15 Bargello Quilt Patterns

By
Stacy Fisher
Stacy Fisher, Writer
Stacy Fisher

Stacy Fisher is an expert on crafting, sewing, and frugal finds, sharing her knowledge of hands-on DIY creations, finding freebies, and budgeting. Stacy was a guest on "The Dr. Oz Show" and featured in Woman's World Magazine. She has nearly two decades of writing and editing experience.

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Updated on 06/07/21
A colorful quilt outside

Happy Quilting

These Bargello quilt patterns will show you just how easy it is to create a stunning quilt. These quilts are all put together a little bit differently, but they all create the appearance of movement, making them Bargello quilts.

What Is a Bargello Quilt?

A Bargello quilt is created by sewing long strips of fabric together to create the appearance of movement or waves within a quilt.

The long strips, or tubes, that make up a Bargello quilt are sewn together to form loops. These loops are manipulated so the design looks like it's moving. The more narrow the loops, the more geometric the quilt will be. Wider loops will make a more gentle design.

The quilts look quite impressive, and it's often assumed that making a Bargello quilt is a difficult project. Piecing a Bargello quilt is actually pretty straightforward and is a great project for a confident beginner.

  • 01 of 15

    Prism

    A rainbow bargello quilt

    Windham Fabrics

    Prism is a free Bargello quilt pattern that uses piecing techniques to create a wave within the design. 28 rows of strips varying in width are put together to form the final design. This quilt pattern will take you through the process of cutting your fabrics, piecing the strips, assembling the final layout, and then finishing the quilt.

    Prism by Natalie Crabtree for Windham Fabrics

  • 02 of 15

    Playing the Scales

    A colorful quilt outside

    Happy Quilting

    Playing the Scales is a free quilt pattern that creates the illusion of moving musical scales. This Bargello pattern uses chain piecing to make quick work of sewing all the strips together. It uses straight seams that don't line up on purpose, so you don't even need to use any pins!

    Playing the Scales from Happy Quilting

  • 03 of 15

    Easy Bargello

    A rainbow bargello quilt on a bed

    Busy Hands Quilts

    Create a rainbow ombre effect with this Bargello twin-sized quilt pattern. It's jelly roll friendly, making it a quick project. Included in the pattern are diagrams and charts so you can successfully piece it together. There are examples of both a dark and light background, both of which are beautiful.

    Easy Bargello from Busy Hands Quilts

  • 04 of 15

    A Wedding Quilt

    A red, orange, and yellow quilt on a bed

    Purl Soho

    Purl Soho has a lovely Bargello quilt pattern that you can download for free. This stunning quilt top is created by sewing strips, cutting those strips, and sewing them up to form a new pattern. The outcome is a quilt that would look great in your home or make a wonderful gift.

    A Wedding Quilt from Purl Soho

    Continue to 5 of 15 below.
  • 05 of 15

    Scrappy Bargello

    A scrappy bargello quilt

    Quiltville

    Want to get rid of your scraps and have a quilt done in a weekend? If so, this scrappy Bargello quilt is for you. Made out of scraps of fabric, everything is placed randomly and then sewn together. It's a quick project that you won't regret starting.

    Scrappy Bargello from Quiltville

  • 06 of 15

    Beyond the Horizon

    A quilt in a field with a stormy sky

    BeeSewInspired

    With a jelly roll and some yardage, you can make this beautiful Beyond the Horizon quilt. This uses the traditional Bargello quilting method of piecing together tubes of fabric, cutting them up, and sewing them back together again. The different widths of fabric used really create the illusion of movement.

    Beyond the Horizon from BeeSewInspired

  • 07 of 15

    Ocean Waves

    A blue and white bargello quilt laying in the grass

    stickysugarstitches

    Take a trip to the ocean without ever leaving your home with this ocean wave Bargello quilt pattern. There are four sizes available for this quilt—lap, full, queen, and king. Step-by-step directions will take you through the whole process of making the quilt top from start to finish.

    Ocean Waves from stickysugarstitches

  • 08 of 15

    Strip Pieced Watercolor

    A scrappy bargello quilt

    Stitchin' Therapy

    This is a 3-part tutorial that will take you through all the steps of creating this stunning watercolor quilt. This tutorial goes in-depth about selecting fabrics and looking at fabric value, which can be a struggle with a Bargello quilt. There's also a lot of tips and design ideas for the final layout of the quilt top.

    Strip Pieced Watercolor from Stitchin' Therapy

    Continue to 9 of 15 below.
  • 09 of 15

    Beginner's Bargello Lap Quilt

    A red and blue bargello quilt on a couch

    Threadworkdesign

    This Bargello quilt pattern is used in a workshop that teaches Bargello quilting so it's been tried and tested by many quilters, including beginners. This quilt comes out to be lap size. It uses a package of jelly roll strips and some backing fabric.

    Beginner's Bargello Lap Quilt from Threadworkdesign

  • 10 of 15

    Diamond and Ribbons

    A pink and blue bargello quilt

    QuiltingJays

    This Bargello quilt pattern is called Diamond and Ribbons for good reason: The colors really seem to swirl, creating all kinds of interesting shapes and designs. This pattern sews up a queen or king-sized quilt.

    Diamond and Ribbons from QuiltingJays

  • 11 of 15

    Bargello Quilt

    A blue and orange Bargello quilt

    Jordan Fabrics

    Here's a free Bargello quilt pattern that finishes at 78 inches by 94 inches. Rows of waves make up this quilt and a border is added to give the eyes somewhere to rest. The quilt is made with 9 yards of fabric—3 yards of blue, 5 light prints, and 1 orange accent.

    Bargello Quilt from Jordan Fabrics

  • 12 of 15

    Baby Bargello

    A yellow, blue, and green bargello quilt

    BeckysQuiltDesigns

    If you want to simply dip your toe into the world of Bargello quilting, this baby Bargello quilt is a great project for you. The finished quilt measures 35 inches by 39 inches and uses a simple technique to create the wave.

    Baby Bargello from BeckysQuiltDesigns

    Continue to 13 of 15 below.
  • 13 of 15

    Delectable Bargello

    A large colorful bargello quilt

    Carter Quilter

    Here's another interesting Bargello quilt pattern that's not like the other ones. Instead of being made out of squares, this pattern uses half-square triangles. A fabric chart is included so you can keep track of the fabrics that you're using.

    Delectable Bargello from Carter Quilter

  • 14 of 15

    Madison's Star

    A purple star quilt

    Northcott

    Madison's Star is a free Bargello quilt pattern that creates movement within the star that makes up the center of the quilt. In addition to the pattern, there's also a free video that will take you through each step of creating the quilt.

    Madison's Star from Northcott

  • 15 of 15

    Heartbeat

    A green, black, and gray bargello quilt

    PurpleQuiltCompany

    This Heartbeat quilt would make a wonderful gift to someone you love. This Bargello quilt is put together with 2 1/2 inch fabric strips or yardage. This pattern includes many different sizes: crib, lap, twin, and full/queen.

    Heartbeat from PurpleQuiltCompany

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