The Cottage Flutter Butterfly Curtain is a light, airy window hanging. A cream lace valance with pointed triangles holds seven cream cord strands, and each strand carries dusty-blue butterflies, little eight-petal cream flowers and a soft tassel at the bottom.
The palette has only two colors: warm cream and soft denim blue. Sunlight comes through the mesh and around the motifs, so the curtain filters light rather than blocking it. It suits a cottage kitchen, a nursery window or a doorway.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain measures 35.5 in (90.2 cm) wide and 40 in (101.6 cm) long from the top edge of the valance to the tassel tips. The tab loops above the top edge are not included in that length.
Construction: first you work the valance band in mesh rows, then work seven triangles off its lower edge. A border round goes around the valance and tab loops are added on top. Next you make 21 butterflies, 21 flowers and 7 tassels. Each strand is chained top-down from a triangle point, and the motifs and tassel are joined as you go.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 35.5 in (90.2 cm) wide × 40 in (101.6 cm) long
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: DK / light (3) cotton
- Hook: 4.0 mm (G-6)
- Number of pieces: 1 valance, 21 butterflies, 21 flowers, 7 tassels
- Layout: 7 strands × 6 motifs each
- Piece sizes: butterfly 3.5 × 2.75 in (8.9 × 7.0 cm); flower 2 in (5.1 cm); tassel 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Valance before border: 35 × 5.75 in (88.9 × 14.6 cm)
- Border depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm), so the valance is 35.5 × 6 in (90.2 × 15.2 cm) after the border
Materials
Use a smooth mercerized or matte cotton in DK weight, about 230 m per 100 g. Cotton holds the lace shape well and blocks crisply.
- Cream: 200 g / 460 m (valance, border, tabs, flowers, strands, tassels)
- Dusty blue: 100 g / 230 m (butterflies)
Quantities include a margin of roughly 15–20%.
Tools:
– 4.0 mm (G-6) hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stitch markers
– Stiff card cut to 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall
– Tape measure
– Blocking mats and rust-proof pins
– Spray bottle
– A rod up to 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- sp: space
- st(s): stitch(es)
- RS: right side
- WS: wrong side
- rep: repeat
Special stitches
– Mesh: (ch 1, skip 1 st, dc in next st). Each mesh counts as 2 sts.
– Picot tip: (sc, ch 3, sc) worked in the same st. The ch-3 does not count as stitches.
– Doubled chain: a chain worked with two strands of cream held together. It is used for the strands.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Mesh gauge: 20 sts and 8 mesh rows = 4 in (10.2 cm).
Sc gauge: 5 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm); 18 sc rows = 4 in (10.2 cm).
Doubled chain gauge: 7 ch = 2 in (5.1 cm).
Make one butterfly and one flower first and block them. The butterfly should measure 3.5 × 2.75 in (8.9 × 7.0 cm) and the flower 2 in (5.1 cm) across.
Checkpoints:
– Valance Row 1: 35 in (88.9 cm) wide.
– After band Row 6: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) deep.
– Each triangle: 5 in (12.7 cm) wide at Row 1 and 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall.
– Valance before border: 35 × 5.75 in (88.9 × 14.6 cm).
– Each strand cord (chain only, no tassel): 30 in (76.2 cm).
If your pieces come out too big, go down 0.5 mm in hook size. If they come out too small, go up 0.5 mm. For the strands, change only the chain tension and keep the chain counts the same.
Valance Band
With cream, ch 176.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (175 sc)
Row 2: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), skip next st, dc in next st. Ch 1, skip 1, dc in next st; rep from * across. Turn. (88 dc + 87 ch-1 sps = 175 sts)
Rows 3–5: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), dc in next dc. Ch 1, dc in next dc; rep from * across, working the last dc in the 3rd ch of the turning ch. Turn. (175 sts each row)
Row 6: Ch 1. Sc in each dc and in each ch-1 sp across. (175 sc) Fasten off.
Checkpoint: the band is 35 × 2.5 in (88.9 × 6.4 cm).
Triangles (make 7 along Row 6)
Divide Row 6 into seven sections of 25 sts each. Place a marker in the first st of each section: sts 1, 26, 51, 76, 101, 126 and 151.
Row 1: With WS facing, join cream with a sl st in the first st of the section. Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), skip 1, dc in next st. Ch 1, skip 1, dc in next st; rep from * to the end of the section. Turn. (13 dc, 25 sts)
Row 2: Sl st in the first ch-1 sp and in the next dc. Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), dc in next dc. Ch 1, dc in next dc; rep from * until you have worked into the second-to-last dc. Leave the last ch-sp and dc unworked. Turn. (11 dc, 21 sts)
Row 3: Rep Row 2. (9 dc, 17 sts)
Row 4: Rep Row 2. (7 dc, 13 sts)
Row 5: Rep Row 2. (5 dc, 9 sts)
Row 6: Rep Row 2. (3 dc, 5 sts)
Row 7 (point): Sl st in the first ch-1 sp and in the center dc. Ch 1, sc in the same center dc. (1 sc) Fasten off.
