Bargello In The Media

Missoni, a world-renowned designer brand, just created a special limited edition collection for the department store Target. From the headlines we've been seeing this morning, it seems like it was a huge hit! Target's website was so flooded with customers eager to buy Missoni's products that it crashed multiple times, and as is normally only seen on Black Friday, there were long lines, with many stores selling out within a half hour of opening. The picture below is from an article on apartment therapy of the writer's local store shelf 20 minutes after opening. Pretty crazy!

Besides the appeal of having a designer product that didn't cost you an arm and a leg, I think that Missoni's line is really interesting because they incorporate elements of Bargello that have been around for hundreds of years. They are especially interested in the Flame stitch, which you can see in this bedspread they have in the Target line.* Although it's not actually stitched, it incorporates the flame stitch pattern in its design.

Jonathan Adler is also very interested in using traditional needlework. He's used needlepoint in the past for many of his pillows. Now he has an entire line of Bargello themed pillows. The one on the right is from his current line. It's called the Bargello Worth Avenue Pillow.

If you haven't ever heard of Bargello before, Bargello is a type of needlepoint in which you stitch upright flat stitches that are laid in a specific pattern to create geometric patterns. It is usually stitched in wool on canvas because it is very durable. When you're stitching a piece that will be made into a piece of furniture or a rug, durability is definitely important! The chair by Charles Newhaven Interior Designers shown in the photo is done in Bargello. Bargello is a great stitch for pillows, upholstery, and even carpets, but not for clothing unless you're using a patterned fabric that looks like Bargello (Missoni has definitely found a way to do that successfully!).

Bargello designs are very colorful and normally use more than one hue of one color. This will create a very detailed shading effect. As mentioned before, the patterns are normally geometric, but you can use bargello to create stylised flowers or fruits.

Our finisher, Emily, found this great Bargello piece at a thrift store. There were actually two in the set! She picked them up for a steal (a few dollars each!) and finished them into lovely pillows. This heart pattern is really pretty and whimsical but incorporates the traditional Bargello stitching.

If you're interested in learning Bargello, we are developing a Bargello class. Get in touch with us and we'll put you on the wait list and will notify you when all of the details have been solidified!

*picture found on Apartment Therapy.