Today, we’re highlighting how to create silk ribbon butterfly embellishments. This would be an exceptionally excellent technique for your next crazy quilt project.
Sadly, I can’t recall where I first saw or learned how to stitch silk ribbon butterflies, but I picked it up in my crazy quilting journey. They are a fast and easy way to embellish crazy quilts or even wool applique.
How To Create Silk Ribbon Butterfly Embellishments
I started by loosely tracing the outline of my butterfly using a light-coloured chalk pencil. I stitched 4 leaf stitches using a 13 mm hand-dyed silk ribbon, making the two upper wings slightly larger than the two lower wings. The body of the butterfly is a bullion stitch. I suggest you use a thicker thread and perhaps something fuzzy to create texture for the body, BUT this will depend on your preferences. I used a very fine metallic thread to stitch the antenna.
Naturally, you can vary the size of your butterflies by choosing a 7mm ribbon, but I would not go smaller.
Another technique demonstrated on the right side of this block uses French knots and silk ribbon leaves in clusters to give the appearance of a flowering vine. The vine is stitched using a satin stitch.
While my post today focuses on crazy quilting, remember silk ribbon butterflies could easily be added to your Sue Spargo-style wool applique projects. Why not give them a try?