Each row loses 4 sts (one mesh at each end), which makes the straight diagonal sides of the triangle. Rep for all 7 sections. The triangles touch at the valleys without overlapping.
Butterfly (make 21)
With blue:
Rnd 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 1, 6 sc in the ring, sl st to the first sc. (6 sc) Number the sc 1–6: 1 = head, 2 = upper right, 3 = lower right, 4 = tail, 5 = lower left, 6 = upper left.
Rnd 2 (wing frames): Ch 1, sc in sc 1.
– Sl st in sc 2, then ch 12 and sl st in the same st (upper-right loop).
– Sl st in sc 3, then ch 9 and sl st in the same st (lower-right loop).
– Sc in sc 4.
– Sl st in sc 5, then ch 9 and sl st in the same st (lower-left loop).
– Sl st in sc 6, then ch 12 and sl st in the same st (upper-left loop).
– Sl st to the first sc.
(2 sc, two ch-12 loops, two ch-9 loops)
Rnd 3 (wing fill): Work into each loop sp, skipping the head and tail sc.
– Each ch-12 loop: 2 sc, 2 hdc, 4 dc, ch 3, 4 dc, 2 hdc, 2 sc. (16 sts + ch-3 tip)
– Each ch-9 loop: 2 sc, 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, 2 sc. (10 sts + ch-2 tip)
Sl st to the head sc.
Rnd 4 (lace outline):
– Upper wings: Sc in st 1, ch 3, skip 1, sc in next; rep from * to st 7. Ch 3, (sc, ch 3, sc) in the tip sp, ch 3. Sc in st 10, ch 3, skip 1, sc in next; rep from * to st 16. (9 ch-3 loops)
– Lower wings: Sc in st 1, ch 3, sc in st 3, ch 3, sc in st 5, ch 3, (sc, ch 3, sc) in the tip sp, ch 3, sc in st 6, ch 3, sc in st 8, ch 3, sc in st 10. (7 ch-3 loops)
Sl st across the head and tail between wings. Fasten off and leave a 24 in (61.0 cm) tail.
Body: Thread the tail. Wrap it vertically through the ring and over the center 6 times, cinching the wings into a bow shape. Knot the tail at the back.
Checkpoint: 3.5 × 2.75 in (8.9 × 7.0 cm).
Flower (make 21)
With cream:
Rnd 1: Ch 6 and sl st to form a ring. Ch 1, 16 sc in the ring, sl st to the first sc. (16 sc; the center stays open)
Rnd 2: Ch 1. Sc in next st, ch 3, skip 1; rep from * 8 times. Sl st to the first sc. (8 sc + 8 ch-3 sps)
Rnd 3: In each ch-3 sp work (sc, 3 dc, sc). Sl st to join. (8 petals, 40 sts) Fasten off.
Checkpoint: 2 in (5.1 cm) across.
Tassel (make 7)
Wrap cream 20 times around the 4.5 in (11.4 cm) card. Slide a 12 in (30.5 cm) strand under the loops at the top and tie it tightly; this tie is the hanging tie. Cut the bottom loops. Wrap a separate strand around the neck 0.5 in (1.3 cm) below the top and knot it. Trim the tassel to 4 in (10.2 cm).
Make All Pieces
- Cream: 1 valance, 21 flowers, 7 tassels
- Blue: 21 butterflies
Block all motifs flat before joining.
Layout (B = butterfly, F = flower, top to bottom):
Strand: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Level 1: B F B F B F B
Level 2: F B F B F B F
Level 3: B F B F B F B
Level 4: F B F B F B F
Level 5: B F B F B F B
Level 6: F B F B F B F
Odd strands (1, 3, 5, 7) start with a butterfly; even strands (2, 4, 6) start with a flower. Each strand carries 3 butterflies and 3 flowers. Totals: 21 butterflies and 21 flowers.
Joining (Strands)
Work the border on the valance first, because the strands hang from its picot tips. Each strand is a doubled chain worked straight down from one triangle tip. Every motif is joined from front to back with a sl st, then carried on a short chain behind it.
Motif joins:
– Butterfly: sl st in the head sc, ch 3 behind the body, sl st in the tail sc.
– Flower: sl st in the center dc of the top petal, ch 6 behind the flower, sl st in the center dc of the opposite (bottom) petal.
Odd strand: Join the doubled cream in the ch-3 tip picot of the triangle. Ch 12, butterfly join, ch 10, flower join, ch 10, butterfly join, ch 10, flower join, ch 10, butterfly join, ch 10, flower join, ch 16.
