Have you seen the DMC cuff bracelets in the shops? These are marvelous! Here’s a link to see what they look like:
https://www.dmc.com/media/cache/c/u/cuff4fchs_index_77x115.jpg
The cuffs are faux leather, with 2 snaps so they’re somewhat adjustable. The cuffs come in four colors – black, navy, fuchsia and white. I got one of each color because I couldn’t decide how I wanted to stitch these. DMC recommends #5 pearl cotton for these cuffs and it was the perfect size.
As I was playing with these it occurred to me that beads, cabochons and pearls were perfect embellishments; after all, cuff bracelets are jewelry!
I did find it a little difficult to graph out the designs. I’m used to graphing with needlepoint lines, where the graph shows the end points of stitches in holes. I started out trying to graph these as cross stitch, using blocks. But that didn’t really work either. So I went back to the needlepoint lines and have managed to present these in a stitchable (I think) format.
I began the process as I usually do, graphing out what I was planning to stitch, then stitching. When I came to the actual stitching process, what I had graphed didn’t work, so I had to design on the fly as I was stitching. That’s not the most comfortable process for me, so there was a little trial and error that involved ripping. But in the end I’m pleased with the stitchability of these little cuffs and the end result.
I think these are perfect for gifting, especially for teen agers. Teens love jewelry, and who wouldn’t love something custom made that doesn’t look like what anyone else is wearing. And just a hint, I’ve seen boys wearing cuffs too, so don’t think they’re only for girls. The key is to stitch a design that the boys want to wear.
Each of these design took me less than 3 hours to stitch, so a single evening’s work. That includes the trial and error part! And when the stitching is finished, the project is finished – no need for framing or finding a way to turn it into something wearable.
I’ll discuss each design in the next few days, some tips and some of the little errors I made while stitching. In the meantime, start thinking about who needs a cuff!