Elegant Blue Butterfly Embroidery Design, Nature Machine Embroidery Pattern, Instant Download

Four colours, but dont let that fool you into thinking this is a quick stitch. The density is 136 and the wings are fully filled with satin, no sketchy gaps, no open sections. Nine sizes from 3.5 through to 7.5 in span, stitch count starting at 1,510 at the smallest and climbing to 49,440 at the top 7.5-inch size. The cobalt-to-indigo gradient on the upper wings is what takes most of the thread and most of the time. Its kinda worth it though.

Digitised in my usual software with directional satin running from the wing base outward on each panel, thats what gives the gradient its smooth look rather than a patchy stepped appearance. The veining is a separate very fine satin pass after the main body fill so it sits on top cleanly without blending into the blue. Ive used a zig-zag underlay pass before the main satin on each wing panel, which stops the thread from pulling inward on the larger sizes. Use cutaway on any stretchy or loosely woven fabric, tearaway on firm cotton and denim. Ive tested this on cotton muslin, denim, and lightweight wool felt and the blue stays vibrant on all three. Pair it on cream or sage fabric, the cobalt reads much stronger on lighter backgrounds than on dark ones.

I get a bunch of messages from people doing nature-inspired home decor with this design. I had one customer write me last summer after she'd framed a set of three butterfly hoops in different sizes on natural linen, she said the cobalt blue gradient was the detail that made the whole gallery wall. The symmetrical wing shape sits well both horizontally and vertically, rotate it 90 degrees and it works as a vertical panel element. Medium-weight tearaway on firm wovens, cutaway on anything with any stretch at all. Avoid pressing the veining satin directly with a hot iron, use a pressing cloth to keep the fine detail sharp.