Daffy's Stitchy Friends

Monday, January 5, 2015

The Totally Useless Stitch A Long 2015



The 2015 TUSAL is launched! 

Get to stitching and save those ORTs!

What is an ORT? ORT or ort ~ Capitalized, it stands for Old Ratty Threads. These are the cast-off thread ends a needleworker cuts away. These ends are often saved in clear jars as a decorative object. The word, "ort" does appear in the dictionary, meaning: a bit of something left over; usually concerning food. 

Why would you save ORTs and why on earth post a picture on your blog? Not everyone saves them. Some stitchers just toss them in the trash or let them decorate the sofa and floor. Sometimes this inadvertent decorating draws ire from those living with us. Saving these clippings in one place creates a random tangle of lovely colored thread. Posting a photo of this pile is "progress" of a sort and thus, the Totally Useless Stitch A Long was born. 


If you would like to join the Stitch-A-Long:

1. Comment on this post.

2. Get a glass jar or other container and save your thread clippings. Some stitchers include fabric trimmings, thread bands, empty spools or any other stitching cast-offs they gather. You may continue filling this jar throughout the year OR you may empty the jar and start over each month ~ no firm rules here!

3. On (or about) each New Moon take a picture of the ORTs in your jar and post it to your blog. This is a blog game so YES, you MUST have a blog to be included.

4. Yes, you can use your current ORT jar or jars. This is no contest...the stitcher with the most ORTs doesn't win!

5. You should post a picture each New Moon, even if there has been no "progress" to show. We are aiming for "once a month" here...no whippings for being late, early or absent!

6. When you have posted the picture of your ORTs visit my blog and comment on my ORT report for that month's TUSAL. If I have a Totally Useless Giveaway these comments give you an extra entry. Make sure you comment on the right post, a few comments seem to sneak onto other posts!

We follow the Lunar Cycle so every year these dates change! Some years they are very evenly spaced, one New Moon each month and some years have 2 New Moons one month and skip a calender month altogether!

The New Moon dates for 2015 are:

January 20
February 18
March 20
April 18
May 18
June 16
July 16
August 14
September 13
October 13
November 11
December 11

In years past, I have made up a "guest list" by adding a blog link list for everyone that joined ~however~ this year I probably will not do that. It takes hours and hours and hours of visiting blogs, editing the post, checking links, editing the post, correcting mistakes, editing the post. I'd much rather be stitching or visiting your blog on a recreational basis. Therefore, consider your comment to be your entry. Make sure either your profile is set to "open" so people can visit your blog or leave a link to your blog in your comment.

A request: I notice there are a lot of bloggers completely in the dark about your Totally Useless posts. They see lots of people posting pictures of ORT jars but they have NO IDEA why. They might want to join in the fun too! Please put a LINK to THIS sign-up page when you make your TUSAL posts. A link in your sidebar is great but ONLY if your readers SEE it and realize what it is.  

If you want to add the TUSAL link gadget to your sidebar (in Blogger): right click on it and save the photo to your computer, go to your blog's layout and choose "add a photo" and put the address to this 2015 TUSAL post in the link option. Upload the photo and save.

A shout-out on your blog to let other stitchers know about the Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long would be greatly appreciated! Plus, please change the links in your sidebar to this new post!


Thank you for visiting my blog today!
xox

92 comments:

Sue said...

I'm in! I'm looking forward to It. :)

CJ said...

I am in again. Hopefully this year I will make all 12 entries.

Thanks for hosting!!

CJ

Karyn said...

I'm in, if you'll have my sorry flakey self :) Thanks for doing this again, Daff.
Love ya
Ma

Caitlin D said...

Yay!! I'm in! Hopefully I'll be a little better with the postings this year. ;-)

Craftymakings.blogspot.com

Katy said...

I'm in!

http://justalittlestitchin.blogspot.com

Brenda A said...

I'm totally in too! I keep them anyway, now I can show everyone!

~ Toni ~ said...

I'm in :)
http://peddlerjo.blogspot.com/

Brenda said...

Oh I'M IN AGAIN!!! Woohoo!!! Thanks so much for doing this SAL again too!!!


http://time2xstitch.blogspot.com/

Christine said...