Even strand: Ch 16, flower join, ch 10, butterfly join, ch 10, flower join, ch 10, butterfly join, ch 10, flower join, ch 10, butterfly join, ch 12.
Both strand types use the same number of chains:
– Lead and end chains: 12 + 16 = 28
– Gaps: 5 × 10 = 50
– Behind butterflies: 3 × 3 = 9
– Behind flowers: 3 × 6 = 18
– Total: 105 ch = 30 in (76.2 cm)
Fasten off with 8 in (20.3 cm) tails. Pass the tails through the tassel’s hanging tie and knot them securely.
Tension: Keep the chains even and relaxed. A tight chain makes the strand shorter and pulls the motifs out of line across the curtain.
Size checkpoint: each strand measures 34 in (86.4 cm) from the picot to the tassel tips: 30 in (76.2 cm) of cord plus 4 in (10.2 cm) of tassel. Hang the curtain and check that all seven tassels end level.
Border (Valance)
Border gauge: 5 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm).
Rnd 1: With RS facing, join cream at the top-right corner.
– Top edge: Sc in each of the 175 foundation ch along the top. (175 sc)
– Top-left corner: Ch 1.
– Left band side: 10 sc down the side of the band: 1 in each sc row and 2 in each of the 4 mesh rows.
– Triangle edges: For each of the 7 triangles, work 12 sc up the slanted edge (2 per dc row), a picot tip in the Row 7 sc, then 12 sc along the other slanted edge. (26 sc + 1 ch-3 picot per triangle; 182 sc + 7 picots in total) At each valley, work straight from one triangle into the next with no extra sts.
– Right band side: 10 sc up the side of the band.
– Top-right corner: Ch 1. Sl st to the first sc.
(377 sc, 2 corner ch-1 sps, 7 ch-3 picots) Fasten off.
Rnd 2 (8 tabs): Number the top-edge sc 1–175 from left to right as seen from the RS. Each tab is worked over 3 sts, starting in these sts: 1, 24, 49, 74, 99, 124, 149 and 173.
For each tab:
– Row 1: Join cream and sc in each of the 3 sts.
– Rows 2–18: Ch 1, turn, 3 sc.
Fasten off and leave a tail. Fold the tab to the WS and sew Row 18 to band Rows 1–2. This makes a loop that fits a rod up to 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter.
Why the math works:
– The top edge has 175 sc because the 7 triangles × 25 sts = 175, which matches the band exactly.
– Each triangle edge has 26 sc: 2 slanted sides × (6 dc rows × 2 sc) = 24, plus the 2 tip sc.
– Each band side has 10 sc: 1 + (4 × 2) + 1.
– No stitches are added at the valleys.
– The tabs sit over the valleys and at both ends, so the weight is spread evenly.
– The border adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm) on each side, so the valance measures 35.5 × 6 in (90.2 × 15.2 cm).
Final Blocking
- Before joining, pin the valance to 35.5 × 6 in (90.2 × 15.2 cm), opening every mesh and pinning each triangle point.
- Mist it with water and let it dry fully.
- Pin each butterfly to 3.5 × 2.75 in (8.9 × 7.0 cm), opening every chain loop.
- Pin each flower to 2 in (5.1 cm), shaping each petal.
- Mist the motifs and let them dry.
- After joining, hang the curtain and mist the strands lightly so they straighten under their own weight.
- Steam the tassels lightly and comb them straight.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The valance has 7 triangles, each with a picot tip.
- There are 8 tabs, evenly spaced and sewn securely.
- There are 7 strands of 105 ch each.
- All 21 butterflies and 21 flowers follow the alternating layout.
- All tassels end level, 40 in (101.6 cm) below the top edge.
- No knots or loose ends show on the RS.
Troubleshooting
- Triangles lean or curl: check that every row loses exactly 4 sts, then block them firmly.
- Valance is narrower than 35 in (88.9 cm): go up a hook size for the foundation chain only.
- Strands are uneven: count the chains again; a missing gap chain moves the strand off the layout.
- Butterflies twist on the strand: tighten the chain behind the body so the butterfly sits flat.
- Tabs stretch: work the tab rows more tightly or add one extra row before sewing.
Care
Hand wash in cool water, roll the curtain in a towel and lay it flat or hang it to dry. Reshape the motifs while they are damp.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other as follows:
– 25 sts make each 5 in (12.7 cm) triangle, and 7 triangles make the 175-st, 35 in (88.9 cm) valance.
– The border brings the valance to 35.5 × 6 in (90.2 × 15.2 cm).
– Each strand is 105 doubled ch, or 30 in (76.2 cm), plus a 4 in (10.2 cm) tassel.
– Together these give a curtain 40 in (101.6 cm) long.
Check each measurement as you reach it and the finished curtain will hang evenly. Happy crocheting!