Karen Matze’s embroidered work has long captivated the EGA community. From her enduring Ambrosia Honey pattern, which first appeared in Needle Arts Magazine and has since been revived as a download in the EGA shop, to her beautiful Silk Ribbon Embroidered Needlecase featured an EGA Stitch-a-Long in April 2025, Karen’s designs are meticulous, artful, and a joy to stitch. She returns with a beautiful Bargello project that showcases one of the goldfish featured in her Health, Wealth, and Prosperity Bargello design from 2020.
Embroidery Level
Advanced
Materials and Instruments
- Bargello Goldfish pattern and gil padding pattern – register for the EGA newsletter to receive it in your inbox! (EGA members can download this pattern from the Publications page here.)
- 2 pairs of 10” stretcher bars
- 10“ square Congress cloth
- Size 22 & 24 tapestry needles
- Thread Magic or bee’s wax
- Laying tool
- DMC Stranded Cotton 4124, 720, 721, 722, 951 (You may substitute Threadworx 1072 Wild Poppies for DMC 4124)
- Threadworx Overdyed Floss No. 0119 Hidden Gems (you may substitute a variegated grey or overdyed light grey floss for this thread. I find the Hidden Gems to give a nice variation of color from off-white to grey to palest lavender)
- Superior Razzle #271 and #274
- DMC Perle No. 8 B5200 and 928
- Valdani Perle No. 12 – 0244
- DMC Light Effects E3821 for outlines
- Beading supplies: 6 MM flat beads such as a wheel or heshi, size 8 coordinating seed bead and beading thread or Fireline. Use what you have for the eye bead. Some suggestions include a flat back crystal or donut bead
- Padding – Scrap of orange craft or wool felt. If you do not have orange, red would do. You can also paint or color a piece of white felt with orange paint or orange alcohol marker to achieve an appropriate color
Stitches + Techniques You Will Use
- Algerian Eye
- Scotch
- Upright Cross
- Florentine
- Straight stitch
Notes
Health is one of the fish contained in Health, Wealth and Prosperity that I designed in 2020. The pattern uses a series of counted canvas stitches and liberally compensates the various stitches to meet the shape of the fish. Compensating requires the stitcher to complete a portion of a stitch to fill the space but retain the contour of the pattern.
As you work through the various sections of the Bargello goldfish, you’ll notice the following nomenclature: Dorsal Fin 1, Dorsal Fin 2, Tail A, Tail B, Tail C, etc. Use the diagram below to identify each section of the fish as you stitch. Follow the direction of the arrows on the Dorsal and Pelvic fins to determine the angle and direction of your stitching in those areas.
Instructions
1. Transfer pattern, using a light box or window, to Congress Cloth, centering it on the canvas.
2. Mount Congress Cloth onto Stretcher bars.
3. Using a waste knot and starting at the top left of the front dorsal fin (see above), approximately 6 threads in, begin working Algerian Eye (AE) Stitches in 2 stands of DMC 4124. At this point, do only complete AE stitches. We will come back and add the compensated stitches prior to adding the dorsal fins. You can follow the pattern for the variegated orange thread AE stitches shown below or cover the fish in any color pattern you like using AE stitches.
4. Work the AE stitches around the gill and up into the face of the fish still using only complete AE stitches.
5. Underbelly
In the underbelly of the fish, switch to Threadworx 0119 to complete some of the AE stitches.
6. Top Tail Fin A
a. With 3 stands of DMC 721, work the Florentine stitch over 4 threads following the contour of the tail. Fill in along tail and about 6 threads up the Dorsal Fin 2.
b. Work a second row of Florentine with DMC 721 following the pattern established above.
c. Switch to DMC 720, work a partial row of Florentine and a full row following the pattern.
d. Switch again to DMC 722, fill in the rest of the top tail fin with Florentine stitch, following the pattern.
