Metamorphosis

Fiber & Textile Completed Projects
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A fairy emerges from her cocoon and spreads her wings in the vernal sunshine; mere mortals see only a butterfly.

This was inspired by the Stitch Along 2020-to the End of Time! theme for March, Flora, Fairies and Fauna.

The wings are based on the Arizona State Butterfly, the Two-Tailed Swallowtail, and are my second attempt at stumpwork*

The background fabric was dyed with craft paint, then enhanced with colored pencil grass. I also paint-dyed
some embroidery floss, and tinted some with sharpie markers (some before stitching, some after. I like to alter even the very materials I use!)

*I love my first set of stumpwork (monarch) wings, but they didn’t want to work with this project, and became a summery birthday card:

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I took a lot of byways getting here, chronicled at https://forum.lettucecraft.com/t/can-this-project-be-saved/11170/5

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Now that is turning your project around nicely!

Beautiful work…the colors and how you even fixed your supplies to suit your needs!

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You really made these work so dang well! Just beautiful.

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That other butterfly just knew it would make a better card, freeing you up to make this most excellent hoop! This journey was meant to be!

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You got it to work! It turned out elegantly beautiful.

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Beautiful!! Love the fairy hair and the wings are perfection.

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This is beautiful. You did an amazing job.

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Gorgeous! I’ve been admiring stumpwork of late, too. May have to try my hand at some point. Hopefully my efforts will be as lovely as yours!

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That is just awesome. They both turned out amazing.

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So pretty! Monarch is our state butterfly so they have a special place in my heart and yours is a beautiful rendition.

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I’m so glad you stuck with this project, even if in the end it branched and turned into two completely different things! Both the card and the hoop look gorgeous, and I love how you’ve altered the fibers and fabrics you’ve used. :two_hearts: In the end, I agree that the swallowtail definitely gives more Spring vibes, and the Monarch cries out Summer. Lovely work.

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Thanks, y’all!

Researching butterflies for this project, I discovered that the monarch and swallowtail are both very popular choices for state butterfly.

I love the monarch migration; once (and just once, out of the 18 years we lived there) dozens of monarchs spent the night on our flowering privet tree. And I’ve seen thousands of monarchs clustered on eucalyptus trees on the central California coast.

I’ve been thinking about Including monarchs in this month’s kinetic state ornament (a personal project).

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Yes the colors are so much better with the swallowtail. But both butterflies are amazing. And it’s good you save the cocoon! And got a card out of the deal as well. Great save of a project.

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this is so pretty. I like how you used all kinds of different materials.

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Stunning!

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Yay! You wrestled the project and your vision to alignment!

Both finished projects are lovely. I just love those monarch wings.

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Congrats! Your Metamorphosis is one of this week’s featured projects. You rock!

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Thank you!

I get ridiculously excited when one of my projects gets chosen as featured. I’m bouncing in my seat. I must not have gotten enough encouragement as a child. :smile:

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First, I love how many different techniques and mediums you used in this project. I also like your color choices and the stumpwork is cool! I like the idea of butterflies being fairies in disguise.

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