Give a Gift
Sew your grandchild their own pair of beautiful butterfly wings, just in time for Halloween. Designed by Sophie Tarrant, this set of quilted butterfly wings is made using delicate floral prints and on its quilted base are appliqued wing details and decorative stitching. Finish your butterfly wings with comfortable elastic shoulder straps and let your child’s imagination take flight during playtime, birthday parties, family photos, or holidays like Halloween or Easter.
Skill Level: Beginner
Designer Notes:
- Take your time with the appliqué. Position each piece carefully before fusing, then use a dense, even zigzag around the edges to prevent them from lifting or fraying.
- Check the fit before finishing the straps. Hold the wings against the wearer’s back and adjust the elastic so they sit comfortably and securely without pulling or restricting movement.
Materials:
- Main fabric: Floral cotton, 1/2 yard
- Appliqué fabric: Floral cotton, one fat quarter
- Quilt batting: 1/2 yard
- Thick felt: 1/2 yard
- Thread: Green
- Fusible web: One fat quarter
- Temporary fabric spray adhesive
- Bias tape: Pre-made, or made from your appliqué fabric
- Elastic: Enough for two shoulder straps
- PDF Template – This is located at the bottom of this page. Please see printing instructions below.
Tools:
- Scissors
- Hand sewing needle
- Iron
- Sewing machine
PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS:
To download the PDF template, click on the download button at the bottom of the page. We recommend opening your download using Adobe Acrobat.
Sewing Instructions:
- Begin by printing the template. Use it to cut one pair of butterfly wings from sturdy felt, placing the template on the fold as indicated. The felt will form the structure of the wings, giving them enough strength to hold their shape when worn.
- Lay the felt wings flat on a piece of quilt batting and cut around them to create a matching layer. Next, cut two pieces of your main floral fabric: one for the front and one for the back. Cut the back piece roughly at first, leaving a generous border around the wings, and set it aside. Layer the remaining pieces with the felt at the bottom, the batting in the middle, and the front fabric on top, with the right side facing up. Smooth the layers flat, making sure there are no wrinkles or folds and that the edges align neatly.
- Use the template to cut the individual wing detail pieces from your coordinating floral fabric. Before cutting, fix a piece of fusible web to the wrong side of the fabric, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Leave the paper backing in place for now. Position each template on the fabric and cut carefully around it, keeping the pieces in their correct orientation.
- Peel the paper backing from each fusible-web piece and arrange them on the right side of the wing layers, using the template as a guide. Take your time to position each piece accurately, making sure the edges meet neatly at the center and between the individual wing sections. Once you’re happy with the arrangement, fuse the pieces in place with an iron. Set your sewing machine to a dense zigzag stitch and stitch carefully around the raw edge of each appliqué piece to secure it. We used green thread to outline the pieces and make the design stand out.
- Turn the wings over and place the backing fabric against the wrong side of the quilted wings, with the right side of the fabric facing outward. Use temporary spray adhesive to hold the backing in place, smoothing it carefully so there are no wrinkles. Turn the wings right side up and, using a straight stitch, sew around the inner edge of each appliqué piece, following the existing zigzag stitching. This secures all the layers together and adds definition around each section of the wings. Once you have stitched around all the pieces, trim the backing fabric to match the shape and size of the wings.
- Finish the outer edge of the wings with bias tape. Cut strips from a spare piece of fabric, or use pre-made bias tape, and press each strip in half lengthways. Working from the front, align the raw edge of the folded tape with the raw edge of the wings and stitch around the perimeter, using a 1/4 in seam allowance. When you reach a curve, ease the tape around it without pulling or stretching it. At the points and tighter curves, make small clips into the seam allowance of the tape if needed to help it sit smoothly. Fold the tape over the raw edge to the back of the wings, covering the first line of stitching, and secure it with clips. Hand stitch along the folded edge on the back to hold the tape neatly in place. Continue all the way around the wings, joining the ends neatly when you reach the starting point.
- Make the straps. Hold the finished wings against the wearer’s back and measure two pieces of elastic so they fit comfortably over their shoulders, allowing enough length for the wings to sit securely without pulling. Cut two fabric strips approximately 1-1/2 times the length of the elastic and wide enough to form a tube around it, allowing for seam allowances. Fold each strip in half lengthwise with the right sides facing and stitch along the long raw edge to form a tube. Turn the tubes right sides out, then thread a piece of elastic through each one. Secure the elastic at one end, then gently gather the fabric along the elastic until the fabric tube is evenly gathered. Fold the raw ends of each strap neatly to the inside and stitch them closed, then sew the finished ends securely to the back of the wings. Position the straps so the wings sit comfortably and evenly when worn.
