I recently finished a bargello/long stitch project and this super-easy craft really doesn’t get the attention it deserves, compared to cross stitch and needlepoint. Part of that is that the designs can be a bit old-fashioned but there are lots of modern designers making cute and fun patterns and kits too.
Bargello and long stitch are similar to needlepoint/tapestry, using wool on fabric or plastic canvas with bigger holes and needles, creating long stitches across multiple holes. The best thing about bargello especially is that it’s very geometric, symmetrical and repetitive so you barely need a pattern. Once you’ve stitched a few lines, you’ll have the numbers down and can keep going endlessly while doing other things. It’s also super-easy to create your own design, and switch between colours. LoveCrafts has a great intro article and video to get you started.
Since bargello designs are so simple and barely need a pattern, you’ll find plenty of free ones online. Amy Latta Creations has 3 free patterns for Bargello Bookmarks that are a great starter project to get the hang of things. You can use the same techniques and supplies with any pattern you like so it’s ideal for using up bits of leftover wool.
Mollie at Wild Olive has the most kawaii free bargello patterns including a rainbow and apple, both with a happy face of course. You can also use this as a guide for turning any pixel art into a pattern – here she’s using 3×3 stitches for each square pixel.
Hello Bargello is my favourite shop for cute and modern designs, as their colour palettes are so good. They have both digital patterns and full kits (UK) with everything from coasters and pillows to tissue box covers and bags! They also sell the supplies separately if you’ve got your own ideas.
I also love the modern wall hangings at Oh Sew Bootiful (UK). There’s geometric designs and flowers, plus these skulls are the perfect Halfway to Halloween project!
If you don’t like the idea of a repetitive or geometric design, Kits, Bits & Bobs (UK) has a sweet love-themed wall hanging kit with a bit more variety in the stitches. There’s also beach, sunflower and piano designs.
Long stitch is better for creating more pictorial designs, though you’ll have to pay more attention to following the pattern. The Vervaco brand has loads of different animal designs, plus some kawaii characters, including Hello Kitty and Disney. You can find their kits at multiple stockists, including Marie’s Cross Stitch (UK). I’ve made a Vervaco cushion kit before and it worked out perfectly.
If you create your own design, Hobbycraft has a simple tutorial for how to turn it into a wall hanging with a cool fringe.
My own project was to make my Kindle cover more colourful and I used leftover wool and canvas so it was super cheap too. You can read about it on my own blog.
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