Can I Stitch Bargello Needlepoint from a Photograph?

These days, partially because computers have made it easier and less time-consuming for designers to create charts, we automatically assume that charts are the only way to stitch Bargello. But when charts were hand-drawn many Bargello books had no charts, just close-up pictures, sometimes even in black and white.

These books included the classic Elsa Williams book on Bargello I used to learn this technique (it’s still one of the best).

It isn’t hard to learn how to stitch a Bargello needlepoint pattern from a clear close-up picture. Here’s how:

1. Determine the number of colors used and pick your colors and threads.
2. Look at the picture and see if the stitches are all one length or more than one length. HINT: If the project is called”Hungarianpoint” then it probably has stitches in two lengths, as if the ornament above.
3. Determine the length of the stitch. Bargello stitches usually go over an even number of threads. The usual length is stitches over four threads.
4. Determine the height of the jump between the steps. This is usually, but not always half the height of the stitch. Be aware that the jump may not be consistent between all steps.

With this information you have the basic aspects of this pattern. The next step is to work out the actual pattern. Bargello patterns have different numbers of stitches in a step. The next step can be up or down from the previous step. You can write this down in a kind of shorthand.

At the top of your paper write down the aspects you discovered before. For the pattern above, we have:

• Threads:five, including two overdyes: Violet metallic, light blue flair, blue silk, multi-color overdye silk, semi-solid overdye silk
• Stitch length: four, all one length
• Step height: two

Below this you will write one repeat of the pattern. It’s best to start at the top or bottom of a line. Here I’ll start at the bottom. If you find it hard to remember where the slope changes highlight that step in some way (here they are in bold).

This pattern is:

• going up: 4, 3, 2, 1,1,1,1,1 (5 1-stich steps), 2, 3
• going down: 4, 3, 2, 1,1,1,1,1 (5 1-stich steps), 2, 3

This pattern is a very simple one. If you are using a Hungarianpoint pattern, note the length with ‘L’ or ‘S’ after the number of stitches in the step. If the height of the step changes, note it with a colon and the step height after the number of stitches in the step as in 4:1.

More complex patterns, for example shapes with a fill, as in the picture above, you’ll want several lines. Start with the outline as the first entry. Then record each round of the fill with a separate line.

Try this for yourself by taking a picture of a Bargello you like, line patterns are easiest, and stitching a small project from it using your stash.