http://roadhomequilting.blogspot.com/2012/03/butterfly-bunting.html
Showing posts with label The Butterfly Project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Butterfly Project. Show all posts
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Crocheted Butterflies
Another beautiful butterfly for The Butterfly Project!
Insert hook into the very first chain.
Yarn over (yo), and pull that loop straight through the chain on your hook. You just made a slip stitch (sl st). And you made a ring.
If you feel confident reading the pattern from here on out, go for it. If you've played along at home, you know how to read all the abbreviations. Aren't you proud of yourself?! One of the biggest hangups people have about crocheting and knitting is reading a pattern, and you can do it. You are a crocheter - hear you roar! If you're feeling a little less than confident (it is Monday, after all), we'll start together on round 1.
Chain (ch) 3. Make 2 double crochet (dc). This makes the first of 8 clusters that will go in this ring. Instead of inserting your hook into the chain itself, insert it into the open circle part of the ring. When you are done with those 2 dc, ch 2. This will act as your space between these clusters. 3 dc, ch 2 around until you have 8 clusters total. This is what it looks like going from cluster 1, which starts with the chain 3, and ending with cluster 2, which is a 3 dc cluster.
Two down, 6 to go. Remember to do the ch 2 in between each of the clusters. End with a ch 2, and sl st into the top of that first ch 3.
On to round 2. This is my little variation here. When you make the ch 3 to start round 2, turn. Yep, turn. Most of the time, when you work in rounds, you work continuously in one direction. I found things worked better if I turned at the beginning of the round.
For round 2, you are now going to turn those clusters into shells, which will double the number of stitches. This will also make your piece get ruffly. Ruffly is good. Ruffly will get your piece to fold in half when you are done to make that gorgeous butterfly. By the way, you'll get ruffly any time you double the number of stitches from one row to the next, whether it's in the round or straight, sc, dc or something fancier. Just be aware. So here's the start of row 2 so you can see how the 3 dc, ch 2 works up into the shells.
In the first ch 2 space, after you've done ch 3, turn, make 2 dc. Ch 2, 3 dc. Ch 2, then make what I call the shell: 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc. Make one shell in each of the ch 2 spaces in round one, and connect them with a ch 2. You should then have 16 (3 dc) clusters. When you get all the way around, ch 2 and sl st into the top of your original ch 3.
See the ruffliness I was telling you about?
And guess what you'll do next? You're right - ch 3, turn! You are getting so good at this - you are thinking like a crocheter! Woo Hoo!
Let's finish up round 3. After you ch 3 turn, work 7 dc in the next ch 2 space. No ch 2's this round - nope. These are going to be another variation on a shell, with many dc's worked into one space, and then anchored in the following (or other designated) space. When you've made your first shell (your turning chain and the 7 dc), sc in the next ch 2 space. Marie used sl st. Use whichever works best for you. Just don't use anything bigger than an sc, ok. Size does matter in some cases. This is the shell...
and this the anchor stitch (remember, I used a sc and Marie did sl st).
See how that stitch holds that last end in place and makes a firm foundation for the next shell? So keep working the 8 dc in a ch 2 space, then a sl st/sc in the next ch 2 space, all the way around. It will look something like this.
She really REALLY wants to fold up into a butterfly! Finish off, and leave a loooooong tail. You will be using this tail to sew the halves together. Wrestle your ruffles, until you fold the flower shape in half, with the top half matching where the tail is at the bottom. This is what I'm calling the front.
And this is the back.
I wove my yarn up through the center to the top, then wove it back down again. I tried to keep my stitching as inconspicuous as possible. That's one nice thing about the variegated (multi-color) yarns - they tend to hide within themselves pretty well.
I made a few overcast stitches through the tops of the dc's to secure it, then wove the end in on the underside between the wing sections. Then, I trimmed it.
To make the antennae, I used a G hook, and chained 25. Then I worked one row of sc back to the beginning and finished off. Since I don't know how the museum intends to hang/mount the butterflies, I wanted to be sure the antennae had some stability to them. Make sure to weave in the ends.
Cut a length of yarn about 18". Thread the yarn needle with it, and keep the needle standing by. Fold the antennae piece in half, matching the center to the center of the top of the butterfly. Starting fron inside the wing, weave the needle/yarn through the back side of a few stitches, then bring it to the outside. Go through the top loops of the antennae piece to attach it.
