Thursday, January 4, 2018

A Totally Useless Stitch A Long


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 even 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 and send me an email with a link to your blog (to be included in the guest list below.) NEW! - You can also ask to join the TUSAL Facebook group.

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 and/or the Facebook Page. This is a blog/Facebook game so YES, you MUST have a blog/Facebook 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!

When to post?

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 calendar month altogether!

The New Moon dates for 2019 are:

January 6
February 4
March 6
April 5
May 4
June 3
July 2
August 1
August 30
September 28
October 28
November 26
December 26

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  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!

Our Guest List:



=^..^=

Thank you for visiting my blog today!
xox

30 comments:

  1. I'd like to sign up for this too! I've sent an email already :D

    My blog is https://MagicalQuilts.blogspot.com

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  2. Please sign me up! Emailing my blog link...

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  3. Happy hoots from MotherOwl. Thanks for hosting. I updated my blog postss on TUSAL to link to this new page.

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  4. I'd like to sign up :) I will email you my blog link

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  5. I would like to participate this year. I always save my orts but am horrible about posting them.
    My blog is http://homeofaflossjunkie.blogspot.com/

    Hopefully I will be able to keep up this year.

    Cindy

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  6. I'd like to participate this year! Emailed you already, my blog https://cindygambill.blogspot.com

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  7. Very nice idea!!!! I want to participate, I will email just now.

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  8. Sounds like fun. Count me in. I will email you my link.

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  9. I would love to play again this year! I fell off the wagon last year and didn't keep up with my posts, but I will try not to do that this year :)
    https://fetalinastitching.blogspot.com/

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  10. Oh, me me me!
    Thank you for the reminder to update the address for the TUSAL link. I still had one from a couple of years ago linked to the pic in my sidebar. ooops!

    http://suzemo.blogspot.com

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  11. Oh why not!! I may not have much to post, but it might give me the incentive to stitch a little to have those orts to share!!!!

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  12. Hi,
    Would love to join in for the ORT's. I embroider and quilt so have lots of threads. My blog is Food for Thought.....
    http://100sweets.blogspot.com/

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  13. Hello Sharon!
    I would like to participate this year. I took part in Tusal in 2012 and 2013! Just sorry because my English is not very good. I am a Brazilian woman and I love cross stitch!
    I will email my blog link and I will join in facebook page.
    Let´s have fun!!
    Thank you!

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  14. As i actually have ORTs already this year can you sign me up and maybe it will be another reminder to me to pick my needle up more often.

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  15. A facebook group!!! Yippee!! :) I will be back again and I am still trying to get caught up on last years posts too and I will just as soon as I can :) Oh and I will email you my blog link :)

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  16. please sign me up! I'm emailing you my blog info! :D

    Happy 2018!!

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  17. What a good idea, I'm participating.
    I will email you my bloglink. :)

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  18. I am just getting back into stitching, I know, I know, GASP! Anyway, I think I would like to join this adventure... now I have to find an appropriate jar... Hmmmm.
    http://thewhimsicaldowager[dot]blogspot[dot]com
    Hugs for now from brrrrr New Hampshire...

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  19. Hi I'd like to join up. I have a post all ready. I'll email you my blog link. But just in case it doesn't work here is the link......https://mytategallery.blogspot.ca/

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  20. I have been quite irregular last year, but promise to be regular this year. I would like to join again

    My blog is:
    https://mostly-xstitch-and-somemore.blogspot.com/

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  21. ooh, please sign me up - I will send you an email right now. Thanks, Kaye

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  22. Oh yay! I'm still on the list! But just in case:

    https://alaskawolfpack.blogspot.com/

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  23. I have participated in TUSAL in the past, but it's been a few years since I've done it. I would love to join in on the fun again for 2019. My blog is http://www.thedailymel.com

    Thanks!

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  24. I would love to join the ORT postings! I sent an email and my blog is: https://stitchingirlblog.wordpress.com/

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  25. Didn't see mine listed yet.

    I've gone ahead and posted for Jan/Feb

    https://suefitz-fitzsstithing.blogspot.com/

    Thanks for always doing this

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  26. I'd like to join aswell. I'm too late for february so I'll hope not to forget it in march.

    http://hoebeltje.blogspot.com

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  27. Hi there fellow stitchers! I just learned of your blog today from my personal friend Loretta Oliver creator of Stitching The Night Away. What a lovely idea this is to keep our snippets in a glass jar and empty it photographing the accumulation on New Moon every month! I'd love to join in on the fun here. I have yet to make a post on my blog but that will change today as I hope to get that task accomplished today.

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  28. This sounds like something fun for the coming year.

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