My first attempt at Bargello*** HUGE Bead Making Tutorial Added***

[Diane B.]

Those are very nice bargello canes!!  Really good job.

For those of you who are wondering about "bargello" (originally a needlework and quilting pattern) done in clay, there are two basic ways to do it, though they start out similarly. 

One way is by making a cane of a complete bargello pattern like beadizzygrl did.
There are lessons and more examples of bargello canes on this page, for anyone interested:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/canes--instructions.htm
(... click on Bargello, which is under Layers > Striped/Stacked...)

The other way is the "onlay" method. 
It also begins with a stack of layered colors (a stack of stripes).  Instead of taking slices from the end of the stack as one would with a regular cane and then using them in a project as a slice of stripes, thicker slices are cut from the stack (usually on the side just so there's a bigger area).
 
Then, diffferent from making a complete bargello pattern cane, that large thick slice is then cut (across the stripes) into a number of thin strips, each showing a short "row" of each color in the stack.
The strips are then laid next to each other on a sheet of base clay (with a small space between each (or right up next to each other), but, and here's the main idea, the strips are staggered so that each color ends up one color higher or lower than it was in the previous strip. 

All kinds of patterns can be created by moving the colors up or down relative to each other, usually in wave-like visual motions (canes or onlays).
There are some complications like making the strips continuous when desired, some strips can be much thinner than others, and other variations, but that's the general idea... quilters and needlepointers will recognize exactly how this is done.

Laura Liska was the first to popularize bargello in polymer clay, but here are a bunch of bargello pieces made this way by various clayers:
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/guilds/shrinegallery4.html#liska

And since a picture is worth 1000 words, here is Elizabeth's set of instructions to those swappers about basically how to do bargello (although here she's using a Skinner blend to do get multiple shades of just one color to make her stack rather than using a number of colors):
http://www.thepolyparrot.com/bargello.html


There are also more lessons, tips, and examples of making "onlaid' bargello on this page:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/onlay.htm
(... click on Bargello...)


Try it out!


Diane B.

[beadizzygrl]

Thank you very much Bela, purplexime, and DianeB!!  I find the link I placed above the easiest for me to understand (a beginner) to tell you the truth I am a winger.  I so just wing it.  Since the canes came out so small I ended up making beads with it.  To get the beads as close in size as you can, I roll out my scraps from making the canes, and use small cookie cutter to have same amount of clay for each bead.  If you find your bead too large, set your pasta machine thinner and recut with cookie cutter till size you like.  For the chunky round beads I used just one slice of the cane and joined the corners on the back and it ends up having a "star" like pattern, oooooo I love that!!  I am an accident creator.  I then decide how I want my hole and I chose to do all the same, makes more uniform.  For the pink square beads I used 2 slightly thicker cut slices from cane (one slice for front and one for back of bead) and pressed square shape brass embossing stencil over slices, I think I need to do tut about this technique, I use it ALOT!!  It is fail proof for perfectly shaped beads. 

[kaleesi]

Yes! Do a tut on perfectly shaped fail proof beads!!!  but I bet I could make it fail

[catsjewelry]

how did you do that and where did you find the instructions on how to do that it is awsome

[Diane B.]

how did you do that and where did you find the instructions on how to do that it is awsome

Hi,

In case you missed it, I put two links to pages that have all kinds of lessons and examples of the bargello technique in my message on this thread. 

Both links are to pages at my website, glassattic.com... one link is for the completely caned method like beadzzygirl did, and one link is for the dimensional onlay method that's similar and was the first way of doing bargello with polymer clay.


HTH,

Diane B.

[beadizzygrl]

Kaleesi, I will work on tut for making the beads and add it to this thread when I get some decent pics.  You will see how fail proof it is   

Thank you catsjewelry!! And DianeB YOU ROCK!!

[japaya]

thanks a lot for the tut i really like the design and colors....

[g10ri]

It's amazing!! 

[MTRuth]

Good job! I am usually on the felting board but was looking around at a variety of things and found your work. I used to do a little polymer clay and these are a lot more work than I ever did. Your first attempt was a rousing success.

Ruth

[Sarie23]

Those are very pretty. I love the colors!