Customer Reviews

Bargello Magic; How to Design Your Own

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found this poor orphan in the bottom of a forgotten pile of "do-it-yourself" books in a second hand store. I glanced through it, realized I had a treasure, and clutched it to my bosom. Not only is it filled with bargello designs and borders, but it shows how a single pattern with the right color changes can look like no less than 10 totally different patterns! The instructions are clear, the text is both readable and instructive, and there are lots and lots of color pictures. This is a book to look for if you have any interest in bargello at all!

I am ashamed to admit I have bought this book twice, so far, both times used here on Amazon. I like the idea, I love the concept of designing my own needlepoint (in fact, now I do) but (BIG but) I did not get anything useful out of this book and resold it a few years ago.
I recently began to wonder if I underestimated this book. SO....I bought it again.
Ok, I still can't tell if there is anything useful here. I keep hoping there is. I will not get rid of the book this time. I will keep it and drag it around with me in hopes that somehow, someday, I will get something like what the title promises, from this book.
This is unusual of me, I am not usually a person who is optimistic (the pessimist is often pleasantly surprised however the optimist is often bitterly disappointed).
I am doing these out-of-print needlepoint & bargello book reviews in the (probably futile) hope that others will too. I often wish there was more information out here on these out-of-print books. Anyone listening?

I've made 14 of the 58 patterns and used one of the borders, so you can see I was inspired by this book! But the most important aspects of this needlepoint book, those that make it stand out from others, are not the patterns. (By the way the photo for one pattern is upside down, which is very annoying--unless the flowers are supposed to be "hanging down" artistically, which I doubt.)

One good aspect is organization--the patterns are put in the book in order of difficulty, which is a great way to make sure you pick a pattern that you can handle. Another excellent aspect is the introduction with its clear explanation of how to start designing your own bargello pieces, particularly showing how to adapt and adjust the designs in the book. It shows you how just about every pattern can be adjusted to create a very different look by altering the number of canvas threads that are covered and skipped or by altering the colors.

The book also shows you how to make working the patterns easier--what line or frame to do first and how to center the pattern. In addition, it clearly illustrates the different effects of using various kinds of yarn. Although most of PF's patterns are photographed worked in traditional 3-ply Persian wool, one is in rug wool, several are in silk, some have silk and wool together, some have a few metallic threads, and one even has some human hair in it. My first reactions was "ick!" but PF explains how synthetic hair (or real) can look metallic and doesn't crack or fray like some metallic threads do. She tells the secret to fixing strays (clear nail polish)--and that is just the information associated with one pattern. The book is full of tips throughout it!

The ten-variations on fused diamonds are a fascinating lesson on how a basic shape can be transformed dramatically by the way it is stitched--filled in a various ways or even masked by using the same color in parts of the pattern to make a section "vanish." The book is all color images and very nicely printed. My copy is always full of post-it notes with scribbled ideas on various ways to adopt or incorporate PF's patterns or color schemes in my future projects. One of the most user-friendly bargello books ever written!

I've made 14 of the 58 patterns and used one of the borders, so you can see I was inspired by this book! But the most important aspects of this needlepoint book, those that make it stand out from others, are not the patterns. (By the way the photo for one pattern is upside down, which is very annoying--unless the flowers are supposed to be "hanging down" artistically, which I doubt.)

One good aspect is organization--the patterns are put in the book in order of difficulty, which is a great way to make sure you pick a pattern that you can handle. Another excellent aspect is the introduction with its clear explanation of how to start designing your own bargello pieces, particularly showing how to adapt and adjust the designs in the book. It shows you how just about every pattern can be adjusted to create a very different look by altering the number of canvas threads that are covered and skipped or by altering the colors.

The book also shows you how to make working the patterns easier--what line or frame to do first and how to center the pattern. In addition, it clearly illustrates the different effects of using various kinds of yarn. Although most of PF's patterns are photographed worked in traditional 3-ply Persian wool, one is in rug wool, several are in silk, some have silk and wool together, some have a few metallic threads, and one even has some human hair in it. My first reactions was "ick!" but PF explains how synthetic hair (or real) can look metallic and doesn't crack or fray like some metallic threads do. She tells the secret to fixing strays (clear nail polish)--and that is just the information associated with one pattern. The book is full of tips throughout it!