Continue working across, stitching where you can. Try to keep your stitches as hidden as possible. Big word for the day: unobtrusive. Finish off when you get across the other side, leaving as much of the antennae free as you wish. Be sure to weave in the ends on the underside of the wings, and trim.
Try making these with a size 10 crochet cotton and a 1.50 mm hook. Make them with a bulky yarn and a P hook. Make them with anything and everything in between, and don't forget to send them off to the museum!
And also, be sure to stop by Marie's blog and check out all her wonderful patterns. I'm heading back there myself to find a few more butterflies. Leave her a comment thanking her.
Have fun!
One of the joys of doing the blog-hops is finding the real gems. The day I found this one, I actually was praying about some other variations on a butterfly that we could do for the Craftivism Challenge. And there she was, my beautiful creative angel, Marie. You DEFINITELY need to check out her blog - she has all kinds of really amazing patterns, including several butterflies! This is the pattern she wrote down for our butterfly, in UK crochet terminology. And here's my tip if you are a crocheter in the US. Copy, paste, find, replace. Yes, it's a mnemonic. Mnemonics make life easy. Copy the pattern, paste it into a word processing program, find the UK terms and replace them with US terms. Seems simple enough, right? It is.
For the little beauty above, I copied the pattern from Marie's blog and pasted it into Word. I also took out most of the photos, because I just needed a photo of the finished product to gauge my progress. I clicked the "replace" button (which automatically finds and replaces), and started with the abbreviations. I substituted sc for dc, then dc for tr. Then I substituted for the words for these symbols (single crochet, double crochet). In three easy steps I converted this fantastic little pattern into my own crochet language.
So let me share with you how I made my butterfly from Marie's pattern. If you click through, you'll see how to start a pattern with a "magic chain". Since I know we have several beginners, we'll start with what we already know from our own projects here. If you want to give the magic chain a go, feel free. It's not that difficult (or at least not as hard as most people think it is). And once you learn it, it's another tool in your crochet tool belt. In this case, I chose to do the chain option.
I used a worsted weight acrylic yarn with a J hook. Marie used a sock weight yarn with a 1.75 mm hook. You can make these with any size hook and yarn your heart desires. When you check out her pattern, you can see that with a smaller hook and finer yarn, the butterflies develop a very lacy quality. And before I forget, a yarn needle is a must!
Here we go!
Chain 6.
If you feel confident reading the pattern from here on out, go for it. If you've played along at home, you know how to read all the abbreviations. Aren't you proud of yourself?! One of the biggest hangups people have about crocheting and knitting is reading a pattern, and you can do it. You are a crocheter - hear you roar! If you're feeling a little less than confident (it is Monday, after all), we'll start together on round 1.
Chain (ch) 3. Make 2 double crochet (dc). This makes the first of 8 clusters that will go in this ring. Instead of inserting your hook into the chain itself, insert it into the open circle part of the ring. When you are done with those 2 dc, ch 2. This will act as your space between these clusters. 3 dc, ch 2 around until you have 8 clusters total. This is what it looks like going from cluster 1, which starts with the chain 3, and ending with cluster 2, which is a 3 dc cluster.
For round 2, you are now going to turn those clusters into shells, which will double the number of stitches. This will also make your piece get ruffly. Ruffly is good. Ruffly will get your piece to fold in half when you are done to make that gorgeous butterfly. By the way, you'll get ruffly any time you double the number of stitches from one row to the next, whether it's in the round or straight, sc, dc or something fancier. Just be aware. So here's the start of row 2 so you can see how the 3 dc, ch 2 works up into the shells.
And guess what you'll do next? You're right - ch 3, turn! You are getting so good at this - you are thinking like a crocheter! Woo Hoo!
Let's finish up round 3. After you ch 3 turn, work 7 dc in the next ch 2 space. No ch 2's this round - nope. These are going to be another variation on a shell, with many dc's worked into one space, and then anchored in the following (or other designated) space. When you've made your first shell (your turning chain and the 7 dc), sc in the next ch 2 space. Marie used sl st. Use whichever works best for you. Just don't use anything bigger than an sc, ok. Size does matter in some cases. This is the shell...
See how that stitch holds that last end in place and makes a firm foundation for the next shell? So keep working the 8 dc in a ch 2 space, then a sl st/sc in the next ch 2 space, all the way around. It will look something like this.
I made a few overcast stitches through the tops of the dc's to secure it, then wove the end in on the underside between the wing sections. Then, I trimmed it.
