Um. I seem to be playing Elf.

So, a year and a half ago, I got the idea of making a "Group Hug Snuggly" -- a physical stuffed animal to grab hold of and hug whenever I feel the urge to type *hugs* in reply to someone online, and also to grab and hold whenever someone sent that reply to me.

As an added boost of snuggly magic, it will have, slipped inside the stuffing, little tokens-- each one representing / dedicated to one of those friends (back in the day, they raised their [virtual] hands and asked to be included*).

The thing is, I always wanted to make an original design teddy -- either a "monster" teddy or an "alien" teddy. So I didn't want to use any of the sewing patterns available for download online.

And mathematical / geometrical thinking is one of my weakest intelligences, so translating the 3-D shape I imagine in my head into flat shapes I can cut out of paper has been making me flail for a total of 77 weeks.

Late last night, I realized I had paper towels, scissors and glue, so that I could experiment and see what sorts of flat shapes turn into what sort of round shapes. That's what helped me figure out how the whole thing works.

And now? I'm making it up on the fly. The main thing is: I figured out how to make sure critical seams match up. Anyway, I might actually have all the fabric pieces cut out and glued together by the time I go to sleep (I use temporary white glue instead of straight pins -- and then, stitch over it). And my next project may be a "how-to," because I can't be the only one who loves hands-on, but blanks at the figuring-out.

I don't celebrate Christmas. But spending the day before making a childhood symbol by hand seems oddly appropriate.

*It's not too late if you want in...