A quilted wrist band cuff is a great way to use up small scraps of fabric and try out new quilting designs. Heather Thomas shows you how to make a wrist band from start to finish and how to dress it up with embellishments.
Size
A wrist band needs to be snug enough that it won’t fall off, but not too tight either. Heather explains how to determine the correct length to make the cuff. The width of the cuff can vary and can depend on personal preference or the design quilted on it. There needs to be at least a small amount of space between the quilting design and the edge of the wrist band in order to finish the edges.
Embellishments
While the quilting on the wrist band serves as some decoration, Heather shows how to dress it up with more quilt embellishments. Heather shows how she painted the center of her quilted design to make it stand out more. She explains what kind of paint she used and why and also gives alternative paints that can be used. Bead embroidery is another way Heather likes to embellish quilts. For the quilted wrist band she shows how she used small seed beads to accentuate some of the quilted lines. Heather explains what needle and thread she uses as well as demonstrates what stitch she uses to secure the beads to the cuff. She also explains how going through the beads several times as well as adding extra knots every so often can help keep the beads more secure.
Finishing the Edges
Once the quilting, painting and beading have been finished it’s time to finish the wrist band edges. Heather explains how she finished the edges in several steps and how doing so helps keep everything flat and aligned. She demonstrates how she begins with a standard zig zag stitch and then moves on to a satin stitch. She also shows how to attach a loop closure during the satin stitch stage.