To make the antennae, I used a G hook, and chained 25. Then I worked one row of sc back to the beginning and finished off. Since I don't know how the museum intends to hang/mount the butterflies, I wanted to be sure the antennae had some stability to them. Make sure to weave in the ends.
Try making these with a size 10 crochet cotton and a 1.50 mm hook. Make them with a bulky yarn and a P hook. Make them with anything and everything in between, and don't forget to send them off to the museum!
And also, be sure to stop by Marie's blog and check out all her wonderful patterns. I'm heading back there myself to find a few more butterflies. Leave her a comment thanking her.
Have fun!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
One Yard Wednesday - Fun Fabric Butterfly
Grab your scrap basket and some bright thread and get ready to play!
A new technique today! YAY! I love new techniques!
I've seen a few shows on PBS that had thread painting as a technique. Some fabric artists used it as an embellishing technique, some used it to actually paint pictures using thread. ALL of them warned that this is addictive, and now that I've tried it myself, I can honestly say THEY'RE RIGHT!!!!!
Today, we are making a butterfly for The Butterfly Project using just scraps and some thread. I used some 4" charm squares I had in my stash. You can use a repurposed sheet or pillowcase as a base, a large scrap of material, or muslin.
Take 2 pieces of fabric, and place them wrong sides (backs) together. I used a patterned fabric for both sides because that's what I had in my stash. Feel free to use whatever suits your fancy.
Now you'll need the template. Right click the image below, select copy, then paste it into your favorite editing software. I used PowerPoint, but you could even paste it into Word. Resize as necessary to fit your scraps. Remember, our butterflies for the Butterfly Project should be no bigger than 8" x 10".
If you'd prefer, you can make your own template from scratch, or find a different butterfly shape in a coloring book or online. It's your butterfly.
Because of the size of my fabric pieces, I made my butterflies about 3 1/4" across at the tips of the top wings. After printing my butterfly on plain old regular paper, I cut it out and traced it onto my fabric. I "fussy cut" my butterfly, because I wanted those little pink flowers to be on her lower wings. For those who are new to sewing and quilting, fussy cutting means positioning your pieces to take advantage of elements in your fabric. Usually, it's done with floral fabrics to really make certain flowers stand out. It's one of those little details that makes the difference between handcrafted and homemade.
So this is where the fun really begins. Next, we'll add some decorative lines. You can use any color of thread, any stitch you'd like. Instead of coloring in the lines, we are going to make the lines! I used the stitch for the straight sides of a buttonhole. You can use straight stitching, zigzag, a decorative stitch - whatever you think will really make your butterfly show its personality.
Start with just the outline of the butterfly. Go slowly around the curves. If you are one of those really brave souls, you can drop your feed dogs. I'm not that brave - I just drove slowly. It's just like the curve of the inseam of the Little Boy Shorts we made in January except it's smaller and tighter. Feel free to leave your needle in and lift your presser foot to do some of the turns if you want some really crisp points. That's what I did.
Don't be afraid if you make an oops (see how mine has that line that kind of heads off into space). Remember, these butterflies represent children. What would a child do? They'd change their minds, and call it a brilliant inspiration! You should do the same, and embrace a little spontaneity. I decided I liked the outline of the "head" better with the shape of the oops. If I didn't, that's ok, because in the end, when we cut these out, it would magically disappear. No fretting, no tears.
So to do the actual thread painting part, I highly recommend a really tight zigzag (like a buttonhole) for filling in. It will give you a bit more precision, and if you have gaps that you want to go back and fill in, it can't be beat. Here is what mine looked like when I started to fill her in.
See how I was able to keep those two flowers on the lower wings? Just make an outline, then work your way around, from the outside in. Keep your stitches as close together as possible. It can be a bit tricky, just take your time.
Fill in as much or as little as you want. Maybe you want to outline something? Use a straight stitch for that. If I wanted to highlight the stems of these flowers, that's what I'd use. Maybe you are good at hand embroidery. You could add French knots to centers of the flowers, or make polka dots on your butterfly that way.
If you want to paint with more than one color, think back to what we learned about choosing fabrics that coordinate (here and here). You may be fortunate enough to have the colors on the selvage. Choose some of these. Or choose a color from within the fabric that you want to highlight. I love those little pink flowers so much that I used a hot pink. I also picked a bright orange because that's the complementary color for blue on the color wheel. Plus it looks rockin' awesome with the pink because they are analogous (think reds and oranges).
