design tips
There are a lot of places to find design basics on the internet, but here is a small collection of tips.
ADD VOLUME. You can create a sense of volume to your images by thinking about a light source (most commonly upper right) and placing some lighter fabrics along the top/right edges and darker fabrics at the bottom and left of elements to give a three dimensional illusion. For the butterfly wings, put darker shades near the body and edges of the wings and lighter shades in the middle of the wings to give the illusion of light on the wing.
DEPTH. Think about where elements overlap or are in the foreground and add darker shadow areas to show where things cross each other. Create a foreground or background by changing the value (light and dark)– it could be a light, fading background for bright or darker areas, or a dark background to set off a lighter area.
STEP AWAY. Look at your design from a distance or take a photo and look at it as a whole. This will help you see areas that work or those that need to be adjusted.
CREATE RHYTHM. A way to make the eye travel over your collage is to repeat some fabrics throughout the design.
EXPERIMENT. One of the great things about using Steam-a-seam, is that you can move pieces around over and over, so try different arrangements of your fabrics.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN. The pattern is only a guide. If you want a swallowtail butterfly, change the shape of the wings. If you want a butterfly against a sky full of clouds, then leave out the flowers and leaves. Want a sky filled with butterflies? Make several different butterflies and place them on a large background.