Barging In Bargello Quilt Tutorial: Easy Jelly Roll Quilt with Stunning Movement
You can absolutely make this quilt! It may look intricate, but the Bargello technique is surprisingly simple and quick—and the results are always stunning.
Similar to a Trip Around the World quilt, Bargello quilts use tube construction. The magic? Varying the column widths creates that dramatic movement and wave-like effect you see in the finished quilt.
Let’s have some fun!
The Quilt Shown Above
I used Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton Solids in the Classic Palette—three jelly rolls were enough to make a king-size quilt! I removed the brown strips and added black and white for high-contrast drama. Feel free to play with your own palette for a totally custom look.
For This Tutorial: A Bite-Size Bargello
We’re making a 31” x 40” baby quilt using just 20 width-of-fabric (WOF) strips. Want to make a statement? Try swapping in black and white strips for bold contrast.
Supplies You’ll Need
1. Choosing Fabric
Small-scale prints or solids work best—large prints can look choppy when cut. Arrange your strips in a light-to-dark gradient for the classic flowing effect. A photo of your layout is a helpful reference as you sew!
These fabrics were a quick grab from my stash—use what you love!
2. Cut and Sew Your Strips
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Cut your fabric into 2½” WOF strips, or use pre-cut jelly rolls.
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Sew strips together in your chosen order to form one long strip set.
Tips:
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Reduce stitch length to ~1.8 to prevent seam popping.
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Keep all selvages on the same end for best sub-cutting.
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Alternate sewing directions to avoid a banana-shaped strip set.
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Press seams in alternating directions for easy nesting.
Create a Tube
Sew the first and last strips together to make a continuous tube. Press seams flat.
4. Cut the Tube into Columns
Start by trimming off the selvage. Then cut the tube into varying widths (e.g., 1″ to 3½”) to create movement.
📝 Pro Tip: Use a Frixion pen on the back of your light fabrics to number each strip—just press with an iron to erase later!
Want the exact layout?
Grab the free cheat sheet with diagrams, cutting guide, and coloring sheet here:
👉 Click here to download
5. Unpick Strategically
To create the flowing Bargello pattern:
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Unpick one seam per column at different points.
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This offset is what gives Bargello quilts their signature movement.
Use a seam ripper and go column by column, laying out your strips as you go.
6. Pivot the Flow (Optional)
In larger quilts, I pivot the direction of the wave at the narrowest column (usually the 1″ one).
For this baby quilt, I kept the flow consistent.
7. Sew the Columns Together
Lay out your columns in order and sew them together!
I like to:
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Clip the first column to stay oriented.
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Nest seams as I go.
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Use minimal pins or clips (just don’t tell the quilt police 😉).
8. Press the Seams
Press seams all to one side or open—whatever works best for you. I prefer to press to one side for this one.
9. Quilt and Bind
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Layer with batting and backing.
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Quilt as desired (straight lines, free motion, or longarm).
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Bind the edges to finish.
Show Off Your Bargello!
Hi! I’m Susan from Prayeriewife Quilting—thank you so much, Elizabeth, for letting me guest post here at Quilter’s Candy.
If you make a Barging In Bargello quilt, I’d love to see it.
Tag me on Instagram @prayeriewife and use the hashtag #barginginbargello.
Happy sewing!
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