I also wanted you to see the back. I use a white bobbin when I sew - probably 90% of the time. If I wanted, because of the stitch I chose, I could EASILY have used a thread color in my bobbin that coordinated with the fabrics on the back. Just something to think about.
I thought it was kind of ironic, that without even trying, I managed to get two little pink flowers on the lower wings on the back, too. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket today?
Here she is from the front, just before I cut her free.
Use really REALLY sharp scissors to release your butterfly from her fabric cocoon. You want to cut as close as possible to the stitching without cutting through the stitching. I used my good sharp sewing scissors, and did a lot of cutting with them only half-closed. Down around her little bum and in between her upper and lower wings, I used the tips to be sure to get all the way into those tiny points.
Oh, and be sure to trim all your threads! Neatness counts!
And here she is again - ready for her flight to Houston!
Again, PLAY with this and have a lot of fun!
Make one or a dozen. Send them off as part of our March Craftivism Challenge. Make a bunch, and use them to build a baby's mobile. Decorate your windows, or add a wire and insert the butterfly in some silk flowers. Use the same technique to make some flowers, or bumblebees, or anything you feel like making! Use your new creations as patches on jeans or purses or skirts. Use them to embellish a headband.
PLAY and have fun!
I've seen a few shows on PBS that had thread painting as a technique. Some fabric artists used it as an embellishing technique, some used it to actually paint pictures using thread. ALL of them warned that this is addictive, and now that I've tried it myself, I can honestly say THEY'RE RIGHT!!!!!
Today, we are making a butterfly for The Butterfly Project using just scraps and some thread. I used some 4" charm squares I had in my stash. You can use a repurposed sheet or pillowcase as a base, a large scrap of material, or muslin.
Take 2 pieces of fabric, and place them wrong sides (backs) together. I used a patterned fabric for both sides because that's what I had in my stash. Feel free to use whatever suits your fancy.
Now you'll need the template. Right click the image below, select copy, then paste it into your favorite editing software. I used PowerPoint, but you could even paste it into Word. Resize as necessary to fit your scraps. Remember, our butterflies for the Butterfly Project should be no bigger than 8" x 10".
If you'd prefer, you can make your own template from scratch, or find a different butterfly shape in a coloring book or online. It's your butterfly.
Because of the size of my fabric pieces, I made my butterflies about 3 1/4" across at the tips of the top wings. After printing my butterfly on plain old regular paper, I cut it out and traced it onto my fabric. I "fussy cut" my butterfly, because I wanted those little pink flowers to be on her lower wings. For those who are new to sewing and quilting, fussy cutting means positioning your pieces to take advantage of elements in your fabric. Usually, it's done with floral fabrics to really make certain flowers stand out. It's one of those little details that makes the difference between handcrafted and homemade.
So this is where the fun really begins. Next, we'll add some decorative lines. You can use any color of thread, any stitch you'd like. Instead of coloring in the lines, we are going to make the lines! I used the stitch for the straight sides of a buttonhole. You can use straight stitching, zigzag, a decorative stitch - whatever you think will really make your butterfly show its personality.
Start with just the outline of the butterfly. Go slowly around the curves. If you are one of those really brave souls, you can drop your feed dogs. I'm not that brave - I just drove slowly. It's just like the curve of the inseam of the Little Boy Shorts we made in January except it's smaller and tighter. Feel free to leave your needle in and lift your presser foot to do some of the turns if you want some really crisp points. That's what I did.
Don't be afraid if you make an oops (see how mine has that line that kind of heads off into space). Remember, these butterflies represent children. What would a child do? They'd change their minds, and call it a brilliant inspiration! You should do the same, and embrace a little spontaneity. I decided I liked the outline of the "head" better with the shape of the oops. If I didn't, that's ok, because in the end, when we cut these out, it would magically disappear. No fretting, no tears.
So to do the actual thread painting part, I highly recommend a really tight zigzag (like a buttonhole) for filling in. It will give you a bit more precision, and if you have gaps that you want to go back and fill in, it can't be beat. Here is what mine looked like when I started to fill her in.
See how I was able to keep those two flowers on the lower wings? Just make an outline, then work your way around, from the outside in. Keep your stitches as close together as possible. It can be a bit tricky, just take your time.
Fill in as much or as little as you want. Maybe you want to outline something? Use a straight stitch for that. If I wanted to highlight the stems of these flowers, that's what I'd use. Maybe you are good at hand embroidery. You could add French knots to centers of the flowers, or make polka dots on your butterfly that way.
