Fall 2010 Craft Swap

As a follow up to Monday's post, I'm so excited to share with you what the Craft Swap group made for the Fall Swap.

I think this post calls for proper introductions!

The Fall 2010 Craft Swap group consisted of Shana, Momma, Kiara, Me, Sherri, and Debbie (who was out of town on a business trip...boo!).


First up is Shana's Craft Swap Project...Fall Bunting!
(The Bunting is beautifully sewn and the fabrics and colors are spot on!)

Jingle All The Way Shadow Box by Momma!
(Such a fun and unique holiday decoration. I might have to make a couple of these for gifts this year!)


Scrabble Tile Pendant Necklaces by Kiara!
(I love the graphics Kiara used. Who knew that Scrabble tiles could be so versatile?)

Darling Pincushions and assorted goodies by Sherri!
(I never knew that pincushions could be this cute! I love mine and have it next to my sewing machine, as I'm too nervous to use it- HA!)

Silverware Roll-ups by Debbie!
(Such a great idea, as the roll-ups are perfect for picnics, potlucks, camping, etc!)

I hope you've enjoyed the recap of the Fall 2010 Craft Swap! :)

Trying To Streamline My Production Process...

I've always had high goals of streamlining my production process, as I think it is the secret to any successful business- right? From the get go the most tedious part of my production process is making my cute (and must have) Squirmy Worm Studio tags!


For the most part, everything that leaves my studio is either tagged with a Squirmy Worm Studio tag or a Handmade by Candice tag, both of which take precious time to make. I've been thinking about it for a while and wonder if delegating the making of my Squirmy Worm Studio tags to Miss Label is right for me.

Do you use sewing tags, and if so do you make your own or buy them from a professional? :)

My Craft Swap Project...Revealed!

Saturday's Fall Craft Swap was a huge success!!! I thought long and hard about what I wanted to make for my Craft Swap project and since all of the Swap members sew, I thought that Thread Catchers would be the perfect project! :)


I unfortunately got a slow start, as I wasn't able to find a pattern for a simple Thread Catcher anywhere. I had come across some samples at various quilt stores and was confident that I could write up a pattern for the perfect Thread Catcher. I started out my making a prototype and wrote down some important dimensions and then I let time get away from me and found myself having to make another prototype, giving me a second opportunity to write out clear and concise directions (like I should have done the first time!), before proceeding with my assembly line.


I can't tell you how happy I am of how the Thread Catchers came out (the Swap group was stoked too!). Everyone that has seen the finished product asked how much I charged for them, which got me thinking about making some additional Thread Catchers for November's Craft Show! :)


Make sure to come back tomorrow to see what the other members of my Craft Swap group made...they never cease to impress me with their creative abilities!!! :)

What I've Been Up To...

We all know it's been 10 days since my last post (I've been told a time or two!)...I guess it's time to confess that I temporarily lost my mojo (very sad!). Have you ever had the urge to sew/craft, but everything you touched just didn't work out? That's how the last week or two have been for me, but don't fret as I think I finally found my mojo- whew! :)

While looking for my mojo I had time to cut fabric and prep items on my 'to do' list for the Craft Show (which is less than 30 days away...I'm such a procrastinator!!!).

• I've prepped four Coffee Burlap Bags, so hopefully by next week I'll have four tote bags complete for the Craft Show!
• I have three Travel Jewelry Rolls/Cases cut and prepped...just waiting to be sewn up!
• I also have five Appliqued Zippered Pouches prepped (three argyle and two owls).

The Craft Swap is this Saturday! In a normal world I would have completed my project weeks ahead of time (hard to believe, but totally possible), however this time around I only have 3 complete (as of tonight...with 2 to go- eeks!). My Craft Swap project was a little more involved than I first thought, but definitely worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears! :) I'll post the big reveal photo on Sunday!

Definitely Worth the Wait!!!

If you've been following me for a while now, you know that I'm smitten with burlap coffee tote bags, and that I've been working on the perfect proportions/design for WAY too long. I finally sat down Saturday to work on and complete a tote bag, as I had planned on gifting it to a sweet friend on Sunday (nothing like waiting until the last minute!!!).


I experienced a few setbacks on Saturday, but was able to complete a stylish burlap coffee tote on-time, and without any tears- woo hoo! :)


The bag measures 17" wide x 13" tall and 6" deep. The handles have a 9.75" drop from the top of the bag, perfect length for both hand and shoulder carrying. The handles were sewn a couple of times for extra support, and the bag is fully lined. What do you think? :)


I'm working on additional tote bags for the Craft Show, and hope to add some to my Etsy shop in the near future. As always, if you are interested in a product or are thinking about a custom order, please feel free to email me at squirmywormstudio@gmail.com!