Twist-and-turn Bargellos

This week, we are learning more about Bargello quilts and the artists who design and sew them.  Eileen Wright was born and raised in Canada and has been sewing and knitting since she was very young. Vancouver Island has been Eileen's spiritual home since her very first visit, and she has lived there for almost 20 years. She fills her days with designing and creating quilts.

Surf Song, 98 x 96", by Eileen Wright as seen at Martingale & Co
 

Surf Song, above, is one of the most popular of the 11 designs in Eileen Wright's Twist and Turn Bargello Quilts.  The stepwise progression of blues from dark to light - in about 12 steps - gives the waves their dimensional appearance. Kathy at Tamarack Shack Longarm Quilting (Manitoba) has some wonderful photos of her guild's Surf Song raffle quilt; you can see the finished quilt here and some handy design tips here.

Cosmic Twist, 60 x 80", by Eileen Wright as seen at Martingale & Co

In "Cosmic Twist", Eileen combined floral prints, swirls, dots and batiks in an analogous green-yellow to blue color scheme with a tropical flair.  These print fabrics create an interesting surface texture. The detail, including the beautiful quilting by Nadia Wilson, is shown in the close-up below.

Close-up, Cosmic Twist by Eileen Wright, quilting and photo by Nadia Wilson at Nadia Wilson Designs
 

Nadia Wilson, a representative/dealer of American Professional Quilting Systems (APQS) did the lovely quilting which you can see above.  She quilted from corner to corner along the lines of the Bargello design.  In this photo you can also see the piecing scheme, and the way in which the rectangles become narrower at the points of the "flames".  For more great photos see Nadia's post at APQS.

Infinity Bargello, 50 x 57", by Eileen Wright as seen at Texas Quilt Works

We've seen this stunning "Infinity Bargello" in blue and red, but this version - done in pinks and fuchsias - really glows. All of the designs shown here (and more) can be found in Eileen's bestselling Twist-and-Turn Bargello Quilts (Martingale & Company). One reviewer has said: "I love the fact that she teaches you how to make the simple, traditional bargello and then brings you into the world of twisted bargellos, which are quite complicated and a little challenging."