I had a class scheduled back in March that never happened for obvious COVID-19 reasons. The design was finished and I had the samples all made. I still needed to write the pattern, but that usually doesn’t take me too long with the impending class as a hard deadline.

But when the class got canceled, I lost my hard deadline and Every Last Drop of my motivation. And that’s why I’m just now getting around to sharing my River Reed Bracelet. It’s my first pattern since November, which is a little embarrassing, but this is a weird year. She’s late, but she’s here!

This beaded cuff is mostly herringbone stitch but slightly modified to use Potomac’s Tubelet beads and little segments of Fire-Polished crystals and size 8/0 seed beads. I’ve been moving away from using two-hole and shaped beads, but these Tubelets are essentially just chubby bugles and I really like the look of them with the 8/0’s and crystals.

(If you can’t find Tubelets, Cathy has a bunch of colors available in the Beaded Bliss Etsy shop.)

I have included all the bead colors that I used in both samples in the pattern, since I’ve had folks requested that a lot. I also changed up the format of my pattern for the first time to be more column-oriented. I worked really hard on getting new bead drawings worked up and I do think this one looks awful pretty, if I do say so myself.

As for the leather snap clasps, I did also include the info for those in the pattern. The avocado clasp on the lavender and spring green bracelet is one that Cathy made. She has bunches available in her shop. The patterned one on the blue and gold bracelet was from Melinda Orr in her Etsy shop. I’ve been really enjoying the added pop that the leather clasps add, but you can definitely use a different style clasp on this bracelet and not have to tweak the pattern.

I think part of why I was so stuck with writing this pattern is because I’m not visiting my usual bead shop and getting feedback from other beaders. It’s really hard to cultivate your own internal motivation without that support, especially when things are so stressful already. But now that the pattern is done, I think it might be the best illustrated one I’ve ever written and I’m really proud of how my pattern writing has improved over the years.

I think I just need to give up on a strict idea of how productive I need to be right now and just let things happen when they happen. This one was supposed to happen in March, but I guess it’s ok that it’s happened in August instead. I’m still proud of it. <3