7. Bottom Tail Fin B
a. Work the Scotch stitch over 4 threads with Threadworx 0119
b. Add a few Scotch Stitches with DMC 722. We are still working with full stitches and will come back and fill in the partial or compensated stitches later.
8. Tail Fin C
Fill with 2 strands DMC 951, Upright Cross
9. Tail Fin D
Upright (Florentine) stitch over 2 canvas strands with Threadworx 0119
10. Tail Fin E
Upright stitch over 2 strands with DMC
11. Tail Fin F
Fill with 2 strands DMC 720, Upright Cross
12. Dorsal Fin 1 & 2
a. Fill Dorsal Fin 1 with straight stitches on a 45 degree angle from the base of the fin to the top edge (lower left to upper right) with Superior Razzle 271 on every other square. Follow the squares of the canvas to achieve the angle. See diagram below.
b. Using DMC Perle B5200 and straight stitches, fill in the space between the Razzle 271. Couch down the Perle with a single strand of Threadworx 0119*.
c. Fill Dorsal Fin 2 with straight stitches parallel to the canvas from the left edge of the fin to the right edge with Superior Razzle 271 on every other square. Follow the squares of the canvas to achieve the parallel stitch.
d. Using DMC Perle B5200 and straight stitches, fill in the space between the Razzle 271. Couch down the Perle with a single strand of Threadworx 0119*.
*Couching the Perle will “sink” the thread down to canvas giving the fin the ridged effect.
13. Pelvic Fins 1 & 2
a. Fill Pelvic Fin 1 with straight stitches on a 45 degree angle from the base of the fin to the top edge (upper left to lower right) with Superior Razzle 271 on every other square. Follow the squares of the canvas to achieve the angle.
b. Using DMC Perle B5200 and straight stitches, fill in the space between the Razzle 271. Couch down the Perle with a single strand of Threadworx 0119.
c. Fill Pelvic Fin 2 with straight stitches parallel to the canvas from the top of the fin to the bottom edge with Superior Razzle 271on every other square. Follow the squares of the canvas to achieve the parallel stitch.
d. Using Valdani Perle 12 #244 and straight stitches, fill in the space between the Razzle 271. Couch down the Perle with a single strand of DMC floss 720.
14. Ventral Fin
a. Fill Ventral Fin 1 with straight stitches on a 45 degree angle from the base of the fin to the top edge (upper left to lower right) with Superior Razzle 274 on every other square. Follow the squares of the canvas to achieve the angle.
b. Using DMC Perle B5200 and straight stitches, fill in the space between the Razzle 271. Couch down the Perle with a single strand of Threadworx 0119.
15. Gill
a. Using the pattern provided, cut a piece of orange felt and tack it to the canvas using a piece of orange floss. The felt piece should be slightly smaller than the gill outline.
b. Using a scrap of orange floss, take five or six tacking stitches to secure the felt to the canvas.
c. Starting in the middle of the gill, using three strands of DMC 4124, lay straight stitches over the padded gill using a laying tool to make sure the threads lay flat.
d. Work from the center to the outer edge of the fish and then to the point at the bottom.
16. Eye
a. Using a 6 mm flat, one hole bead such as a wheel bead and an orange size 8 seed bead, come up from the back of the canvas with two strands of beading thread and go through the wheel, through the seed bead, and back down through the wheel bead.
b. Go through the beads twice and secure your thread.
17. Completing the compensating stitches
a. Go back and add compensated Algerian Eye Stitches up the edges of the fish, fins, gill, face, eye and tail fins.
b. Finish the Scotch stitches as necessary.
c. Complete the Florentine stitches as necessary.
18. Outline the following:
a. Algerian Eye Stitches with a back stitch over two canvas threads with 2 strands of DMC Light Effects E3821.
b. Each fin with one stand of DMC Light Effects E3821.
c. Cross each Scotch stitch with 1 strand of DMC Light Effects E3821.
19. Fill the background with bubbles using upright Cross Stitch in one strand of DMC Perle No. 8 – 928