The ten-variations on fused diamonds are a fascinating lesson on how a basic shape can be transformed dramatically by the way it is stitched--filled in a various ways or even masked by using the same color in parts of the pattern to make a section "vanish." The book is all color images and very nicely printed. My copy is always full of post-it notes with scribbled ideas on various ways to adopt or incorporate PF's patterns or color schemes in my future projects. One of the most user-friendly bargello books ever written!

I've made 14 of the 58 patterns and used one of the borders, so you can see I was inspired by this book! But the most important aspects of this needlepoint book, those that make it stand out from others, are not the patterns. (By the way the photo for one pattern is upside down, which is very annoying--unless the flowers are supposed to be "hanging down" artistically, which I doubt.)

One good aspect is organization--the patterns are put in the book in order of difficulty, which is a great way to make sure you pick a pattern that you can handle. Another excellent aspect is the introduction with its clear explanation of how to start designing your own bargello pieces, particularly showing how to adapt and adjust the designs in the book. It shows you how just about every pattern can be adjusted to create a very different look by altering the number of canvas threads that are covered and skipped or by altering the colors.

The book also shows you how to make working the patterns easier--what line or frame to do first and how to center the pattern. In addition, it clearly illustrates the different effects of using various kinds of yarn. Although most of PF's patterns are photographed worked in traditional 3-ply Persian wool, one is in rug wool, several are in silk, some have silk and wool together, some have a few metallic threads, and one even has some human hair in it. My first reactions was "ick!" but PF explains how synthetic hair (or real) can look metallic and doesn't crack or fray like some metallic threads do. She tells the secret to fixing strays (clear nail polish)--and that is just the information associated with one pattern. The book is full of tips throughout it!

The ten-variations on fused diamonds are a fascinating lesson on how a basic shape can be transformed dramatically by the way it is stitched--filled in a various ways or even masked by using the same color in parts of the pattern to make a section "vanish." The book is all color images and very nicely printed. My copy is always full of post-it notes with scribbled ideas on various ways to adopt or incorporate PF's patterns or color schemes in my future projects. One of the most user-friendly bargello books ever written!

I've made 14 of the 58 patterns and used one of the borders, so you can see I was inspired by this book! But the most important aspects of this needlepoint book, those that make it stand out from others, are not the patterns. (By the way the photo for one pattern is upside down, which is very annoying--unless the flowers are supposed to be "hanging down" artistically, which I doubt.)

One good aspect is organization--the patterns are put in the book in order of difficulty, which is a great way to make sure you pick a pattern that you can handle. Another excellent aspect is the introduction with its clear explanation of how to start designing your own bargello pieces, particularly showing how to adapt and adjust the designs in the book. It shows you how just about every pattern can be adjusted to create a very different look by altering the number of canvas threads that are covered and skipped or by altering the colors.

The book also shows you how to make working the patterns easier--what line or frame to do first and how to center the pattern. In addition, it clearly illustrates the different effects of using various kinds of yarn. Although most of PF's patterns are photographed worked in traditional 3-ply Persian wool, one is in rug wool, several are in silk, some have silk and wool together, some have a few metallic threads, and one even has some human hair in it. My first reactions was "ick!" but PF explains how synthetic hair (or real) can look metallic and doesn't crack or fray like some metallic threads do. She tells the secret to fixing strays (clear nail polish)--and that is just the information associated with one pattern. The book is full of tips throughout it!

The ten-variations on fused diamonds are a fascinating lesson on how a basic shape can be transformed dramatically by the way it is stitched--filled in a various ways or even masked by using the same color in parts of the pattern to make a section "vanish." The book is all color images and very nicely printed. My copy is always full of post-it notes with scribbled ideas on various ways to adopt or incorporate PF's patterns or color schemes in my future projects. One of the most user-friendly bargello books ever written!