Reading Bargello Needlepoint Charts

Florentine Embroidery is easily graphed because of its geometric nature.

Bargello designs involve counting stitches; especially for repeat patterns and ones that are centrally balanced (one side of a design mirrors the other).

Bargello patterns are usually laid out on a grid of 5, 8, 10 or 12 squares to the inch. In many cases these designs are not made to scale, and only what’s necessary to establish the pattern plus any difficult filler stitches are graphed on a chart.

In any case, it’s important to remember that a square represents a canvas mesh; so a long Bargello stitch that covers four or six mesh would be charted over the same number of squares.

Some Bargello design charts use colored squares and others use symbols (mostly designs printed in all black). In these cases, each symbol represents a different color and is usually charted in the middle of the squares and over the corresponding number of canvas mesh.

You don’t have to be intimidated by Bargello design charts. Just keep the above tips in mind the next time you stitch Bargello needlepoint using a graph.