Butterfly Blues by Deborah Love

There are certain combinations that simply work. Blue and white is one of them.

It works in ceramics, in interiors, in fashion - and as Deborah Love has demonstrated again and again, it works beautifully in embroidery as well.

Butterfly Blues, Deborah’s latest project appearing in Inspirations issue #130, is a lavender sachet worked in the Deerfield tradition - that lovely American style with its characteristic palette of soft blues on white, inspired by 18th century crewelwork and as fresh today as it has ever been.

The design for Butterfly Blues is delicate and open, with a central butterfly surrounded by four leaf and flower sprays, a tassel hanging from each corner and a running stitch border along the edge.

The butterfly itself is a beauty - its fore wings outlined in close blanket stitch and filled with tiny detached chain flowers, its hind wings worked in whipped chain stitch and scattered with fly stitch.

Proof, if it were needed, that a well-placed butterfly never goes out of style.

Worked in four harmonious shades on lightweight white linen, the finished sachet measures 15cm (6”) square - a perfectly considered little object.

There is something deeply satisfying about a project that is both beautiful to make and useful to own. Tuck it into a drawer, place it on a pillow, or wrap it up for someone who deserves a handmade gift - a sachet this lovely needs very little introduction.

Across the design Deborah draws on 16 different surface embroidery techniques, from blanket stitch and satin stitch through to the more characterful knotted cable chain stitch and trellis couching - a lovely range to work through and a reminder of just how much variety this technique has to offer.

Practical, pretty, and filled with dried lavender - this is the kind of project that is as good to give as it is to stitch.

Ready-to-Stitch kits for Butterfly Blues are still available, but only just – if you’re quick you might get one before they're gone.