Whoo-hoo ! I did it ! Long and unnecessary explanation follows !

Current Mood : Victorious ! 

Didn't sleep very well last night, not sure why. I was tired, but seemed like I woke up every half hour. (sigh) I do wish Beloved Hubby wouldn't bring me Big Gulp sodas at 10pm - he's very thoughtful, but I need some sleep !

His job site didn't need him, so he had this morning to rest, which I was happy for - he was so tired when he left, I feared he'd fall asleep driving home tonight. I'd already made the bed, but it was so nice seeing him sleep peacefully.

I also did some 'meaning to's this morning. Brushed Baby Crissy's hair, it was getting dusty and a bit snarled. Truth to tell, I was going to sell her, but I didn't, and now I'm not sure what to do with her. She doesn't really fit in with the few dolls I kept, but she's too nice to donate. It's a puzzle, but at least it's one I don't have to solve right this minute. She's fine where she is.

I also did a Monster High 'hand inventory'. Since quite a few dolls have different hand molds - and they're interchangeable ! - I've been meaning to go through all my dolls, both keep and trade, to make sure I had all the hands I wanted. Heck, I bought a Lagoona mostly for one hand and her shoes, so I'd best make sure I had that hand ! Once I sew up some simple dresses, I'll swap their clothes, too.

That done, and Beloved off to school, DFIL waved me off dish detail for today, so I had the whole afternoon free. Decided to take one of the 'biggies' off the 'meaning to' list. I have several craft totes - one was a gift, one was bought at a yard sale, a smaller one came from GoodWill. The yard sale and gift ones were identical, until I heard that MIL and AIL, after their weekly craft bees, routinely grabbed the wrong totes, which were identical to mine but for color. Mine were turquoise and pink, theirs were shades of blue. I proposed swapping my rainbow-hued one for her blue one, which would benefit everybody. A week or two later, we did the swap, but it wasn't until after I'd moved all my stuff into my 'new' blue tote that MIL told me that the handle on it was broken. (sigh)

Nothing for it, so I kept it. And wouldn't you know it, that was the very tote that lost its lid during the move, and I never found it. At first, I didn't mind, but soon, it started to collect dirt and dust because it was right by a drafty door, and where the kitties like to congregate, for some reason. I couldn't replace the lid since they're not sold separately, and a new tote is $40. brand-new. So I added 'make lid for tote' to the 'meaning to' list.

And today was the day. Wasn't entirely sure how I was gonna do it, but I was gonna. Started out by tracing the bottom from taped together freebie newspapers, then comparing it to the top and adding enough around it (more newspapers) to fit over and host an elastic casing. Ended up with a nice, big newspaper placemat, and it looked like it'd work.

So. Fabric. Fabric often trips me up, especially when I'm sewing something all-new. I hate to use really nice stuff, because there's a good chance it'll be a total FAIL. I hate to use stuff I don't really care for - although I've long since donated most of that - in case it does work...it's not like I'm gonna need a dozen tote cover-lids. So I stewed and fretted, and finally decided on some more of that 'star field' fabric. I liked it, but it'd come from a bedding set I got at a yard sale for $5. - you remember ! It became my Lab curtain, and various other pieces (duvet cover, pillowcases, etc.) became seat cushions, bedding for Dearest Son, and such. I'd taken a bed dust-ruffle apart because it never fit his bed and was much too small to fit ours, and stored the 'denim' broadcloth lined pieces. I'd get something I liked, and it'd be recycling, so it wasn't at total waste if it was a total fail.

Here's where you're gonna laugh at me. I completely forgot that it *was* a dust ruffle. So the pieces weren't nearly wide enough. Even sewn together right down the middle, there wouldn't be enough for a casing. Hrf. My eyes fell on a strip of navy blue fabric with gold glitter embedded in it. Beloved Hubby'd sewn me a slightly scratchy pillowcase from the rest of it, and this was the remnant. I wondered...how would the star-field fabric look with a strip of gold glitter blue running down the middle, topping a medium blue plastic tote ?

Not bad, actually. Luckily, the strip was just wide and long enough for what I needed. All I'd have to do is sew the strips together, add the casing, pull the elastic through, and sew the hole closed. Easy. So the near-hour I spent carefully piecing together freebie newspaper pieces for a pattern...was totally wasted. Never went near it. Ah, well. If I ever need really big oval placemats, I'm ready to go.

And, about three hours later, I had the new lid to my old tote. I think it looks pretty good. Plus, I don't have to keep the stuff inside down, I left plenty of room for stacking stuff. Threading the elastic through the casing took forever, my hands were singing with stress by the time it was done. Took most of Monty Python's The Meaning of Life - with the Crimson Permanent Assurance short feature - to get it done and let me rest up before finishing up. Whew !

Now I'm ready for some doll sewing ! Wanna take more off the 'meaning to' list !