Then in 2010, while I was pregnant with Stella Rose, I wanted to tackle the task of making her nursery one of a kind. I took an intro to sewing class to refresh my memory at a local fabric store. That project got put on halt, as well when I was put on bed rest in the hospital for my last trimester. I wasn't going to attempt to bring my sewing machine and all the fabric to the hospital, especially when I was to be laying in bed. Prior to being put on bed rest, I had purchased some charm packs (a bundle of 5"x 5" fabric swatches) because I loved the fabric line and couldn't choose which designs I liked the best. Those packs are such a great way to get an assortment of every fabric design in that line for about the price of a yard of fabric, rather than buying a yard of each design and spending too much. I can easily do that in a fabric store! Except, since I've never got into quilting or patchwork, I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with the charm packs! Then I started brainstorming different things I could make when inspiration hit. The snap idea that sat dormant in my head came back to life!
Fabric flowers! So cute and so fun! and such a variety to make! That's what I would do with all those charm packs! I thought, "What if I installed the snap fastener to a fabric flower that would then attach to a head band? or a bracelet cuff? a baby shoe? (baby shoes would be much easier to make) or even a purse?" Of course I was thinking of sweet little Stella Rose and how cute she would look wearing my creations!
The name Snappee Turtle came about during one of my brain storming sessions. Since my product would snap together, I wanted to use that word in the name. I started thinking of things that snap and thought of a snapping turtle. Stella's plush stuffed animal turtle helped point me in that direction, since she loves Turtle and her other plush stuffed duck that we call Ducky. We also call Stella our little Turtle Bear Bear (she sometimes makes a turtle face, and she's always been our Bear Bear), so I just loved using Turtle in the name, too! My hubby really liked the name, and one of my BFF's helped me decide how I would spell Snappee. We thought this spelling was the most fun!
Inspiration hit again, and I came up with an innovation to my product idea. Worrying that pulling the snaps apart so often would cause too much wear and tear on the fabric, I started thinking I would rather use a magnet than the snaps. I thought about naming it something like Magnetic Mango or something, but my heart was set on Snappee Turtle. Then I realized, there are magnetic snaps! How awesome, I thought! More ideas started flowing. Better yet, the snap part attached to the flower ornament attracts to the refrigerator, so when not in use you can use it as a magnet. Who doesn't love a cute magnet! The magnetic board came to mind next, for a fun, decorative way to store all the snaps in your room. I ran my idea across my hubby, family and a few friends (and even a couple of Stella's teenage babysitters) who have encouraged me in my creative process. They loved the new innovation, too!
The push to quit delaying and finally start creating came after I ran my product idea with another friend with a great craft blog that I wanted to start sponsoring. I wanted to give myself a goal to be ready to go with products to sell within the next month or two. She came up with a great idea to have a local "Christmas in July" party at her house, and I thought I would definitely need to get working! A few trips to Hobby Lobby, JoAnn Fabrics and a local fabric store got me set up to make quite a bit. I'd say the two weeks leading up to the open house were pretty hectic, trying to put my ideas to work for the first time and feeling like I didn't quite have enough time. I was still creating all the way up to an hour before the party! The open house was a success and a great way to test out the waters.
So this is the start of something I have been hoping and dreaming about, and I am excited to create and finally share Snappee Turtle with you all!
Blessings,
Eva Taylor
