Survey and OT

Alrighty. I just got off the phone with my foodstamp case worker, and they're cutting our benfeits down to less than a quarter of what we have been receiving. Which means we're gonna be hurting for grocery money unless I start selling my jewelry. You all know that was the plan anyways, but it's a bit more urgent now. Okay, a lot more urgent.

Anyhow, I need some information from all of you, if you would please take a quick sec to respond:) I need to know your bracelet size. NOT your wrist size--I need the length of bracelet you wear. I plan on weaving a lot of bracelets over the next few weeks, and I want to offer a good selection of bracelets in sizes people wear. Basically, I'm hoping to get an average, and some of the extreme highs and lows on bracelet sizes. Thanks everyone! This will be a big help, because I tend to make my bracelets to fit me, and not all folks have

8 inch wrists.
Reply to
~Candace~
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Well you know my size is 6 1/4 or 6 1/2 if I want it a little loose.

I'm sorry about the food stamps. It sucks Adam got a raise then they take some assistance away. Really, really sucks. What happened to helping folks get on their feet?

Reply to
starlia

I think it was replaced with trial by fire:) We'll just do what we gotta do, yanno? I'm thinking of this as motivation. I must make and sell my pieces, or we fall short. Simple.

Reply to
~Candace~

Reply to
roxan

Average single strand bracelets that I make (not too chunky) average 7-7.5".

Wider bracelets or those using large beads often need to be a hair longer to accommodate a standar wrist size.

HTH, Barbara

PS and that sucks about the food stamp thing. Do you get any WIC asssitance?? That might help to fill in the gaps on some basics, like milk, fruit and cereal.

Reply to
Barbara Forbes-Lyons

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "~Candace~" :

]I need to know your bracelet size. NOT your wrist size--I need the length ]of bracelet you wear.

7-7.5 inches.
Reply to
vj

6.25" or slightly over. Hope things get easier soon...
Reply to
Helen Page

I am on the small end too. 6 - 6-1/4 is my favorite lenth.

I have a show coming up the first weekend in November. If you want to send me some items I can take them with me to my show. I would charge a small percentage for space in the booth. I am also sharing it with my Neice who makes purses. Right now we are each paying half. I am going to be doing some advertising to let people know I am going to be there. People are always looking for finished items. I can display your work to show ideas to people and sell your items at the same time. We can talk about possibly getting some beads at a discount if you would want design bracelets with my beads. Send me an email at sales at empressbeads dot com

To discuss this further. I have a few other alternatives we can try. I am always willing to help.

Wishing you the best! I hope to hear from you soon.

Reply to
Empress Beads
7 inch flat 7.1/4 inches for simple beaded 7.1/2 inches for chunky.

Shirley

In message , ~Candace~ writes

Reply to
Shirley Shone

I usually wear bracelets loose - 7 1/2 - 8". Good luck, Candace!

Reply to
Kandice Seeber
6.75" or 7" unless it's very chunky. (I have really small bones). Most of my customers have wrists considerably larger than mine.

Reply to
Georgia

I like my bracelets pretty loose: 6 1/4" for a slender design up to 6 3/4" for bracelets with large beads.

Good luck selling your jewelry!

Reply to
Peggy
8" to 8"-1/2

The Blessed Fiddy, Patroness Saint of the Disorganized LC in Sunny So Cal Personality Development Specialist (Full-Time Mom!)

Reply to
LC aka Fiddy

I'll take one. Make it a 7 and 1/2. I do wish you well and I hope things get better. I will pray. )

Scott

Reply to
scott

Sucks about the reduced foodstamps, Candace. :( But now is a good time to sell your jewelry, what with the Xmas season coming up. :)

I've found that most of the bracelets that sell the fastest for me are in a size of 7.25 to 7.5 inches. It also depends a _lot_ on the size of the beads you're using. I've made some lampwork bracelets that, when laid flat and measured straight out, came to over 8 or even 9 inches. But when I put them on my wrist (size 6.75), they fit perfectly (more like a 7-7.25) because the larger size of the beads makes the interior of the bracelet smaller. So if you're using larger sized beads, I'd recommend making cardboard tubes of various wrist sizes - use your friends wrists as measurements - so you can measure the bracelet on the tube for a standard size before finishing it. Paper towel or toilet paper rolls should be good to make them with.

If you'll be making woven bracelets... will you be attaching metal clasps or will you use buttons with a loop of beads to go over it? The reason I ask is - if you're using metal clasps, you can re-size a bracelet almost immediately if you attach the toggle bar of the clasp as a wirewrap to the end of the bracelet. Most weaves will be strong enough to hold the wirewrapped clasp. If not, just make sure you do many, many passes with the thread through the beads at the end of the bracelet - as many as possible and still be able to get the needle thru (use your pliers to help with that).

All you need is some wire. Place the wire through the woven end of the bracelet and then make a wrapped loop so the wire is now connected to your bracelet by the loop; then, add the toggle bar onto the same piece of wire and start to wirewrap that. As you finish the second wire-wrapped coil which atttaches the toggle bar to the wire, you finish it off by bringing the end of the wire _up and over_ the first coil you made. This gives a double wrap to the coil and provides extra strength. Finishing touch - you could add a few of the same beads used in your bracelet: put them on headpins, then attach them to a ring and attach it to the wire you used to attach the clasp. People _love_ jinglies on their bracelets and it will help camouflage the wire you used in attaching the clasp. :)

The point of this all - you knew I was coming to one, didn't you? ) - is that you would be able to re-size a bracelet almost immediately for a customer. If you have basic wire-wrapping skills, this technique allows you to make all your woven bracelets the exact same length - only the wirewrapped clasps will be longer or shorter. I hope this makes sense! :)

You should also be able to use this technique for a button loop made of seed beads, as long as you use many passes of thread/fireline when you're making the actual button loop. If you need pictures because I didn't write the instructions well enough for you to understand, just let me know and I'll take some tomorrow & email them to you. :)

Reply to
bluemaxx

I think I wear 6 1/4.

I find that I sell bracelets everywhere from 5 1/2 to 8 inches. The tempation is to make them all 7 but those aren't the ones that sell... I would say the most that sell are 6 1/2 and 7 1/2. People really appreciate seeing a range of sizes, though.

hope that helps.

marisa2

~Candace~ wrote:

Reply to
Marisa2

The best way to size your bracelets is not by length, but by inner circuference (what they will fit around). If you are using big beads, or making wooly worms, your bracelet will need to be longer that if you are making a seed-bead daisy chain one, or a flat cuff type.

I use PVP pipe joints to test bracelets for fit-- usually to fit a 7" circumferance. If one's a bit too small for that, I try it on-- if it fits me, it's a "fits 6 1/2" wrist" size. If it's loos on the pipe, then it's a "fits up to 7 1/2" wrist" size.

Also, some bracelets just feel better worn tight, others when worn a bit loose. Kaytee "Simplexities" on

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Reply to
Kaytee

Linda--you rock--thank you for all the great tips! They are saved for studying over:)

Reply to
~Candace~
6 1/2 to 7 roughly. Depending on what the bracelets like and if I plan on wearing it to work. If I wear it to work it has to be tighter!

Charlie.

Reply to
Charlie
7-7 1/2" for me, too!
Reply to
Beadbimbo

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