The inspiration behind my latest design - the Bargello Owl Wall Hanging


I'm really excited to announce a new kit that I've been busy working on at Bargello-a-Gogo HQ, which is the Bargello Owl Wall Hanging Kit!

My latest kit design was inspired by a Macrame Owl Wall Hanging that my Nan had purchased back in the 70's and it was always hanging on her wall in her home throughout my childhood/teen years.

Since Bargello embroidery was popular in the 60s/70s, I thought it would be great to make a Bargello Owl with a super funky retro feel!

Whilst my Nan's original owl had been rather plain and brown with some glass eyes, I really wanted this design to stand out in bright, bold colours (since that's what Bargello is all about!).

I also wanted to make the owl as simple to embroider as possible.

Once I had worked out what Bargello pattern would work well the the owl style shape I wanted to achieve, I set about creating an outline of the owl that would incorporate whole bargello stitches. Normally when working on unusual shapes in Bargello embroidery, we have to use compensation stitches around the edges to get the pattern to match. I was very pleased that I was able to work out the shaping using whole stitches, which makes the pattern much easier to follow. Since Bargello is all about simplicity, I thought this was a great feature of the new pattern.

I then decided on the colour palette and initially experimented with several different colours that I thought would work well together:

Since this design would be hanging on a wall, I knew it needed to be quite bold so I decided on the brighter combination of colours in the end as they could still be seen from a distance and wouldn't get lost in the wall it was hanging on.

I also thought it was fun to hang outside in my garden too with my plants:

To make the design more 'owl like' I thought it would also be fun to add the eyes and nose features in a contrasting white yarn. 

Lastly, I added the wooden dowel and made it a feature for the owl's feet since my Nan's original 70s Macrame Owl also had a wooden dowel hanging in this area.

This fab kit is currently available for pre-order in my shop and I'm also excited to announce that I'm hosting an online Zoom workshop on Saturday 4th September from 10am - 12pm where I will show you the techniques to make this groovy owl (see my workshop page for more information):

The kit contains plastic canvas and 9 x skeins of the amazing Appletons Tapestry Wool. I love using this wool in my new kits since it is made in the UK and uses british wool. It also has a great colour range. You'll also be provided with in-depth, full colour pattern instructions, tapestry needles, a wooden dowel plus a high quality cotton Bargello-a-GoGo printed drawstring bag to enable you to store your project in:

When the kit is posted to you, it will come in a sturdy white presentation box so it would also make a great gift:

 

I hope you've enjoyed reading about my inspiration behind this fun owl design and thank you to everyone who has supported my small business so far. It really means a lot! 

If you would like to keep up to date with the latest happenings at Bargello-a-GoGo, please subscribe to my newsletter (there is a link on the homepage on this website).


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