Diamonds Jubilee Bargello - the Beginning

Rows 1 to 10 (out of 53 rows) of the top half of the Diamonds Jubilee Bargello

Making this Diamonds Jubilee Bargello quilt is the hardest thing I have ever made!

Altogether there are, what, almost 3000 pieces?!!  This is a Nancy Smith Bargello design which apparently is a different method of creating a Bargello than the usual.
Nancy Smith has broken down all the steps to making this quilt, and following her directions makes it (almost) foolproof. Well, okay, not exactly. :)

For your first Bargello quilt, I would highly recommend taking a class where the instructor can give you some time saving (frustration-avoiding) tips, which is what I am doing.

Strips set of fabrics # 1 to 11

It requires 11 different fabrics for the body of the Bargello and then 3 more for the borders, although that is entirely optional. There is a huge amount of cutting of strips, sewing them into strips sets (strata), then cross cutting the strata into various widths and labeling them in piles according to which strata they are. Some strata are made from all 11 fabrics, the majority are made up of fabrics #2 to 11, though. There are also various numbers of other strata , fabrics #4 to 11 only, 6 to 11, and even some squares cut from  single strips.  Sound complicated?   It gets worse. :)

A diagram of all 11 of the fabrics numbered from fabric 1 to 11 to keep them straight during this whole process

A few of the many strata needed for this Bargello design

After cross-cutting, there are 4 pages of tiny squares to re-label various strips to make up the 53 rows of the Bargello design. Nancy has made these tiny labels in sequential order according to the order that you had cross cut your strip sets.

Crosscutting the strata into various widths

Each pile is labelled according to types of strata, width of pieces and  2 sets are made, one for the top half of the quilt and one for the bottom half.

Now time to get familiar with your seam ripper! Most of these strips that you so carefully sewed and pressed, now get taken apart according to the label directions. Some end up in little chunks with a separate label on each. Some squares get 'tossed' (not used); some strips get reversed (turned upside down and labelled. )

Now they have to be sorted according to which row they belong in. Nancy Smith has that info written on each tiny label. I didn't have room for 53 separate rows of fabric strips in my craft/ computer room so I decided to 'bag' all the rows 20 to 29 together, bag all the 30s in another bag, then the 40s and 50s.
Rows 1 to row 19 were in piles on my desk and ironing board.

Rows are bagged according to numbers,  one bag has all the 30s rows in it,  one has all the 40s and the last has all the 50s.

Oh, I forgot to mention that you are only working on the top half of the rows of your Bargello at this point. Once all 53 rows are sewn together, you will work on the bottom half which is the mirror image and eventually those two halves get sewn together to complete the whole quilt top...

I have been working diligently since November 6 on sewing these strips together and I love how the pattern started emerging!

It is so gorgeous, if I do say so myself. :)

More photos to follow....

(To see the end product months later, follow the link below:)

http://carolasquilting.blogspot.ca/2014/02/diamonds-jubilee-bargello-quilt.html

Happy quilting,

Carola