I am in! Just emptied 2024!

April said...

I will join this year. Now i just hope I remember to post every month.

www.itsjustapril.blogspot.com

Bonnie Brown said...

I'm in again!!!
bbrown426.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Im in this year
http://crossstitchangel.blogspot.com.au

Angela said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Carla - Alaska Wolf Pack said...

HURRAH! I was getting worried that you had changed your mind about continuing this and you know how we all fear change...shudder....

Happily will I blog about all there is to know about ORT and TUSAL and as per, will include link to this page.

THANK YOU!

Linda said...

Count me in.

Linda

Kate said...

I'm in again :-)

Anonymous said...

I'm in again, and even have a new ORT jar!

Preeti said...

I am joining it for the first time :) I tried sometime back but ended up throwing them after each stitching session. I hope this time I will keep a jar nearby.

Anonymous said...

thanks for hosting this, I would love to join ♥

Rike said...

Hi,

I'm in, too:

http://blog.handarbeitskorb.de

Even if it's a german blog, each blog-entry is in german AND english :-)

Happy stitching
Rike

lekae said...

I'm in
lekae
http://otnoroktushkana.blogspot.ru/

Khristine Doiron said...

I want to join

http://cross-stitching-mama.blogspot.com/

D1-D2 said...

I'm in again as well http://d1-d2.blogspot.ca/

sew.darn.quilt said...

Count me in too! I stumbled upon you late last year.

http://bytheprickingofmythumb.blogspot.ca/

Keebles said...

I'm in again for this year...I missed doing it last year!

The Inspired Stitcher said...

Count me in! I really enjoy keeping track of my progress on TUSAL day. Happy New Year!

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

I'm in again this year. The TUSAL is why I started blogging!

www.serendipitousstitching.blogspot.co.uk

Akila said...

Have been waiting for this post. Count me in again please :)

http://mostly-xstitch-and-somemore.blogspot.com/

Roberta said...

Bad year last year hardly any stitching was able to get done.

Already started this year stitching. I'm in foe 2015

Loretta said...

I`m in. I kind of drop the ball last year - still collected but forgot to post. Will try to do better this year.

Anonymous said...

as usual I'm in! all dates have been added to iCalendar, so see you soon! :D
chiara - http://thegreytail.wordpress.com/

Cindy said...

Count me in, looking forward to more stitching this year!

cindygambill.blogspot.com

Sara said...

Count me in, hoping I'll do a better job of blogging and keeping up with the SAL's this year.

www.justanotherflamingo.blogspot.com

CathE said...

I'm in. Not been stitching for a while so looking forward to getting back into it.

lynda said...

Please count me in again his year!
Thanks!

Sandy In Montana said...

I've already got a few in the jar.

Take Care & Happy Stitchin'
Hugs, Sandy

DJH said...

I'll join in. I just hope I can remember to do it every month!
http://sometimesiamnotnice.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Im in

AnaCristina said...

I participated in 2012 and 2013. I will be here in 2015. Thank you for doing this again!


Bea said...

I'm going to try again this year. Hopefully my stitchy bug will stay home and I'll have something to show.

Astrids dragon said...

After taking a break last year, I'm in for this one!

Patty said...

I'm in but I'm warning everyone that if I actually do it every month this year, pigs will fly. Thanks for hosting again!

katica said...

I'm in!!!

BronnyB said...

Me Me Me....

Back in the full swing of it. My jar was conscientiously filled as I stitched, I just never posted on my blog enough in 2014.

I've committed to an Ornament Challenge in 2015 - so I'll be there with boots on!

bronnysbits.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Back again for 2015.

http://twistedntangledthreads.blogspot.com/

Cindi

Anonymous said...

I would love to join you too.

Sherry said...

2015 is my year to get more done. . and to blog more consistently; so I am game to try TUSAL again.

Hopefully I will be more successful that in years past!

Anonymous said...

I will make an effort to follow up on TUSAL this year.

Birdie said...

Please count me in. Thank you. :)

Minnie said...

I'm in for another year.

jhm said...

I'm here again and hope to be more on time this year.

Jackie
http://needleworkerssamplings.blogspot.com/

Emma/Itzy said...

