I’ve been making so many butterflies in the #100daysofsummerstitching that I think I have butterflies on the brain. The 100 day project is all fabric and not a wool butterfly in the entire mix, so I had to make wooly one.

This is a small applique, 3 1/4” x 6 1/2”. It will fit nicely in a 5” x 7” frame. It’s bright, cheery and quick— the perfect summer project.

Many of the embroidery stitches are included in the stitch guide, but for those that are not I have included links to tutorials. If you need additional help on stitches an excellent source of video tutorials can be found on Mary Corbett’s website Needle ‘N Thread.

Let’s begin.

Supplies

Layout and pattern

Butternut Plaid Stitch Guide

Fabric background - 10” square of Robert Kaufman Essex yarn dyed in Graphite

Felted wool

Turquoise - 2 1/2” x 4” Butterfly wing, large leaves
Magenta - 2 1/2” x 3” Butterfly body, fuchsia sepals
Chartreuse - 2 1/2” x 4” Butterfly wing embellishment, small leaves
Pink - 2 1/2” square Fuchsia petals, butterfly wing small wing spots
Off white - 1” x 2” Butterfly large wing spots.

Thread

Embroidery floss in colors that match your wool colors (You will use this to whip stitch your wool applique pieces in place) In a pinch you can use sewing thread.

Sulky 12wt. cotton thread or perle cotton, size 12 in black

Sulky 12wt. blendable color 4001 (This is a variegated off-white)

Miscellaneous

Fabric marker - air or water erasable like Clover 5030 air erasable Extra Fine purple marker

Fusible web - Featherweight like HeatNBond Featherweight fusible

Steam iron

Chenille needle - size 24

Light box - optional

Instructions

1. Trace pattern pieces onto fusible web. The images are already reversed for use with fusible web.

2. Cut out pattern pieces leaving a small border (1/8”) around each.

3. Fuse patterns to designated wools. Cut out along traced lines.

4. Using the layout as your guide, position the wool piece on your background fabric. A light box is useful here. Place the layout onto the light box. Center the background fabric over the layout. If your fabric is not too dark the layout will be visible.

Note: I start with the bottom pieces first, fusing each layer separately to insure adhesion.

5. Carefully transfer the project to your ironing board or pad, and then fuse in place using steam.

6. Whip stitch all wool pieces in place using 2 strands of floss that matches the color of your wool. Begin with the smallest pieces first.

7. Embroidery - All stitches are made with 1 strand of 12 wt. thread unless otherwise noted.

Leaves

Use a fabric marker to draw the flower stem and veins of leaves.
Use black thread to chain stitch the flower stem and stems of leaves.
Use black thread for a fern stitch to stitch the veins of leaves.
Flowers
Use a fabric marker to draw the guide lines on the flower petals using the layout as a guide. There are 4 vertical lines and one horizontal line on the bottom of the center petal, and 2 short horizontal lines on the side petals.
Begin by back stitching the sides of the center petal with black thread to give the petal more definition.
Then back stitch the vertical guide lines with the same thread.
Use the same thread to Cable stitch the horizontal line on both the back and center petals. You will only need one cable stitch on each of the back petals.
Use color #4001 to stitch a single French knot in the center of each link.
Draw 3 horizontal lines extending from the center petal.
Use black thread to straight stitch over the lines.
Use the same thread to stitch a single French knot on the end of each straight stitch.
Butterfly
Use a fabric marker to draw the antennae on the butterfly. The light box is helpful here for proper placement.
Use black thread to stem stitch the antennae.
Use 2 strands of 12 wt. black thread to make French knot eyes.
Draw the the stripes on the body of the butterfly.
Use black to stitch straight stitches over the drawn lines.
Draw guide lines for the wing embellishment, a circle with outward facing spokes.
Use black thread to stitch a inside-out buttonhole wheel over the drawn lines.
Use the same thread to stitch a French knot in the center of each buttonhole wheel.
Draw a series of 5 V’s under each wing.
Use black thread to fly stitch each of the V’s.

Voila! The project is complete!

Layout and patternLayout and patternLayout and pattern