Mothman Capelet

A fun, artsy Halloween project!

This is the Minimalist Machinist Moth Wing Capelet, which is a moth wing pattern that can be scaled to fit a range of sizes based on a wingspan measurement. 

The capelet finishes around the hip and has two-piece wings that span the length of the arm.

I made this capelet in anticipation of my sister's annual Halloween party. The theme for this year is "Cryptids, Creatures and Creepers," so I chose a classic American cryptid, the Mothman, for my costume. 

I thought the Mothwing Capelet pattern would be perfect for this purpose! I don't know if the Mothman quilts, but I do think he (they?) would approve of this project. 

The mothwing capelet pattern is designed with quilted fabric in mind, and is finished with bias tape edges and snaps at the wrists. 

I don't quilt often, but when I do, I like a rustic look and I try to use scraps from other projects. See also Goderich Quilt, quilted Fairfax Jacket, scrappy quilted Christmas tree skirt. 

I pieced my capelet together by using the crumb-quilted/improv quilting/quilt-as-you go method. I used a ton of grey and black linen and linen-blend scraps from my stash, leftover from these projects, among others: Lichen Duster, No.. 7 Vanlose trousers, Homme wrap dress, Dani pants, and Glebe Pants. 

I used lots of the selvage as I pieced the wings together, which added some fun textured. 

My quilt batting is polar fleece repurposed from an ancient homemade Snuggie that wasn't being used. 

The backings are secondhand fabric from The Makery, my local secondhand arts and craft supply store.

I embellished the moth wings with accent colors of red, pink, and black and white check, also all scraps, from this Tarawi shirt, Daisy Designer Pants, and Cuff Dress. 

To attach the circles, I just zig-zagged onto my quilted fabric. I love how the red pops against the black and grey background.

I was hoping the red circles would harken to the (heavy-handed) theme of glowing red eyes in The Mothman Prophecies. 

My costume also involves handing out Chapstick, another nod to this terrible, but terribly delightful scene from the Mothman movie:

I was going to make my own bias tape, but I ran out of scraps and didn't have the patience to make my own, especially in the large amounts needed for this pattern. I ended up using double-fold bias tape from Wawak. 

For my costume, I wanted some extra gothic, moth-y drama, so I also made a hooded poncho out of some sheer fabric I had in my stash. I wore this as an underlayer to the capelet, added pipe cleaner antennae, and creepy, glowing red eyes care of some stick-on tap lights. 

This capelet was so much fun to make and to wear! It was perfect for the party, and an interesting and unusual project to dig into.