I’m not sure where I’m actually going with the piece I’m calling “Bargello Jumble.” It’s an idea that came to me when the Free Range Quilters were challenged to use a Peruvian placemat as inspiration.

Each piece I work on these days is an opportunity to learn something new. So, on this piece, I played with a quilting technique called Bargello. It’s an assembly of strips that are cut and reassembled. The real Bargello pieces I’ve sen are very systematic and the colors are carefully graded. I didn’t have that kind of supply, so I went with a “jumble.”

I wanted the suggested characteristic Peruvian designs to be in beads. Below are the first two panels I’ve quilted back to back. They are 5×9 inches. They will be part of what I imagine to be a small decorative screen with four panels. I’ll use chopsticks as hinge supports.

I have arthritis so hand stitching is not easy for me. My stitches are large and unrefined. Rather than poorly done, I’m calling it “authentic” and “primitive.” It’s all in how something is perceived, right?