Butterfly Collection Embroidery Design, Instant Download

This is the one Im asked about most when people want a butterfly design that reads more like a natural history print than a craft pattern. Twelve different butterflies at different angles and species fills, all scattered in a loose cloud with no framing, no flowers tucked in, just the insects themselves. Ive had people order this specifically because they wanted each wing to look like a real specimen, not a cartoon. The eyespot detail on two of them is my favourite part of the whole build.

Single black thread, one stop at the end. But dont let that fool ya into thinking this is a quick stitch. The density in professional tools is 759, which is high, and there are 81 trims across the whole field as the machine hops between each individual insect. At the 7.28-inch size thats 41,496 stitches and total thread usage runs to about 391 feet on the top thread alone. Stitch count at the smallest 4.37-inch run is still 23,668. Use heavy cutaway stabiliser, the satin wing fills at this density will drag and shift on anything less. A stabiliser topping on towelling or open-weave linen is a smart call to stop needle deflection in the denser sections.

I ran the 5.small 5-in size on white linen apron last june for a customer doing a cottage-garden themed kitchen range, and the wing detail at that scale was sharp enough that her photos looked like a vintage entomology print. Best placements: pillow fronts, apron bibs, jacket backs, tote fronts. Avoid small pockets or areas under 4 inches wide, youll lose the individual species detail and it just reads as a dark smudge.

Pick a 40-weight black for the main satin fills, then run to 60-weight if youre doing a section of the antennae areas at the 4.37-inch size because those lines are thin. Hoop on a stable woven, cotton canvas or cotton twill both work. Add the cutaway backing cut about an inch outside the hoop edge so the piece doesnt pull after you remove it from the frame. Let the machine run its full 81 trims without manual trimming mid-hoop, its digitised to handle it.