Free Butterfly swarm cut file, Layering tutorial using our Pattern HTV with Gloss HTV for all machines.

Hi!

Welcome to another week’s blog, and free cut file. We are fast approaching warm summer days again and you have been requesting more T-shirt designs! Do join us for our Wednesday Live events 7pm TikTok and 8pm Facebook, for even more design ideas and free exclusive cut files! As always with our cut files and tutorials you can use these in a huge variety of ways and with HTV, Self adhesive, papercrafts, even embroidery should you wish. Whatever you decide we would love to see!

Have you found our  You Tube channel yet? The video showing this and all of our other tutorials are available on there, as well as exclusive demos, inspiration and more!  Join us on Facebook , Instagram or Tiktok or  send us an email to [email protected] we would love to hear from you!

You are free to use our files to make, create, and even make items to sell, all we ask is you don’t pass the files on.  Instead, if you wish to share them, please ask your friend or acquaintance to download them from our website themselves from within this blog. No reselling or passing on, of any part of the cut file is permitted, and no using the cut files to create other files to sell or pass on is allowed. But we do hope you enjoy them, and we hope your makes earn you a little extra with them too.

What you’ll need:

• Cricut maker . Available Here
• Cutting Mat. Available Here
• Or Silhouette Cameo 4. Available Here  (Instructions for the cameo and Brother machines at the bottom!)
• Pattern HTV. We used the Space Pattern Galaxy 10 found by clicking here
• High Gloss white HTV found Here
• Cricut Easypress and Easypress Mat Here
• LED weeding pad. Available Here
• Squeegee.  Available Here
• GM Vinyl Scrap Collector. Available Here
• Weeding tweezers . Or Weeding hook. Available Here
• Scissors from the tool kit. Available Here.
• Tote bag, T-shirt or bag etc of your choice.
• Silicone Paper, this is like the baking paper you can buy in the supermarket on a roll for the kitchen- DO NOT USE TEFLON
• Cut files Download link below, for all machines, Silhouette and Brother instructions are at the bottom of the page

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE BUTTERFLY SWARM CUT FILES FOR ALL MACHINES

Instructions;

1. Before you start you will need to download the cut files for your chosen machine, link above. Unzip the file to use it by right clicking it in your downloads.

2. Upload the SVG into the design space. Click “Upload Image” on the left-hand Design Panel, and navigate to the  files you want to open. Select ‘Insert image’ and select cut images. Click save. When it has been uploaded, Insert the images onto the canvas and resize to suit your project, I then right click and ungroup, before I delete any parts I don’t want if appropriate. Recolour each part you wish to cut from a different vinyl differently, so you can cut the different Vinyl etc for each layer, which means you don’t have to keep returning to the design page, see below.

Weld any parts that you wish to keep in place – I welded the black and then Blue as they needed to be cut together. See below.

When you are ready click make it to move on to the next screen. On the next screen, If using the Cricut Maker 3 then you will need to choose to cut on the mat (unless using smart media) Click done, and then continue on the next screen.

3. When on the next screen above,  if using HTV only ensure you MIRROR the design. If using pattern HTV DO NOT mirror- We did not mirror the blue design as this is going to be the pattern HTV. Click continue in the bottom right on the next screen. In the next window make sure your settings are all set to the successful settings from your test cut and ensure your machine is linked before proceeding to cut. Cut settings: (**please test cut) Press the flashing Cricut symbol on your maker to cut, after loading the sheet into the machine. Apply the settings needed for your chosen Vinyl, we made it with our GM Pattern HTV, and High Gloss HTV  on the maker 3, and used the Every Day Iron on setting on the Cricut maker 3 with LESS pressure.

**A reminder that these settings, including the blade setting, are specific to the materials and machine we’re using, adjustments may be necessary if using different materials and machine**

We always recommend before proceeding, you test cut your materials when first using so if you have not recently used this product in your machine. Please test cut for your chosen machine found on our Application guide, and also Blog.  Load the Vinyl chosen individually for each layer.

4. Next you need to load your mat with material on.  Please remember to test cut if you have not used this vinyl. Again proceed to make it. Remember to do this step for all your colours. Remember DO NOT MIRROR PATTERN HTV.

TOP TIP PEEL THE CORNER OF YOUR VINYL TO ENSURE YOU ARE CUTTING THE CORRECT SIDE AS SOME ADHESIVE SIDES ARE MORE GLOSSY THAN THE CLEAR SHEET- CLEAR SHEET ALWAYS GOES ON THE MAT- AND PATTERN IS CUT WITH THE PATTERN FACE UP DO NOT MIRROR

5, Press the down arrow on the machine when it has finished cutting to eject the mat, Flex your mat away from the vinyl when removing to make this easier. Switch on your LED pad, take the tweezers and weed the excess unwanted vinyl away, I use the purple flower weeding waste holder to keep my desk tidy.

6. Take the milky sheet of transfer paper that came with the pattern vinyl, peel the backing off, apply the transfer application sheet provided to the front of your design, rub with your squeegee from behind when turning over before carefully peeling the backing.

7. Switch your Easy press on, and set the temperature to 160’C and the timer to 15 seconds, please refer to our  Application guide,  Preheat the Bag, cushion cover, t-shirt or other garment you have chosen, once the press is ready, for 10 seconds to remove any moisture.

8. With the Gloss layer in the correct place on your chosen item, facing up, ensure it is on a hard surface, or Cricut Easy press matt and on a hard surface,  check our guide here for more information on applying and using HTV successfully. Applying firm pressure so that your arms are locked and pressing hard into the garment, apply the press to the Pattern design for 10 seconds, covering each area once only to not over heat the vinyl. Leave it to cool a few seconds before removing the carrier sheet. Because we are layering, we have reduced the press time for this step to 10 seconds and let it cool slightly before the next layer. Be sure on the next layer to protect any parts already pressed with Baking sheet or silicone paper NOT TEFLON.

9. Repeat the above step with the Pattern HTV in the correct place, and this time press firmly for the full 15 seconds once on each area- allow to cool slightly before removing the application sheet. Be sure to protect any parts of the white vinyl already pressed with Baking sheet or silicone paper NOT TEFLON.

10. If after removing the sheet the T-shirt or design is looking a bit untidy then recover with a sheet of Silicone Paper or baking parchment and quickly repress smoothing over it like an iron would, but quickly so not to over heat.  Don’t forget your finished design can be matched by using any material cut using a cutting file, card, self adhesive vinyl or even HTV. We’d love to see your makes on our social media pages! Or email them in!

Silhouette Cut File

Instructions:

Before you start, you need to download the cut file,  Upload the cut file into Silhouette Studio, click the file and choose release compound path to separate each layer, and resize or regroup as necessary,  (when resizing bring all  layers into the design software and select all  at once to get the correct offset layers and save the adjusted file, so you can cut layers individually at the correct scale you have chosen) Remember to test cut if necessary and cut settings are found here along with test cut guidelines for every machine.

Brother Cut File

To import these files into the Brother Canvas Workspace:

After downloading, please log in as usual to your design space account, open a new project mat, then left click on the SVG  icon in the top left bar in canvas, this will then allow you to import your files. Once you left click this icon, a pop up box appears with you to choose where to import file  from, choose to import the file from your downloads list or where you have chosen to save when unzipped.

Cut settings are found here

Just in case you need the link CanvasWorkspace (brother.com)