Needlepoint guide
What is bargello?
Bargello is needlepoint made of upright stitches in shaded rows that rise and fall in zigzags and waves. It is counted from a chart, and once the first row is in, every other row follows it.
The idea
Instead of slanting across one intersection, a bargello stitch stands upright and covers several canvas threads, usually four. Each stitch, or each small group of stitches, is stepped up or down from the one beside it, usually by two threads. A row of stepped stitches draws a line: a zigzag or a wave. Every row after the first repeats that line, usually in the next color.
It goes by several names: bargello, Florentine work, flame stitch and Hungarian point. The name bargello comes from the Bargello palace in Florence, which has a set of seventeenth-century chairs upholstered in this stitch. Where the technique itself began is not known.
Reading the step
Patterns are described by two numbers. A 4:2 step, which older patterns write as 4-2, means each stitch covers four threads and sits two threads above or below its neighbor. That is the traditional bargello step. Other stitch lengths are used too, normally over an even number of threads.
- The number of stitches worked side by side at each level shapes the line. Varying it is what turns a zigzag into waves.
- Besides flames and waves, the traditional patterns include ovals and stepped shapes.
- Four-way bargello divides the canvas into four triangles along the diagonals from the center, and the pattern is worked in each.
What to use
- Canvas: blank needlepoint canvas. The finer the mesh, the smaller the stitches and the smaller the pattern comes out.
- Thread: upright stitches tend to let the canvas show between them, so choose a thicker thread than you would for tent stitch, or add strands, and work a few stitches to check the coverage. Wool suits cushions and anything that will get wear. In cotton, pearl cotton is preferred to floss for its twist.
- Colors: several shades of one color, graded dark to light, is the classic choice. Contrasting colors make a bolder pattern.
- Needle and frame: a blunt tapestry needle sized to the mesh. A frame keeps the canvas stable while you stitch.
How to begin
- Find the center of the canvas and the center of the chart.
- Stitch the first row, counting each step from the chart. A strong color makes the line easy to follow.
- Check the first row against the chart before going further. Every row depends on it.
- Work the next row directly above or below, repeating the same line exactly. One color is generally used for each complete row.
Why people love it
Each stitch covers four threads at once, where a tent stitch covers a single intersection. It needs no painted canvas, only a chart of the first row. And the shading does the work: even a simple zigzag looks rich in graded shades.
Browse the bargello patterns for charts in several colorways. The stitch itself is diagrammed in the stitch library.