If you want to paint with more than one color, think back to what we learned about choosing fabrics that coordinate (here and here). You may be fortunate enough to have the colors on the selvage. Choose some of these. Or choose a color from within the fabric that you want to highlight. I love those little pink flowers so much that I used a hot pink. I also picked a bright orange because that's the complementary color for blue on the color wheel. Plus it looks rockin' awesome with the pink because they are analogous (think reds and oranges).
I also wanted you to see the back. I use a white bobbin when I sew - probably 90% of the time. If I wanted, because of the stitch I chose, I could EASILY have used a thread color in my bobbin that coordinated with the fabrics on the back. Just something to think about.
Here she is from the front, just before I cut her free.
Oh, and be sure to trim all your threads! Neatness counts!
And here she is again - ready for her flight to Houston!
Again, PLAY with this and have a lot of fun!
Make one or a dozen. Send them off as part of our March Craftivism Challenge. Make a bunch, and use them to build a baby's mobile. Decorate your windows, or add a wire and insert the butterfly in some silk flowers. Use the same technique to make some flowers, or bumblebees, or anything you feel like making! Use your new creations as patches on jeans or purses or skirts. Use them to embellish a headband.
PLAY and have fun!
Friday, March 2, 2012
March Craftivism Challenge - The Butterfly Project
One day when I was a child, my mom and I ran into a family friend she'd known most of her life growing up...
He was an older gentleman, seemed kind of frail. They chatted away for a few minutes, hugged, and then we left. While they were talking, I noticed a really strange tattoo on his arm, and I asked my mother about it on the way home in the car. She explained he was a survivor of the Holocaust, and that the tattoo was his number when he was in the concentration camp. Now, I think I was only in 3rd or 4th grade, and we had not studied the Holocaust yet in school, nor had I read The Diary of Anne Frank. Of course, when you learn about the horrors of the camps, it is very difficult to even imagine, and even more difficult to think of the children who were in the camps - some surviving, some executed.
So fast forward to the present...
After responding to a comment by one of my lovely readers and visiting her blog, I noticed the following button on her sidebar:
Here's the scoop: In an effort to remember the innocent children who perished in the Holocaust, The Holocaust Museum in Houston is endeavoring to collect 1.5 million handmade butterflies that will then be displayed in the Spring of 2014. These are the rules from the HmH:
He was an older gentleman, seemed kind of frail. They chatted away for a few minutes, hugged, and then we left. While they were talking, I noticed a really strange tattoo on his arm, and I asked my mother about it on the way home in the car. She explained he was a survivor of the Holocaust, and that the tattoo was his number when he was in the concentration camp. Now, I think I was only in 3rd or 4th grade, and we had not studied the Holocaust yet in school, nor had I read The Diary of Anne Frank. Of course, when you learn about the horrors of the camps, it is very difficult to even imagine, and even more difficult to think of the children who were in the camps - some surviving, some executed.
So fast forward to the present...
After responding to a comment by one of my lovely readers and visiting her blog, I noticed the following button on her sidebar:
Here's the scoop: In an effort to remember the innocent children who perished in the Holocaust, The Holocaust Museum in Houston is endeavoring to collect 1.5 million handmade butterflies that will then be displayed in the Spring of 2014. These are the rules from the HmH:
This project may be completed by all ages as individuals or groups.
- Butterflies should be no larger than 8 inches by 10 inches.
- Butterflies may be of any medium the artist chooses, but two-dimensional submissions are preferred.
- NO glitter or glitter-related products (i.e., glitter glue, etc.).
- NO food products (cereal, macaroni, candy, marshmallows or other perishables).
- If possible, e-mail a photograph of your butterflies, to butterflyproject@hmh.org.
- Your name,
- Your group or organization,
- Your address,
- Your e-mail address, and
- The total number of butterflies sent.
Mail or bring your butterflies to:
Holocaust Museum Houston
Butterfly Project
Education Department
5401 Caroline Street
Houston, TX 77004
USA
For questions or additional information, please e-mail butterflyproject@hmh.org.
Holocaust Museum Houston
Butterfly Project
Education Department
5401 Caroline Street
Houston, TX 77004
USA
For questions or additional information, please e-mail butterflyproject@hmh.org.
I really hope you'll join us on this one! This is a great activity to do with scout groups and Sunday school classes. You think of some ways to make butterflies, and I'll think of some, too, and we'll make them together. Project(s) to be posted soon - stay tuned!
And of course, I'll have a link at the end of March so we can share our projects...
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