Best of the Bargellos

What makes Bargello quilts so interesting is the movement and dimension that can be achieved with this technique. Over the last week, we've showcased some of our favorite quilt artists who excel in this genre. Some of these quilts are even made for king size beds, and there is nothing so dramatic as a bargello - made with thousands of small squares - on such a large scale.  Here's a wrapup of the best of the bargellos!

Above, Row 1: Bargello Blues, Color Connections and Bargello Swirl by Ruth Blanchet at Arbee Designs. Row 2: Blue Borealis, Bargello Flamme 2 and The Long Serpent by Eldrid Røyset Førde at Kameleon Quilt. Row 3: Surf Song, Infinity Bargello and Supernova by Eileen Wright, in:  Twist and Turn Bargello Quilts, published by Martingale & Co. Row 4: Night Lites, Lazy Lagoon and Disco by Dereck C. Lockwood at Lockwood Quilts.

Quilted Tapestries: the Bargellos of Dereck Lockwood

Here is part 4 of our four-part series on bargello quilts. Today we're featuring the intricate and colorful designs of Dereck C. Lockwood. His designs incorporate zig zags, spheres, medallions and diamonds in geometric patterns that often include mirror-image and other kaleidoscopic effects. His distinctive and elaborate bargellos bring to mind the 17th century tapestries that inspired the genre.

Lazy Lagoon, 50" x 64" or 90" x 117", by Dereck C. Lockwood at Lockwood Quilts

Here is a new style Bargello quilt forming a medallion in the center of the quilt; the curved bargello radiates away from the center like ripples in a pond. The fabrics are from the Shadow Play Collection by Maywood Studio.

Lavender Blue, 78 x 87", by Dereck C. Lockwood at Lockwood Quilts

"Lavender Blue" was designed using analogous hues of Lavender, Blue and Green. It is easily made by sewing panels in specific color sequences and then re-cutting them into specified strip widths which are sewn together to make a row of the quilt following a printed color chart. It is surrounded by a border of strip-pieced blocks that adds to the dimensional appearance of the quilt. 

Night Lites, 89 x 96", by Dereck C. Lockwood at Lockwood Quilts

In this bed size quilt, the interlacing of the colors creates a striking and contemporary effect. Dereck says that it is easy to make with his strip piecing technique. We first came across this great design, in a smaller size, at a quilt show last year (shown below).

Bargello Quilt by Beverly Hasslinger, Arizona Quilters Guild 2011, photo by Quilt Inspiration

This beautiful quilt by Beverly Hasslinger won honorable mention for a First Time Entrant.

Disco, 59" x 63"by Dereck Lockwood at Lockwood Quilts

We love the bright colors and interesting patterns in "Disco", which is the third pattern in Dereck Lockwood's series of strip pieced Bargello Designs. This vibrating design is made with the Shadowplay line of fabrics by Maywood Studio or you can use up some of your stash to make it more personally yours.

For these patterns and more, see the Bargello quilts page at Lockwood Quilts. You can also see Dereck's newest bargello, Mystic Nites, on his New Quilts page.  It is fun to browse his galleries of applique and pieced patterns; check out the beautiful appliqued quilt called Swans.

Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of Dereck C. Lockwood.

Free Pattern Day ! Autumn Leaves quilts

Here are 40 FREE patterns for leafy quilts and for the warm colors of fall!  NOTE: This post has been UPDATED. For the latest patterns, go to our Free Pattern Day for Autumn Leaves quilts (CLICK HERE!)

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on clothing, jewelry, and collectibles! For more free quilt patterns, follow us on Twitter !

Image credits:  This post was updated on July 11, 2026. All images are copyrighted by their owners. Please respect their generosity in sharing their free patterns, and the restrictions they have placed on the use of these designs. Complete information can be found at the designers' websites provided in the links. Some of these are tutorials while others have downloadable (.pdf) patterns; we have tried to note which is which in the title above each photo. If any links are broken, we'd love to know; email us at quiltinspiration [at] blogspot [dot] com.

Arizona Quilters Guild Show 2011, Part 1

"Along the Desert Highway" was the theme for the 2011 Arizona Quilters Guild annual show, held from March 9-11. True to the theme, quilt fans traveled the highways from at least 17 different states and 3 Canadian provinces to attend, and there were 403 quilts on display.  Here are some quilts in our five part series (both prize winners and non-prize winners) which really captured our eye. Now you can be the judge and tell us which quilts most appeal to you !

Heavenly Horned Toad, 30 x 24, by Judith Ritner

This small quilt won second prize in the art/innovative category. Judith says: “This horned toad used to sunbathe in our strawberry beds. He seems equally at home in ‘Grandmother’s Flower Garden’".She's referring to the hexagonal flowers appliqued  at either side of the picture In addition, if you click on the image, you can see the leaf-patterned fabric on the lizard's back,  which helps replicate the look of his scaly skin. We love the wide variety of fabric patterns used here, which gives depth and complexity to this unique and original creation.

Time Share Quilt #5, 80 x 66, by Susan Norris

Here's a vintage quilt from Pinetop Arizona, maker unknown. It's backed with muslin and appliqued retro-colored flowers, with red and white checkered sashing and blue cornerstones.  Susan writes, "I reassembled with new vintage red print fabric and hand quilted in my lap.... Quilters ! Let’s bring those old quilts back to life !” The vintage pattern, which was popular in the 1920's and 1930's,  is called Lazy Daisy, or just Daisy.

Trip X Two, 86 x 86, by Beverly Hasslinger

This quilt won honorable mention for a First Time Entrant, and it was so well done. Beverly Hasslinger says that her ‘Trip X Two’ quilt was based on a pattern by Rosemary Malzahn for Bigsby Designs.  We think it looks more like the modern bargellos we've seen, such as this one by Dereck Lockwood.

Broderie Perse Flowers, 38 x 32, by Gerlinde ‘Geri’ Hruzek

A beautiful broderie perse quilt that was hand button-hole stitched, hand embroidered, and hand quilted. True to the tradition of broderie perse, Geri carefully cut out the flower prints from a variety of fabrics, then appliqued them onto the background to create the lush bouquet here. This quilt won honorable mention in the Pictorial Quilt category.

Carnival, 61 x 51, by Sharon Angelo (quilted by Linda DeVries)

This quilt won honorable mention in the Scrap Quilt category. Sharon Angelo says: “I am a huge fan of Cherrywood Fabrics (richly colored cottons with the brushed look of suede leather). When I saw a quilt by Country Threads, I altered the size of the blocks to begin. Seeing all the different colors sewn together gives spirit to this quilt, hence the name ‘Carnival’.”  The wavy quilting lines add to the lively design.