Lesson 11
Butterfly Wings: Sequin Colours, Sizes and Fish Scale Filling
In this lesson, you will begin a butterfly project intended for an appliqué or brooch. You will embroider the wings on silk, using larger and smaller sequins to create colour transitions and textured filling. Plain return stitches and short securing stitches help you build close rows and adapt them to the narrowing wing shapes.
Materials to Prepare
Embroidery frame with silk mounted under tension
Printed butterfly pattern
Sharp pencil
Embroidery hook and thread
Loose sequins in different colours and sizes
Soft pads for holding your sequins
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Transfer the butterfly wings in two pairs.
Combine sequin colours and sizes within a wing.
Build fish scale filling with sequin rows and plain return stitches.
Shorten rows to follow a narrowing outline.
Keep neighbouring rows close and neatly aligned.
Make the demonstrated lock by passing the thread through a drawn loop
Your Practice
Copy one pair of butterfly wings onto the silk. Make a starting lock at the upper corner of the first wing and begin with larger sequins, alternating colours as desired. Continue towards the middle, then switch to smaller sequins.
Leave the small unembellished gap shown in the demonstration, secure the row and return upwards with plain stitches. Add a short securing stitch before beginning the next sequin row, keeping it close to the previous one.
As the wing narrows, end a row wherever there is insufficient room for another sequin. Secure it and return to begin the next row, adapting the filling to the triangular shape. Repeat for the lower wing.
Transfer the remaining pair of wings and embroider them in the same manner. Experiment with different colours and practise the additional lock demonstrated by drawing out a loop and passing the thread through it.