Black Diamond Bargello – Free Needlepoint Project

This week’s bell is this lovely diamond. It’s oriented so the long axis is horizontal. Bigger than many of the other bell patterns you could center it or set it slightly off-center as I did.

The model used black Water n’Ice for the outline and three shades of Pebbly Perle for the fill.

Materials

• 5×7″ 18-mesh canvas
• 1 package metallic ribbon
• 3 packages stranded threads in shades of one color
• extra fine marking pen, safe for marking canvas
• coordinating metallic for the top (model uses white Crystal Braid)

Trace your bell shape onto canvas (find it here). You could also use other simple shapes, such as rounds, teardrops, eggs, or mini-socks. Because they are designed to be ornaments, always put a square topper at the top.

Begin by tracing your ornament outline onto your canvas using an extra fine permanent marker made for marking fabrics (I use Pigma Microns). Because Bargello uses straight stitches you might find your finished piece looks better if you color your shape in a light version of your main colors. Use thicker markers or acrylic paints to do this. The coloring does not have to be even.

Stitching the Bell

If you want the diamonds center, place the top of the diamond’s outline centered under the top.If you want the diamonds off center, place your first stitches (top of outline) down and a bit to the left of the top.

This pattern may be wider than your bell, don’t worry about that. The repeated nature of the pattern gives the feeling that it continues around the bell.

Stitch the outline (black symbols) first.

Once complete, fill in the biggest diamonds, beginning with the darkest color. Note that because of the shape of the diamond, stitches at the end of each line go over only two threads instead of four. Also note that the step throughout is one thread, not two.

There are changes to make the pattern and diamond fit. The center stitches in the lightest color go over 3 threads, not 4. At each corner of the diamond, there are pairs of shorter stitches.

After you have finished the larger diamonds stitch smaller partial diamonds,

Once the bell is stitched, make the top using your accent thread andFour-way Continental, above.

Follow the series on-line

• Landscape Bargello
• Offset Swag
• Chain Mail and Harlequin Diamond
• Static
• Black Diamond

Come back next week for the last bell in the series!