The NorthWesternBelle

March has been keeping me busy! We're still working on the Custom Sigil Cape order, which should be complete this week. I really lucked out finding a crafty friend to cut the vinyl and give me pointers for ironing it on (parchment paper is apparently better than the expensive Teflon sheets that are sold specifically for this purpose). I'll be going at the first one tonight; it will be my first attempt at applying heat-transfer vinyl, so wish me luck! Speaking of capes, we've been getting a lot of hits on Etsy for "white cape," so I implored the lovely and talented Taiza P. to create one. Unsurprisingly, she did not disappoint: My friends are so beautiful :) This is the wonderful and amazing Dia, who was kind enough to let us use her beauty to market our handmade goods. Pretty sure she could pull anything and everything off.  This particular cape has an extra-large hood and is very flowy! It's perfect for a ghost or a spirit of any sort. I suspect it ...

So, round about the 10th of last month I started writing a post that never got completed. That's NOT going to happen this time! At least, you know, I hope not. It's the busy season at my full-time gig, so down time available for blogging is hard to come by. You will be happy to hear that we've only been neglecting the blog so far in 2015. We've been keeping plenty busy with custom cape orders and a couple of custom afghans. I've also resumed my weekly appointment to play in the mud thanks to my amazing hubby. More on that later! First, custom order recap. Early in January I received a message through Facebook asking about making custom capelets for some professional cosplayers. We had black fabric on hand, so the construction was inexpensive and quick! They ordered three elbow length black capelets with oversized hoods, and the always-amazing Taiza P. was actually able to create two extra! They need to be photographed and listed for sale...I'll get around to...

In January 2015 I received an inquiry on Etsy about producing a custom burlap cape. The question came in through the listing for our gold-threaded burlap cape , and the client wanted one done in black. The amazing Taiza P was able to recreate the pattern of the gold cape pretty closely, but opted to add some length. When she was done, she all but gushed about how it is the best cape she's ever made! And boy, did it turn out spectacularly. The pictures, not so much, but I assure you: the cape is awesome. Are you looking for a cape to complete your costume? Message us with the specifics of what you want. We can create a cape in any color/fabric combination imaginable, and aim to do so for the lowest possible cost! Thanks for looking! Always Yours, The NWB

In early February I started seeing this picture on Facebook (their algorithms are obviously on point). Pretty quickly after I saw it (like, literally the next day), my mom's best friend posted it to my wall and asked if I could do it. She wanted two for a pair of sisters. After some research and back and forth, she settled on Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable yarn in three color combinations, which is seriously gorgeous. It was like Christmas all over again when it showed up! Dragonfly, Stained Glass and Tidal. I most likely overbought, but hey, that's perfectly okay because I really want to make myself something out of it. I bought the pattern from  Felted Button  on Etsy. Turns out the blanket is built from individual motifs that are joined as you go.  Building the blanket each scale at a time was actually not as time consuming as I thought it would be, though it still took me most of February to do it.  The color combination is really beau...