I'm in :)

Now I just need to find my ort holder...seems to have gone AWOL after the move...

Mel said...

I'm in - great you are running this again this year.

http://blog.gothtigger.com/

Anonymous said...

I'm In...

Thank you Sharon for putting this together for the New Year!

May our jars be full of colorful threads.

Susan said...

Thank you for hosting again. I'm in. This is the one SAL that I can usually keep up with each year.

craftingpaws said...

This looks like so much fun, I would definitely like to participate!

http://craftingpaws.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Hi,
I would like to join my blog is www.lizylovelystiches.blospot.com

Jan said...

I'm in for another year!!!!
http://jan1228.blogspot.com/

rosey175 said...

I'll try again. I'm having fun seeing how much ORTs I can cram into the little jar, hah. :D

My blog: ishkabibble

Unknown said...

I love this idea! I'm in!!

http://www.MindYourNeedles.com

Urszula said...

I missed this last year, so I'm happy to be back in!
urszulasplace.blogspot.com

cerato said...

I´m in again!!
Hugs

Jusie said...

I'm in! ^^

http://jusiecreation.blogspot.ru/

Jen said...

Count me in. I haven't done it since the first year. it may encourage me to blog more often.

A Left-Handed Quilter said...

I'm in AGAIN!! Thanks for doing this - it is so FUN!! - ;))

Casa Pearl said...

I took last year off but I'm back with big intentions. And hopefully lots of orts!

Lisa Dunn said...

I'm in! I have been collecting my threads since the last new moon. :o)

wyrdneedles.blogspot.com

leigh7911 said...

I'll play. :)

Jenny said...

Tried it 2 years ago and want to try it again :)

Deb said...

Oh yes I am in, hope you are having a very Stitchy New Year so far

Anonymous said...

Here's to a good start to the year http://nwredhead.com/

Pam said...

I'm in!

Kaisievic said...

Please count me in, Sharon, although this month's will be late due to the unexpected passing of my DFIL. hugs, Kaye

Katie said...

I forgot to comment earlier apparently, but count me in! I love the TUSAL. :)

SueFitz said...

Thought I already commented - I'm in..

Rhona said...

Count me in too!

Kasey said...

I am in!! (I'm joining late, but better late than never.)

http://koehlerkreations.blogspot.com/

Leonore Winterer said...

I'm in as well! Seen this all over the web last year, now I want some of the fun myself ^_^
http://needlepensword.blogspot.de

Stitching Noni said...

I'm in again this year!

Jen said...

is it too late to join? here's my blog: http://domesticatedreset.blogspot.com/

looking forward to having fun!

Raquel, Calico Craft Designs said...

I'd like to join in for 2015!

http://thegirlsgonecrafty.blogspot.com/

Mini said...

would love to join.I hope it's not too late.
http://minizdiary.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Wonderful Orts and I am joining in on the fun.http://puttinglifealltogether.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

My name has changed to Alaska Wolf Pack and is no longer Sceal Teach :D

http://alaskawolfpack.blogspot.com/

RoseMary Baty-Willcox said...

Would love to follow this blog with email, but I can't find a spot to sign up with email.
artandsoul57@gmail.com

SueFitz said...

Sorry I'm late this month - it got away from me.

I should have known when I looked up at the moon it was time.

http://suefitz-fitzsstithing.blogspot.com/2015/04/totally-useless-sal-ort-4.html

Sunny said...

Is the Orts jar just for needlework or can someone who crochets do it also. I understand there are really no rules other than it is suppose to contain ends and pieces of things left over from needlework.

Daffycat said...

Ila East, crochet IS needlework! Bring your yarn clippings, they will be welcome!

StitchyFish - Lee Fisher said...

Hi I'm StitchyFish, Count Me In!

http://stitchyfish.blogspot.com/

Sandra B. said...

I would like to join. Thank you.

journaloftravelandadventures.blogspot.com

Charlotte (MotherOwl) said...

Wow, I'm so sorry I did not discover this TUSAL some days ago. ALl my ORTs ebded uo inside a temari that day. My ORTjar is woefully empty. Well not totally empty after all. I'm in, and I hope you continue this TUSAL

Michelle said...

Will you be doing it again for 2016?