Cork Butterfly Necklace In the Hoop

Butterflies are a timeless icon of happiness and celebration. In honor of BERNINA’s 125th Golden Anniversary, I’ve created this Cork Butterfly Necklace In the Hoop, using gold metallic thread. Often times, even the most experienced sewist can be intimidated by metallic thread. With todays tutorial, I will help remove all those hesitations and we can celebrate in style.

Materials to Make the Cork Butterfly Necklace In the Hoop

• 100 x 130 hoop or similar
• Thread Stand – Superior Thread Holder Spool & Cone Acrylic Stand
• Eyelet setter
• Clear adhesive tape
• Needle nose pliers
• Olfa Precision appliqué scissors – Short sharp scissors
• Superior Titanium Coated TopStitch 90/14 needles – Recommended by Superior Thread company to use with their metallic threads
• Thread:
  • Superior Metallic thread – color Gold was used
  • Bobbin with Metallic thread
  • Bobbin with OESD 60 weight Bobbin Thread
• OESD Medium Weight Tear Away Stabilizer  large enough to fit hoop
• Cork material (2) 3 inch x 3 inch – color Blue was used
• (2) 5/32 eyelets
• (2) 1/4 inch Jump rings
• Fabric paint
• Q-Tip
• Download the Butterfly Embroidery Design folder here

Instructions to Make the Cork Butterfly Necklace

Step 1, Set up machine

Download the design file for your embroidery machine from the design folder (see above in the Materials List).

Insert new needle into machine. Set thread stand up behind embroidery machine, following manufacturers instructions. Wind bobbin with metallic thread on thread stand.

Note: Slow speed down when winding a bobbin of metallic thread. This will help not stretch the thread out and help it to more evenly wind.

Step 2, Hoop Stabilizer and Sew Stitch Number One

Hoop tear away stabilizer. Insert hoop into machine and sew stitch number one, the cork placement stitch.

Step 3, Place Cork Material and Sew Design Accents

Remove hoop from machine and place on a flat surface. Place one piece of cork material over the position stitch. Secure the corners with clear adhesive tape. Insert hoop into machine and sew stitch number two, the design accents. This is the Cork Butterfly Necklace detail stitches. Remove hoop from machine.

Step 4, Back Cork and Final Stitch

Turn hoop to wrong side facing up. 

Place the second piece of cork material right side up covering all stitching. Use clear adhesive tape along top and bottom of cork, extending beyond the cork material onto the plastic of the hoop. This will help prevent the tape or material from shifting.

Replace bobbin with the metallic bobbin wound in step one.

Insert hoop back into machine and sew final stitch, the outside butterfly stitch.

Step 5, Remove Stabilizer and Cut Around Stitching

Remove materials from hoop.

Gently remove stabilizer from cork material, try not to tug on the stitches.

Using short sharp scissors, cut around outside stitching approximately 1/16 – 1/8 inch.

Step 6, Add Eyelets

With sharp scissors pierce two holes in the empty spaces on the top butterfly wings. These are placements for the eyelets on the Cork Butterfly Necklace.

Follow manufacturers instructions on adding eyelets, each tool will be slightly different.

Step 7, Edge Paining Cork Butterfly Necklace

To protect your work space, use a left over piece of tear away stabilizer or typing paper. The glitter gold fabric paint was very thin. In order to thicken, I used a tan color fabric paint and mixed the two together. The result was a thick glitter gold color. Use a Q-tip to mix and apply the paint.

Using the Q-tip, apply a thin coat of paint along the edges. Add more thin layers as needed. When applying paint, you can always apply more, but removing is difficult.

Follow fabric paint suggested dry time. Lay flat on paper. Allow to completely dry.

Step 8, Adding Jump Rings

Using needle nose pliers, attach a single jump ring around each eyelet. Tighten to secure.

Slide chain through both jump rings and celebrate BERNINA’s 125th Golden Anniversary in style by wearing your Cork Butterfly Necklace.

BONUS: What Else Can You Do With the Cork Butterfly Necklace

Consider this to be a charm more than a piece of jewelry. You could do so much with it! Use as an appliqué on a jean jacket, decorate your machine with it or even use it as a wine bottle charm! In fact, I can’t wait to see what you do with your Cork Butterfly Necklace In the Hoop design.