This weeks’ installment of Wednesday Wings From Bags of a Feather features butterflies!

Anti-tarnish Jewelry Pouch

In the dead of winter, those beautiful and magical butterflies seem like a distant memory- swooping among the flowers in the garden and alighting here and their to feed and flutter their wings.

I have quite a few butterfly-themed fabrics in my etsy shop, including Asian-inpired prints, whimsical designs, and colorful jewel-toned prints.

Butterfly facts from wikipedia:

“Butterflies feed primarily on nectar from flowers. Some also derive nourishment from pollen,^[23] tree sap, rotting fruit, dung, decaying flesh, and dissolved minerals in wet sand or dirt. Butterflies are important as pollinators for some species of plants although in general they do not carry as much pollen load as bees. They are however capable of moving pollen over greater distances. Vision is well developed in butterflies and most species are sensitive to the ultraviolet spectrum….

Monarch Butterfly

Many butterflies, such as the Monarch butterfly, are migratory and capable of long distance flights. They migrate during the day and use the sun to orient themselves. They also perceive polarized light and use it for orientation when the sun is hidden.

Many species of butterfly maintain territories and actively chase other species or individuals that may stray into them. Some species will bask or perch on chosen perches. The flight styles of butterflies are often characteristic and some species have courtship flight displays. Basking is an activity which is more common in the cooler hours of the morning. Many species will orient themselves to gather heat from the sun. Some species have evolved dark wingbases to help in gathering more heat and this is especially evident in alpine forms.

 Many butterflies migrate over long distances. Particularly famous migrations are those of the Monarch butterfly from Mexico to northern USA and southern Canada, a distance of about 4000 to 4800 km (2500–3000 miles). Butterflies have been shown to navigate using time compensated sun compasses. They can see polarized light and therefore orient even in cloudy conditions. The polarized light in the region close to the ultraviolet spectrum is suggested to be particularly important”

Some butterfly-themed creations available in the Bags of a Feather etsy shop:

butterfly jewels pouch

Ivory and Black Butterfly pouch

Lime and Black Batik Butterfly pouch

Spearmint Batik Butterfly pouch