Wooly Belle's Beginning...

Since this is our first post, thought I'd share how Wooly Belle came to be!

Amanda, raised as an artist's child, always loved to draw, experience art and always wanted to be an art teacher. Her father, Robert, was an amazing artist.  He could draw anything, build anything and was the greatest dad you could ever ask for to help with school "art" projects.  She naturally took after him and had lots of ideas!!  Originally, planning to go to Fashion Design school, she opted to stay here and continue working.  Becoming an insurance agent, then working in a call center, she realized these were holding her back from her passion.  She was destined to be something.  Something artistic.  She taught herself to sew, and thus began Oh Sew Pretty.  She sewed flowers from fabric first, starting her and her mother's adventures to craft shows.  Teaching her mother to sew left her with other jobs.  She started sewing and embroidering items!  Thus began a new era of Oh Sew Pretty.  Oh Sew Pretty and Sweet.  She had the ingenius idea of creating embroidered items made to look like sweets.  She continued this journey until at one craft show in the lonely town of Galax, her destiny caught up with her.  She met Karen Simpson.  A renowned Fiber Artist, who has made a hat and vest for Lady Gaga, the adventure began.  Amanda took classes on how to wet felt!  She learned to make a scarf, purse and hat-all in 1 weekend.  Then she was hooked!!  She then taught her self to needle felt.  Oh it was a disease...It's addicting!! She then thought, it's so amazing and easy, that she needed to teach others to do it!! She created the beginning kits in September 2011.  Showcasing them at their first show with the beginners kits and wool.  She and her mother Pam knew it was a growing trend.  They set out and conquered numerous places, but the question always asked is, "Where do we get more wool?".  So Amanda and Pam decided it was time.  2012, was going to be their year.  They found the quaint space at 128 N. Pollard St. and decided it was fate.  Cleaning and working on getting the store open within a month, they opened Wooly Belle, January 7, 2012.