a garage sale. She reverse-appliqued them to the black background, creating a lovely rainbow effect.

Ann's quilt is one of a series inspired by the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), which appear in the northern skies over Canada.

Black and White and Gray All Over - Almost! by Susie Weaver, Tucson Quilters' Guild, quilted by Pam Knight

Susie says of her original design, " I'm often asked how the basic two-fabric bargello can be enlarged for more practical purposes. I made this version in an effort to answer that question and to know how much more fabric is needed. I now have those answers. "

Susie's experiment in pattern enlargement turned out beautifully, as did Pam Knight's quilting. The quilting pattern replicates the curved "squiggles" of the contemporary print fabric.

Mountain Peak by Ruth Martin, Tucson Quilters Guild

Ruth states, "The quilt top was made in Susie Weaver's Two-Fabric Bargello class in 2011. Susie gave quilting suggestions, but my top languished until I finally got the courage to try some free-motion quilting in the "peak"[of the bargello motif] and the border. Thanks, Susie !"
We love these soft, refreshing colors which gives Ruth's quilt such a relaxed, tranquil look.

Mema's Cactus Flowers by Camille Salisbury, quilted by Karolyn "Nubin" Jensen, Tucson Quilters' Guild

Red ribbon winner for a first time entry in the Tucson Quilt Fiesta, Camille writes, " I have wanted to create a quilt for my bedroom for awhile. When I saw Nancy Landon's  "Palo Verde Spring" pattern, I knew I wanted to use my favorite colors: purple and green. The name came from my toddler granddaughter, who when asked, stated the features of the quilt and whom it belonged to."

Camille's border in pastel colors provides a great contrast to the deeper shades of the main body of the quilt. The pink, lavender, peach, and mauve flowers dance happily on their vines on all four sides.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.