Hands Holding Butterfly Embroidery Design, Instant Download

Two hands cupped together, palms up, and a yellow swallowtail butterfly resting right in the centre of them with wings held flat open. The hands are done in a warm tan with fine cross-hatch shading that picks out every crease and knuckle, its the kind of detail you dont expect on embroidery until you hold it up close. The butterfly sits slightly left of centre and the wings carry that classic swallowtail pattern, yellow and cream body, black border markings, a small patch of cornflower blue toward the lower wing tip. 13 thread colours in total, it needs them.

The skin tones on the hands run through five values from cream highlight to warm tan to a deeper peach-brown in the shadow of the palm cup, I been careful about how the shading transitions so it doesnt posterise. The butterfly wings use directional satin fill on the yellow sections with topping on the black markings so the contrast stays sharp. Stitch count reaches 51,133 at the widest 7.5-inch build, it takes a while to run but the density is what gives the whole piece its weight.

A small hope nonprofit based in Leeds got in touch last easter asking for something for their fundraiser tote bags. They do mental health awareness work and wanted an image about holding something fragile carefully. This one fit without me needing to change a thing, it already said what they needed. She asked could I send me a sample stitch-out first, which I did on cream cotton, and she confirmed the order same afternoon.

Stitch this on cream, oatmeal or natural linen for best skin tone reading. Pale grounds work with the warm hand tones, dark fabric shifts the whole mood and the warm tones go flat. Use cutaway stabiliser, 51k stitches on the biggest size needs a solid backing or the palm shading pulls. Skip jersey or any stretch, the fine hatch lines drift. Nine sizes down to 3.5 inches so it works on a tote pocket aswell as a full cushion panel or framed hoop piece.

Pair it with a short phrase underneath for fundraiser or memorial pieces. Valentines day totes work aswell, its not hearts and flowers but it says something real about care. Email me if the skin tone colours look off in your test run and ill check the thread map.