Banner pricing and general info.

I don't have the time to put a webpage together yet so I am doing to use this blog for now to direct people to.

My name is THL Isabella Evangelista or Amanda Michaels and I am an active SCA participant in the Kingdom of Atenveldt. I have made over 80 banners for SCA members in 13 Kingdoms and a few also for some nice folks in Living History or WMA groups.

I am currently making 6' and 8' standards, for $90 and $120. The dimensions on them are not exact because the fabric can stretch or shrink a bit during the process of making them, but they are pretty close to 20" x 72" for the 6' and 20" x 90" for the 8'. The price includes first class shipping through USPS anywhere in the continental US, but if you want faster delivery or a different delivery service I may apply a shipping charge. I apply a shipping charge to countries outside the US but it is rarely more than $5 US. I am also happy to trade for stuff depending on what I might need. I can always use 14th century related garb and stuff!

I don't take deposits, I only take the full amount up front if we are not trading. Each banner I make is custom made and tailored to the bearer's tastes and personal heraldry. If someone decides not to pay or has a real emergency and can't, I am stuck with an item I am unable to sell to anyone else. With trades I am happy to make and send the banner first in good faith as I only deal with merchants with a good and established reputation. I accept checks, money orders or paypal with no personal preference on my part. I will start working on a banner when I have received funds.

Each banner is hand drawn and painted. I do not often use traced art. It saves me time to draw everything by hand which allows me to charge what I feel is a reasonable price for my labor. The fabric starts to stretch when it gets wet, so lines are not always 100% straight and these are not computer generated type perfect. I take pride in the fact that what I make is a hand made product and am happy to answer any questions in regards to their quality or the process of making them and the materials used.

They are made from 100% china silk and with proper care are durable and the colors will remain bright for many years.

All banners are outlined with the resist used to corral the different colors of dye, so they are in effect hemmed already and should not fray. The hoist is lined and a pair of ties are attached at the top and bottom so that you can use them on any size pole. If you wish I will leave them off so that you can finish the edge however you like.

I will help come up with a design for you if needed, taking as long as is necessary to nail down one that you like. I have done something like ten variations for people before so it's not a big deal if it takes a while, but it does add to the overall time it takes to deliver the finished product. I also do not charge for complexity unless it is much more detailed than what I normally make. The price on a banner of greater size or complexity of design is something that would be discussed during the ordering process.

My delivery time is usually about a month. It can be more or less depending on how long it takes to come up with a design, supplies I have to order specially that I don't normally use, shipping time and how much other stuff I have going on in my life. I am a firefighter/EMT and work 48 hour shifts with 4 days off in between. So I have to cram in time with friends and family banners, my own projects, housekeeping, etc into a four day period. :P I try to keep the delivery time within a reasonable time frame though. I will always do my best to keep customers updated though here or by email and I can always be contacted if you have questions. I am happy to give out my cell number but I will not publish it on the web.

To order, you can contact me at silkbanners@gmail.com